Colton Gordon

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name = Colton Gordon

|image =

|image_size =

|caption =

|team = Houston Astros

|number = 61

|position = Pitcher

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1998|12|20}}

|birth_place = Saint Petersburg, Florida, U.S.

|bats = Left

|throws = Left

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate = May 14

|debutyear = 2025

|debutteam = Houston Astros

|statleague = MLB

|statyear = June 6, 2025

|stat1label = Win–loss record

|stat1value = 2-1

|stat2label = Earned run average

|stat2value = 4.70

|stat3label = Strikeouts

|stat3value = 30

|teams =

Houston Astros ({{mlby|2025}}–present)

}}

Colton Zimring Gordon (born December 20, 1998) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). Gordon played college baseball at Hillsborough Community College and the University of Central Florida (UCF). He was selected by the Astros in the eighth round of the 2021 MLB draft, and made his MLB debut in 2025. He pitched for the Team Israel in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

Early life

Gordon was born and had his bar mitzvah in St. Petersburg, Florida, where his father Steve Gordon lives.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/colton-gordon-team-israel-2023-world-baseball-classic|title=Gordon 'riding the wave' to Classic with Team Israel|website=MLB.com|date=March 4, 2023|author=CJ Haddad}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.milb.com/player/colton-gordon-676467|title=Colton Gordon Stats, Fantasy & News|website=Minor League Baseball}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/sports/mlb/2023/03/09/colton-gordon-starts-for-team-israel-in-exhibition-against-miami-marlins-in-world-baseball-classic/69987178007/|title=Lakewood Ranch grad Colton Gordon starts for Team Israel in exhibition against the Miami Marlins; Former Lakewood Ranch standout Gordon, who underwent Tommy John surgery in May, 2021, will start the MLB season in the minors, possibly at Triple A Sugarland.|first=Marc|last=Berman|website=Sarasota Herald-Tribune|date=March 9, 2023}}[https://s3.amazonaws.com/auburntigers.com/documents/2020/2/20/UCF_Notes.pdf "2020 UCF Baseball Game Notes,"] February 21, 2020. He is Jewish, and attended Hebrew school. He grew up playing T-ball and Little League at Fossil Park in St. Petersburg.{{Cite web|url=https://www.jewishpresspinellas.com/articles/st-pete-native-plays-for-israel-in-world-baseball-tourney/|author=Bob Fryer|title=St. Pete native plays for Israel in world baseball tourney|date=March 28, 2023|website=Jewish Press of Pinellas County}} He also grew up in Bradenton, Florida, with his mother, and went to Haile Middle School.{{Cite web|url=https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/sports/mlb/2023/03/09/colton-gordon-starts-for-team-israel-in-exhibition-against-miami-marlins-in-world-baseball-classic/69987178007/|title=Lakewood Ranch grad Colton Gordon starts for Team Israel in exhibition against the Miami Marlins|first=Marc|last=Berman|website=Sarasota Herald-Tribune|date=March 9, 2023}}

High school and college

Gordon attended and played baseball at Lakewood Ranch High School in Bradenton.{{Cite web|url=https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/colton-gordon/10728|title=Colton Gordon - 2018 Baseball Roster|website=Florida Gators}} In his senior year he was 4-2 with a 1.21 ERA, as in 52.0 innings he had 77 strikeouts. He was ranked the # 6 left-handed pitcher in Florida coming out of high school.{{Cite web|url=https://ucfknights.com/sports/baseball/roster/colton-gordon/12432|title=Colton Gordon - 2021 Baseball Roster|website=UCF Athletics}}

He played college baseball first at Hillsborough Community College in 2019 (7-4 with a 2.44 ERA), and attended but did not play baseball as he redshirted at the University of Florida.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/prospects/astros/colton-gordon-676467|title=Astros Top Prospects 2023|website=MLB.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.thebaseballcube.com/content/player/214721/|title=Colton Gordon - Stats|website=The Baseball Cube}} Gordon then pitched for the University of Central Florida (UCF), with whom in 2020 he was 2-0 with a 2.35 ERA. In 2021 he was 5-2 with a 2.77 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 55.1 innings, with a strikeout/walk ratio of 5.54 (4th-best in the American Athletic Conference).{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=gordon001col|title=Colton Gordon Amateur, College, Fall & Minor Leagues Statistics|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}

He underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2021 during his senior year at UCF, and was named Second Team All-Conference and to the AAC All-Academic Team despite missing half the season.{{Cite web|url=https://www.si.com/mlb/astros/prospects/houston-astros-maximizing-colton-gordon-arsenal-return-tommy-john|title=Houston Astros Maximizing Gordon's Arsenal in Return from Tommy John; Drafted last summer, Colton Gordon made his debut almost a year after hearing his name called by the Houston Astros.|author=Kenny Van Doren|date=August 25, 2022 |work=FanNation}} Despite the injury and surgery two months prior, he was drafted by the Houston Astros in the eighth round of the 2021 Major League Baseball draft, and signed for a signing bonus of $127,500.{{Cite web|url=https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/sports/2021/07/13/known-colton-zimring-high-school-gordon-taken-8th-round/7946896002/|title=Despite Tommy John surgery, Astros take Gordon in MLB Draft; Former Lakewood High standout had surgery 2 months ago after a highly successful start at Central Florida|date=July 13, 2021|first=Dennis|last=Maffezzoli|website=Sarasota Herald-Tribune}}{{Cite web|url=https://spacecoastdaily.com/2021/07/houston-astros-select-ucf-pitcher-colton-gordon-in-round-eight-of-the-mlb-draft/|title=Houston Astros Select UCF Pitcher Colton Gordon in Round Eight of the MLB Draft; becomes 109th Major League Baseball draft pick in UCF 48-year history|website=Space Coast Daily|date=July 14, 2021}}

==Professional career==

Gordon returned from the injury in 2022 to play for the rookie–level Florida Complex League Astros, Single–A Fayetteville Woodpeckers, and High–A Asheville Tourists. He was a combined 2-1 with a 2.35 ERA, a WHIP of 0.787, .182 average-against, and a strikeout/walk ratio of 9.75 (second-best in the minor leagues).{{Cite web|url=https://www.milb.com/news/al-west-prospects-to-watch-2023|title=Prospect Primer: American League West|website=Minor League Baseball|author=Rob Terranova|date=March 30, 2023}} After the season, he pitched in the Arizona Fall League for the Surprise Saguaros.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/arizona-fall-league-2022-week-5-award-winners|title=Hardman, Gordon win AFL weekly awards|website=MLB.com|date=November 9, 2022|author=Jacob Resnick}} He was named a 2022 MiLB.com Organization All-Star. Astros pitching coach Bill Murphy said "[Gordon] had a fantastic year last year.... The sky's the limit for him."

In March 2023, MiLB.com named Gordon the "emergent star" of the American League West, and he was the Astro's # 10 prospect according to MLB.com.{{Cite web|url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/texas-sports-nation/astros/article/houston-astros-colton-gordon-team-israel-wbc-17834814.php|title=Astros pitching prospect Colton Gordon to start for Israel in WBC|first=Danielle|last=Lerner|date=March 12, 2023|website=Houston Chronicle}} His four-seam fastball from a low release point was generally 89-92 mph and could reach 94 mph, and he also threw a mid-70s curveball, a 78-82 mph slider, a low-80s sinking changeup, and a cutter. Gordon began 2023 with the Double–A Corpus Christi Hooks, and was later promoted to the Triple-A Sugar Land Space Cowboys. In 29 appearances (24 starts) split between the two affiliates, he compiled a 7-7 record and 4.14 ERA with 151 strikeouts across {{fraction|128|1|3}} innings pitched. He was named a 2023 MiLB.com Organization All-Star.

Gordon spent 2024 with the Triple–A Sugar Land Space Cowboys, making 25 appearances (24 starts) and compiling an 8–2 record and 3.94 ERA with 124 strikeouts (4th in the PCL) across {{fraction|123|1|3}} innings pitched. He led the league among qualified pitchers in batting average against (.238) and WHIP (1.22), and his team went 21-4 in games he started.{{Cite web|title=Six Space Cowboys Named 2024 Pacific Coast League All-Stars |url=https://www.milb.com/news/six-space-cowboys-named-2024-pacific-coast-league-all-stars|date=October 2, 2024|website=mlb.com|language=en}} He was twice named PCL Pitcher of the Week, and was named a PCL All Star.{{Cite web|title=Colton Gordon |url=https://www.milb.com/player/colton-gordon-676467|date=|website=mlb.com|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=2024 Triple-A All-Stars and award winners |url=https://www.milb.com/news/2024-triple-a-all-stars-and-award-winners|date=October 2, 2024|website=mlb.com|language=en}} On November 19, 2024, the Astros added Gordon to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.{{Cite web|title=Astros To Select Colton Gordon|url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/11/astros-to-select-colton-gordon.html|access-date=November 20, 2024|website=mlbtraderumors.com|language=en}}

Gordon was optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land to begin the 2025 season.{{Cite web|title=Astros' Colton Gordon: Sent to Triple-A|url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/astros-colton-gordon-sent-to-triple-a/|access-date=March 18, 2025|website=cbssports.com|language=en}} In eight starts for Sugar Land, he was 4-0 with a 2.55 ERA and 43 strikeouts and eight walks across {{fraction|42|1|3}} innings pitched.{{Cite web|title=Colton Gordon to make MLB debut for Houston Astros against Kansas City Royals |url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/astros/article/colton-gordon-mlb-debut-20325736.php|date=May 13, 2025|website=Houston Chronicle|language=en}} On May 14, 2025, Gordon was promoted to the major leagues for the first time.{{Cite news |last=McDonald |first=Darragh |title=Astros designate Tayler Scott for assignment |url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/05/astros-designate-tayler-scott-for-assignment.html |date=May 14, 2025 |access-date=May 14, 2025 |website=MLB Trade Rumors |language=en}} He made his MLB debut that evening as the starting pitcher at Daikin Park versus the Kansas City Royals. Gordon logged {{frac|4|1|3}} innings and ceded 3 runs with the Royals ahead; however, the Astros rallied in the eighth inning for a 4–3 win and he received a no decision.{{cite newspaper |last=Kawahara |first=Matt |url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/astros/article/houston-kansas-city-score-jeremy-pena-20326697.php |title=Astros 4, Royals 3: Jeremy Peña stays hot atop lineup as Houston takes series victory |work=Houston Chronicle |date=May 14, 2025 |access-date=May 15, 2025}} On June 6, he earned his first major league win with by tossing five innings versus Cleveland Guardians, surrendered one run on seven hits, and struck out five to set up an Astros' 4–2 win at Progressive Field.{{cite newspaper |last=Noga |first=Joe |url=https://www.cleveland.com/guardians/2025/06/astros-speed-overwhelms-guardians-in-4-2-loss-as-cleveland-drops-fourth-straight-to-houston.html |title=Astros’ speed overwhelms Guardians in 4–2 loss as Cleveland drops fourth straight to Houston |work=The Plain Dealer |date=June 6, 2025 |access-date=June 7, 2025}}

International career; Team Israel

Gordon is Jewish.{{Cite web|url=http://www.jewishbaseballnews.com/colton-gordon/|title=Colton Gordon |work=Jewish Baseball News}} In 2023, he pitched for the Israel national baseball team in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.