Rockies call up former Idaho pitcher, adding to the state’s growing MLB list
Former Rocky Mountain High baseball star Gabriel Hughes received the call every baseball player dreams of Wednesday.
The Colorado Rockies promoted the right-handed pitcher to their Major League Baseball roster this week, adding another highlight to the career of the state’s two-time, all-class Gatorade high school baseball player of the year.
The Rockies made Hughes the second-highest draft pick in state history when they took him with the 10th overall pick of the 2022 draft. Colorado then added him to its 40-man roster last November, and he struck out Aaron Judge while facing the U.S. World Baseball Classic team during spring training.
Tommy John surgery cost him his entire 2024 campaign, and shoulder discomfort landed him back on the injured list in May. But that trip to the sideline was short-lived and the 24-year-old has dominated since returning, stringing together 15 ⅔ scoreless innings with Triple-A Albuquerque. That streak includes 16 strikeouts and just four hits across three appearances.
The Rockies have primarily used Hughes as a starting pitcher in the minor leagues, but he is expected to bolster the Colorado bullpen when he becomes the eighth rookie to make his debut with the Rockies this season.
He did not appear on the mound Wednesday or Thursday. But when he does, he’ll become the 13th Alaska native to play in the Majors and add to the list of former Idaho products in the big leagues this season.
St. Louis closer Riley O’Brien (College of Idaho) is tied for the National League lead with 21 saves entering Thursday. And Cleveland first baseman Kyle Manzardo (Coeur d’Alene native) anchors the Guardians’ lineup as their cleanup hitter.
Reliever Connor Brogdon (Lewis-Clark State) also started the season on the Cleveland roster before getting sent down to the minors.
This story was originally published July 2, 2026 at 6:07 PM.
