Gordon relishing the 'privilege' of playing in the majors
- Story byThe News-Gazette, Champaign-Urbana, Ill.
- Gordon relishing the 'privilege' of playing in the majors
Jul. 16—CHAMPAIGN — Tanner Gordon has faced off against the likes of Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge, Rafael Devers and other proven hitters standing only 60 feet, 6 inches away from him.
But those nerves didn't compare to the sensation he had in late December upon flying to New York.
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The Champaign native and 28-year-old pitcher with the Colorado Rockies had reason to feel some strong jitters shortly after Christmas. Because Gordon was planning on proposing to his girlfriend, Sydney Hester.
"My heart was beating out of my chest basically that whole morning and the whole flight until I did it," Gordon said on Tuesday evening from his offseason home in Scottsdale, Ariz., during a radio appearance on 'SportsTalk' on WDWS 1400-AM and 93.9-FM. "She was out there visiting her sister, and I surprised her out there. She was fashionably late because she was doing some new hairstyle, so I had to call the photographer and push it back 30 minutes. But we got it done."
Gordon and Hester, who met at Indiana when Gordon pitched for the Hoosiers and Hester played softball for the Hoosiers, are set to get married in early January 2027.
Well past when his latest season of pro ball ends.
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A journey that has taken him through every stop in the minor leagues since the Atlanta Braves selected Gordon in the sixth round of the 2019 MLB draft. And for the last three seasons, mostly spent in the majors with the Rockies.
Gordon is still vying for his first MLB win of the 2026 season, with the 6-foot-5, 220-pound right-hander carrying an 0-2 record with a 6.44 earned run average in 50 1/3 innings pitched with the Rockies so far this season. A season that will continue when the Rockies (39-59) host the Cincinnati Reds (43-52) at 7:40 p.m. on Friday at Coors Field in Denver.
Adjusting as a reliever
Gordon, who has spent his All-Star break in Scottsdale after the Rockies lost 3-1 to the Giants in San Francisco last Sunday, said he isn't sure when his next start is scheduled for yet. But whenever Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer gives him the ball, Gordon will be ready. It's how he has approached his entire pro career, even if this year saw an unusual development for Gordon: throwing out of the bullpen.
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Gordon went 6-8 with a 6.33 ERA in 75 1/3 innings last season for the Rockies, with all 15 of his appearances coming via starts. He didn't leave spring training in late March, however, with a spot on the Rockies' 26-man roster. Instead, Gordon started the season with the Class AAA Albuquerque Isotopes.
He made three quality starts with the Isotopes, going 2-0 and only allowing five runs in 20 1/3 innings before getting called up to the Rockies in mid-April. Where he found a spot in the bullpen and not in the starting rotation.
"I never thought I'd be throwing out of the bullpen," said Gordon, who had only been a starting pitcher with the Rockies since he made his MLB debut in July 2024. "But when you're in the big leagues, it's a privilege to be up there. I just did what I was told and was able to have some pretty good success coming out of the bullpen. Obviously, it's a lot different than as a starter where you know you're going to throw that day and you know what your role is. Being in the bullpen, it's kind of up in the air. When that bullpen phone rings, everybody jumps up out of their seat and starts stretching a little bit because you never know when your name is going to be called."
Gordon didn't make his first start for the Rockies this season until May 25, giving up one run on six hits in five innings in a no-decision against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. He made his next start on May 31 against the Giants in Denver, but only lasted three innings and gave up four runs on six hits. That proved to be his last appearance with the Rockies for almost a month after he went on the 15-day injured list with a right hip impingement.
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Sticking in the rotation
After recovering from his injury, though, Gordon made one rehab start with the Isotopes on June 24 and threw four shutout innings while only giving up one hit. A few days later, he was back in the majors with the Rockies and back in their starting rotation.
He has thrown five innings in each of his last three starts — June 30 against the Marlins in Denver, July 5 against the Giants in Denver and last Friday night against the Giants in San Francisco — and has compiled 16 strikeouts against just three walks in those 15 innings. But the Giants tagged him for four home runs on July 5 and a solo home run by Devers last Friday night was the only run he gave up in an eventual 4-3 win by the Rockies.
"The last few games against Devers, he's had me on speed dial, but he's a really good hitter," Gordon said. "I would arguably say I had worst stuff in my last start, but better results than the last time I faced the Giants in Denver. The velocity was down a little bit, so I knew I had to make some better pitches. I told myself to stay out of the middle because these guys are going to hit most of the mistakes you make. I think being a little more crafty with what I had and keeping them off-balance was the name of the game."
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Elevating the experienceGordon has become well-versed in pitching at hitter-friendly Coors Field. The altitude in Denver is obviously quite a bit different from what Gordon experienced growing up pitching in Champaign and then shining in high school at Champaign Central. But the 2016 News-Gazette All-Area First Team selection with the Maroons said a pitcher's mindset is just as important as the repertoire of pitches they bring with them when they take the mound at Coors Field.
"What I tell everyone is the altitude and all that is going to affect you as much as you let it," Gordon said. "You go out there and in the dumps of, 'Oh, the ball is going to fly. My pitches aren't going to work as good as they usually do,' then, that gets in your head and changes how you're throwing. You really don't need to change a ton. You change your eyesight and you change where you're going to start the pitch. That's a lot of it. I'm not going to say it doesn't change the games. We've all seen some crazy numbers out there on the scoreboard where it's like football numbers, but it's going to affect you as much as you let it."
Talking coffee and Hoosiers
Two items that positively affect Gordon away from whatever MLB stadium he might find himself in the rest of the summer and into the fall: visiting local coffee shops in every city he goes to and keeping tabs on the Indiana football team that shockingly won a national championship last season.
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"The best coffee spot is definitely in San Diego," Gordon said. "It's called Spill the Beans, and it's right on the water near the marina. They have great coffee and great bagels. I'm a cold-brew coffee fanatic, and they've got really good cold brew."
Just like he's a fan of what Curt Cignetti has done with Indiana football.
"The Hoosiers absolutely do have a chance to win the national title again," Gordon said. "Unfortunately, when they played Miami in the national title game, I was sick as a dog. I don't know what I had. I enjoyed it from my couch with a cold towel wrapped around me.
"It was unbelievable. I was insufferable for a very long time. I have some teammates who went to other Big Ten schools, like Michigan and Ohio State, and I let them know. I also had a teammate who went to Miami, so I let him know, too."
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Champaign in his corner
The resumption of the MLB season will see Gordon and the Rockies experience a six-game homestand against the Reds and Washington Nationals before a three-game series in Milwaukee against the Brewers from July 24-26 and a two-game road series against the Padres in San Diego on July 28 and July 29. The Rockies visit St. Louis from Aug. 7-9 to play the Cardinals at Busch Stadium and end the season with a three-game series against the White Sox at Rate Field in Chicago from Sept. 25-27.
More opportunities for his parents, Bob and Jody, along with the rest of his family and friends from Champaign, to see Tanner continue his MLB career.
"My parents text me before every game and every start," Tanner said. "I'll get random texts throughout the season of coaches and friends who I played in high school with. Having the support from back home, it's great. Being away from your family is tough. Being on the road and staying in hotels, it can wear on you, but again, it's a privilege to be up here in the big leagues, so I'm enjoying every second of it."
