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Tanner Gordon
Tanner Gordon
Colorado Rockies – No. 29
	Pitcher
	Born: October 26, 1997 (age 27); Champaign, Illinois, U.S.
	Bats: Left Throws: Right
MLB debut
	July 7, 2024, for the Colorado Rockies
MLB statistics ; (through 2024 season)
Win–loss record	0–6
Earned run average	8.65
Strikeouts	26
Teams
	Colorado Rockies (2024–present);

Tanner Robert Gordon (born October 26, 1997) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball (MLB). Gordon played two years at John A. Logan College before transferring and playing one season for the Indiana Hoosiers. He was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 6th round of the 2019 MLB draft.

Early life and amateur career

High school career

Gordon played baseball at Champaign Central High School. Nicknamed "Big Oak" in high school, Gordon was named the News-Gazette "All-Area performer" in 2016, his senior year.^[1]

College career

After high school, Gordon played his first two seasons of college baseball at John A. Logan College, a junior college in Carterville, Illinois. Gordon had a win-loss record of 6–0 in 14 games played and 8 games started in his freshman season; he finished with an ERA of 3.44 and recorded 52 strikeouts and 11 walks in 49²⁄₃ innings pitched while giving up only 2 home runs.^[2] In his sophomore season at John A. Logan, Gordon went 9-2 and started all 12 of the games he appeared in, finishing with an ERA of 2.06 while recording 104 strikeouts and giving up 20 walks and 3 home runs in 70 innings pitched.^[2] Across both of his seasons at John A. Logan, Gordon went 15–2 in 26 games played and 20 games started, finishing with an ERA of 2.63. He struck out 156 batters in 119²⁄₃ innings for a K/9 rate of 11.73, allowed 31 walks for a BB/9 rate of 2.63, and gave up only 5 home runs for a HR/9 rate of 0.38.^[2]

After his sophomore season, Gordon transferred to and played for the Indiana Hoosiers for his junior season in 2019, going 6–6 with a 3.81 ERA with 90 strikeouts and 19 walks in 87+1⁄3 innings pitched.^[3]

Professional career

Atlanta Braves

Gordon was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 6th round, with the 187th overall selection, of the 2019 Major League Baseball draft.^[4] He made his professional debut with the rookie–level Danville Braves. Gordon did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.^[5]

Gordon returned to action in 2021 with the Single–A Augusta GreenJackets and High–A Rome Braves. In 22 games (21 starts) between the two affiliates, he compiled a 6–8 record and 3.90 ERA with 109 strikeouts across 108+1⁄3 innings pitched.^[6] In 2022, Gordon made 25 starts split between Rome and the Double–A Mississippi Braves, registering a 12–7 record and 4.64 ERA with 133 strikeouts over 120+1⁄3 innings of work. Gordon began the 2023 campaign with Mississippi and was later promoted to the Triple–A Gwinnett Stripers, for whom he pitched to a 1–4 record and 8.28 ERA with 21 strikeouts over 6 games (5 starts).^[7]

Colorado Rockies

On July 24, 2023, Gordon and Victor Vodnik were traded to the Colorado Rockies in exchange for Pierce Johnson.^[8] He spent the remainder of the season with the Double–A Hartford Yard Goats and Triple–A Albuquerque Isotopes. Gordon logged a 2–2 record and 5.96 ERA with 21 strikeouts in 4 starts for Hartford, and posted a 1–1 record and 4.31 ERA with 34 strikeouts over 6 starts for Albuquerque.^[9] He began the 2024 season with Albuquerque.

On July 7, 2024, Gordon was selected to the 40-man roster and promoted to the major leagues for the first time.^[10] Gordon made his debut later that day against the Kansas City Royals at Coors Field.^[11]

Gordon pitched a perfect first inning, which included striking out the first two batters he faced, Adam Frazier and Bobby Witt Jr. However, Gordon gave up three straight hits to begin the second inning, the third being an RBI-single to Freddy Fermín. Two at bats later, Maikel García hit a three-run home run, giving the Royals a 4–0 advantage, with all four runs being scored in the second inning. Gordon gave up a solo home run to MJ Melendez in the 7th inning and was ultimately pulled after pitching 6+1⁄3 innings; he allowed 5 earned runs and 8 hits while striking out 4 batters and allowing no walks. The Rockies lost the game 10–1, with Gordon taking the loss.^[12]