DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 22: Colorado Rockies pitcher Kyle Freeland (21) waves to the crowd as he walks off the field after a pitching change in the fourth inning during a game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on September 22, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Samantha Bradfield·SB Nation
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4 min read
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Welcome to the 2026 edition of Ranking the Rockies, where we take a look back at every player to log playing time for the Rockies in 2026. The purpose of this list is to provide a snapshot of the player in context. The "Ranking" is an organizing principle that's drawn from Baseball Reference's WAR (rWAR). It's not something the staff debated. We'll begin with the player with the lowest rWAR and end up with the player with the highest.
No. 47, Kyle Freeland (-0.4 rWAR)
We've all heard the cliches.
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"Denver native."
"Went to Thomas Jefferson High School."
"Grew up 15 minutes from Coors Field."
"The hometown kid."
Heck, we've heard these so many times that we made anentire bingo cardout of them!
But 2026 marked what could be the last time we hear those phrases uttered on the Colorado Rockies home broadcast about Kyle Freeland.
Since he was drafted eighth-overall in the 2014 MLB Draft, Freeland has spent his entire career with the Rockies. He's had some highs – such as his near-no-hitter in 2018 – and plenty of lows. And 2026 unfortunately marked a low for the left-hander, who not only finished with career worsts in a number of categories, but also finished with a negative rWAR for the first time since2019.
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Freeland was tagged for a career-high 104 runs (100 earned), and his 29 home runs allowed tied a career worst (also 2023). His 6.65 ERA is a career high, and his 75 ERA+ is also a career low, while his 1.522 WHIP is second only behind his 1.581 in 2019. Finally, his 3.72 SO/BB ratio was the highest of his career.
But Freeland also hit numerous milestones in 2026:
OnMarch 27thagainst the Miami Marlins, he made his fifth Opening Day start – the most Opening Day starts in franchise history. He also became the first pitcher in franchise history to make three consecutive Opening Day starts.
OnJune 1stagainst the Los Angeles Angels, he passed Jorge De La Rosa (985) for the second-most strikeouts in club history.
OnJune 7thagainst the Milwaukee Brewers, he set the franchise record in innings pitched, surpassing Aaron Cook (1,312.1)
OnJune 19thagainst the Pittsburgh Pirates, he struck out his 1,000th career batter, becoming the second Rockie to achieve the feat behind Germán Márquez (1,069).
OnAugust 2ndagainst the Kansas City Royals, he threw his first-career complete game.
OnSeptember 27thagainst the Chicago White Sox, he started Game 162 for the second time in his career (also 2017), becoming the fourth Rockies starter to start game No.1 and No. 162 in the same season.
DENVER, COLORADO - AUGUST 02: Kyle Freeland #21 of the Colorado Rockies warms up on the mound prior to the first inning of a game against the Kansas City Royals at Coors Field on August 02, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Kyle Cooper/Colorado Rockies/Getty Images)
On top of his on-field struggles, Freeland's season was also muddied by injuries. He spent two separate stints on the injured list – April 15-28 with left shoulder inflammation (retroactive to April 13) and August 24-September 15 with cervical radiculopathy.
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Ahead of his first IL stint, Freeland was pitching well. In three starts, he'd posted a 1-1 record with a 2.30 ERA across 15.2 innings. He hadn't allowed more than two runs in any of the three starts.
But when he returned, the wheels fell off.
In his first start back against the Cincinnati Reds, he allowed four runs on five hits with one walk and four strikeouts. Two of the runs came off a Spencer Steer home run in the first inning. In each of his first four starts after coming off the IL, he allowed four or more runs while only pitching five complete innings twice in that span.
May was Freeland's worst month when he posted a 12.46 ERA across 21.2 innings (five starts). He struggled through June and July, but really hit his stride again in August, posting a 2.52 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in four starts. He allowed four runs on six hits with the two homers on August 19th, but then was placed on the IL again.
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In his final three starts, Freeland went 0-2 with a 9.82 ERA across 11 innings to likely end his career in Purple Pinstripes.
It's unclear at this time what the future holds for the five-time Roberto Clemente Award nominee, as his contract expired at the end of the 2026 season.
But regardless, I will always be a Kyle Freeland Fan.
