Rockies May Have Found Their Own Version of a Former Cy Young Star

The fascinating comparison of a Rockies prospect and an established player.

Feb 20, 2025; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Colorado Rockies pitcher Sean Sullivan (85) as shot during MLB Media Day at Salt River Fields. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-Imagn Images / Allan Henry-Imagn Images

The Colorado Rockies are looking forward to improving their rotation. They have some new blood in their organization.

However, there's one pitching prospect that could stand out from the rest of them. 

Who Does Sean Sullivan Reminds Us?

Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The 23-year-old Sullivan is a left-handed pitcher. His delivery and fastball remind me of a Chris Sale-type pitcher. He can give you a lot of strikeouts, and he has a good changeup. Sullivan can go a distance in games, but the offense must support him so he can earn more wins and improve his record.

His physical appearance also reminds us of Sale. It’s unbelievable. Sullivan and Sale can throw fastballs. Sale can throw up to mid-90s, and Sullivan can throw up to low-90s. The fastball is one of their favorite pitches on gameday.

Sale is an established MLB player. He's been a nine-time All-Star, a champion, and a Cy Young Award winner. In addition, he led the league in strikeouts three times in his career. Sullivan doesn’t have to replicate those numbers. He needs to study what makes him great. 

We have seen time and time again that pitchers can deliver outstanding performances on the mound. Still, when the offense is not contributing, it can be psychologically deflating and can cause a pitcher to lose momentum as the game goes on. 

Sullivan has been with the Rockies franchise since 2023. He is making progress in the franchise's minor league system. He continues to get better and better, and he’s a very confident young man on the mound. He can make the hitters look bad with swing and misses. 

During his time at Northwestern, he wasn’t as effective a pitcher as he was in his professional career. Improvement happens when a player stays disciplined and works with the right people around him. 

In 2025, Sullivan posted a 9-6 record with a 2.94 ERA with 104 strikeouts in 20 games. In 2024, he had a strong season, going 9-2 with a 2.11 ERA and a career-high 125 strikeouts in 21 games. 

Sullivan has so much potential to be an elite starting pitcher for a long time. It’s time for the Rockies franchise to have that one cornerstone pitcher that will be forever remembered, whether it’s Sullivan or someone else. Still, Sullivan is a strong candidate if he can deliver consistently and stay healthy. 

Yes, the Rockies had Jorge De La Rosa, and he was a solid pitcher, but he never reached the level of Chris Sale or other elite pitchers. 

We have seen Rockies greats, but mostly hitters such as Larry Walker and Todd Helton. The pitchers need to fill the void. We haven’t seen a Rockies pitcher who has impacted the organization for years. The future is bright for the Rockies' pitching prospects. 

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