The Colorado Kid will start the Rockies’ season for the fifth time.
On Tuesday, the club announced that veteran left-hander Kyle Freeland will be on the mound when it opens its 2026 season on March 27 in Miami against the Marlins. The Denver native will extend his own club record for opening day starts. He’s entering his 10th season with the Rockies.
Freeland, 32, also pitched the opener in 2019, 2022, ’24 and ’25. He also pitched the Rockies’ home opener on April 7, 2017, vs. the Dodgers at Coors Field in his major league debut.
His 2019 opener also came at Miami. In that game, he pitched a seven-inning gem, allowing just one run on two hits against the Marlins. Coming off their 2018 playoff season, the Rockies beat Miami, 6-3.
“Miami was cool for my first one,” Freeland told reporters Tuesday at spring training in Scottsdale, Ariz. “It seems like a long time ago, even though it was really just seven years ago. Now, being able to do it again in Miami for my fifth one, I’m excited, and hopefully I’ll have another good start.”
Last season, the lefty had another impressive opener, throwing six scoreless innings with seven strikeouts while allowing only two hits against the Tampa Bay Rays. However, the Rockies lost 3-2 when Kameron Misner hit a walk-off homer off Victor Vodnik. It was an ominous beginning for the Rockies, who ended up losing a franchise-record 119 games.
Freeland, who has raved about the changes the Rockies have made to their front office and coaching staff in the way of last season, said he wants to set a strong tone in the first game.
“Tone setting is always important, whether itap game 45 or game one or game 162,” Freeland told reporters. “Rolling into everything thatap new and everything that we’ve changed, there’s going to be a little more emphasis on that tone, making sure we really want to set that tone the right way.”
The Rockies signed three veteran starters — right-handers Michael Lorenzen and Tomoyuki Sugano and lefty Jose Quintana — in an attempt to stabilize their shaky rotation, but manager Warren Schaffer tabbed Freeland for the honor of throwing Colorado’s first pitch of the season.
“Any time you get a veteran on board with a lot of changes that you’re trying to make, itap really good,” Schaeffer said. “Itap good for Kyle to get that fifth opening day start, but there were some thoughts (about starting another veteran). Quintana (37) has been pitching a long time, but when I talked to ‘Q’ in here this morning, he was really happy for ‘Free.’ ”
Freeland got a late start in spring training because he was dealing with lower back spasms. Since returning, Freeland has made two solid starts, posting a 5.0 ERA with four hits, three walks, and six strikeouts.
This is a big season for Freeland. He is entering the final year of the five-year, $64.5 million contract extension signed in April 2022. Freeland holds a $17 million vesting, player option for 2027 that will kick in if he pitches 170 innings.
