Kyle Freeland has a simple philosophy regarding the worst start of his career.
“Flush it.”
The Rockies’ veteran left-hander hasn’t forgotten what happened last year on opening day in Arizona, but he won’t let it drag him down.
“I move on, I learn from all of my starts,” the Denver native said. “But I move on.”
Freeland, 31, will make his club-record fourth opening day start on Friday when the Rockies play the Rays at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Fla. His outing comes exactly one year after an epic meltdown in Colorado’s historic 16-1 season-opening loss to Arizona at Chase Field.
In a mere 2 1/3 innings, he gave up 10 runs on 10 hits, including a two-run homer to Lourdes Gurriel in the first inning. The 10 runs Freeland surrendered were a career high.
“And it didn’t help that my second start was in Chicago, and I got roughed up in that one as well,” he said, referring to Colorado’s 12-2 loss at Wrigley Field when he was roughed up for seven runs on nine hits and three walks in 3 1/3 innings.
At that point, his ERA was a ghastly 27.00. He was 0-3 with a 13.21 ERA after four starts. Shortly thereafter, he landed on the injured list with a left elbow strain. It took a strong second half to whittle his ERA to 5.24 by the end of the season. It was the second-highest ERA of his career, trailing only the 6.73 mark he posted in a 2019 season that required a Triple-A tuneup.
However, Freeland is undaunted and honored to throw the first pitch of the Rockies’ 2025 season.
“Absolutely,” he said. “One, it’s special to be told that you’re going to be an opening-day starter, even just once in your career. I want fans to understand that I have such gratitude for that.
“It’s Day 1 of the season. Slates are clean, everyone’s at zero, and you go from there. It’s a great, great feeling to be the guy on that mound that day, taking the rock and going after the first win of the season.”
Freeland will move past teammate German Marquez, who has made three opening-day starts, with Friday afternoon’s start. The pair have started every Rockies opener since 2019, with Freeland taking the mound in 2019, ‘22 and ‘24, and Marquez leading off in ‘20, ‘21 and ‘23.
Manager Bud Black did not hesitate to tab Freeland for the fourth time.
“His total commitment to the organization and how he’s throwing the ball this spring, it’s a situation where, for us, he was our guy to take the ball,” Black said.
Freeland said he knows what went wrong last year. After the 2023 season, he worked hard to improve his fastball velocity, which had dipped to a career low of 88.8 mph. But he came in throwing too hot, especially during the ’24 season opener in Arizona.
“Coming out of camp last year, I felt really good and I loved where all of my stuff was,” he said. “But it turns out that I made the wrong adjustment in the offseason.”
Freeland’s changeup, which has run hot and cold throughout his career, was his worst pitch that night in the desert. He must throw the pitch at 85-86 mph with movement to make it effective. Against the D-backs, it was an 88-89 mph pitch that got hit like a batting practice fastball.
“The changeup was just coming in too hot, too much velocity and not enough difference from his fastball,” Black said that night. “And the location of all of his pitchers was not Kyle-like.”
Freeland begins his ninth season Friday, and he’ll make his 201st start, moving past Jorge De La Rosa for the second-most in franchise history (Aaron Cook had 206). He’s changed significantly since making his big-league debut in the Rockies’ home opener vs. the Dodgers in 2017. But some things have not changed.
“My mentality has stayed the same,” he said. “I’ve had a lot of highs and lows in my career, but you have to keep your mind as level as possible.
“When I’m out on the mound, I’m that bulldog pitcher, head on fire, controlled chaos, coming at you. That’s never changed and I don’t think that will ever change. That’s my brand of baseball.”
Freeland had solid spring training, even if his 6.16 Cactus League ERA doesn’t indicate that. One lousy inning inflated his ERA, but his changeup has been effective, and he added a new secondary pitch. It’s a true, hard, downward-breaking slider. He pairs it with his cutter, a pitch he used to call his slider.
Black is particularly excited to see Freeland incorporate his changeup.
“He’s worked so hard over the years to find a good changeup,” the manager said. “He’s a veteran. Like all pitchers, he’s been very diligent on wanting to improve his game — like all great players do. They want to consistently improve and work. That’s what he’s done. He continues to evolve as a pitcher.”
Big-game Freeland
Denver native Kyle Freeland is scheduled to start the Rockies’ 2025 season opener on Friday against the Tampa Bay Rays. It will be the left-hander’s club-record fourth opening-day start.
Freeland has pitched in several high-profile games during his first eight seasons in the majors. A look at how he fared:
• April 7, 2017, Hometown hero: Made a stellar big-league debut in Colorado’s home opener vs. the Dodgers. Pitched six innings, allowing one run on four hits with six strikeouts and two walks in the Rockies’ 2-1 victory at Coors Field.
• Oct. 2, 2018, Clutch performer: Pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings in Colorado’s 2-1, 13-inning, wild-card playoff victory over the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Freeland allowed four hits and one walk while striking out six.
• March 28, 2019, Opening statement: Freeland pitched seven innings in the Rockies’ 6-3 victory at Miami in his first opening day start. He allowed one run on two hits and a walk. He struck out five.
• April 8, 2022, LoDo low: Making his second opening day start, Freeland pitched just 3 2/3 innings vs. the Dodgers in Colorado’s 5-3 loss at Coors Field. He gave up five runs on five hits, walked two and struck six.
• March 28, 2024, Epic meltdown: On opening day at Chase Field, the Rockies lost 16-1 to the Diamondbacks, marking one of the worst losses in franchise history. Arizona scored 14 runs in the third inning. Freeland surrendered 10 runs on 10 hits with one walk and two strikeouts in 2 1/3 innings.