Colorado Rockies' Kyle Freeland Poised to Set Franchise Record as Opening Day Starter

Kyle Freeland will take the mound against the Tampa Bay Rays on March 28, marking the veteran's fourth Opening Day start for the Colorado Rockies.

Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Kyle Freeland (21) delivers a pitch in the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Coors Field. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Kyle Freeland has been a mainstay atop the Colorado Rockies' rotation for nearly a decade, and that won't change in 2025.

Colorado Rockies manager Bud Black told reporters Sunday that Freeland will draw the start against the Tampa Bay Rays on Opening Day later this month. It will mark the fourth Opening Day start of Freeland's career, and his second in a row.

Through three Cactus League starts this spring, Freeland is 1-0 with a 2.79 ERA, 1.241 WHIP and 11 strikeouts in 9.2 innings.

#Rockies manager Bud Black has announced LHP Kyle Freeland as his Opening Day starter on March 28 at Tampa Bay. It's Freeland's fourth career Opening Day starter with the Rox.

— Thomas Harding (@harding_at_mlb) March 16, 2025

Freeland didn't fare particularly well on Opening Day in 2024. He gave up 10 hits, one walk and 10 earned runs in 2.1 innings of work against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The left-hander proceeded to go 5-8 with a 5.24 ERA, 1.412 WHIP and 0.0 WAR across 21 starts last season.

Freeland ranks second in WAR, second in starts, third in innings, fourth in strikeouts, fifth in wins, sixth in ERA and ninth in WHIP in Rockies franchise history. Since finishing seventh in 2017 NL Rookie of the Year voting in and fourth in 2018 NL Cy Young voting, though, Freeland owns a 5.00 ERA and 97 ERA+.

As it stands, Freeland and Germán Márquez are tied atop Colorado's all-time leaderboards with three Opening Day starts apiece. Freeland will claim the top spot once he takes the mound in the first game of the 2025 regular season.

The Rockies haven't had someone other than Freeland or Márquez start on Opening Day since Jon Gray did so in 2018.

First pitch between the Rockies and Rays on March 28 is scheduled for 4:10 p.m. ET. Shane McClanahan will take the bump for Tampa Bay.

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