On Friday, the Colorado Rockies announced they’ve promoted their No. 1 ranked prospect on MLB Pipeline, right-handed pitcher Chase Dollander, to Major League Baseball.
Dollander ranks as MLB Pipeline’s No. 24 overall prospect on the 2025 Top 100 list.
Dollander, 23, was the ninth overall selection in the 2023 MLB Draft by the Rockies out of the University of Tennessee. He was named the 2022 SEC Pitcher of the Year, posting a 2.39 ERA with 108 strikeouts in 79 innings with the Volunteers.
Dollander began 2025 at Triple-A Albuquerque but only made one start before his promotion to MLB. He joins a rotation that is short one starting pitcher arm, as lefty Austin Gomber began the 2025 regular season on the 15-day injured list with shoulder soreness.
In 2024, Dollander made 14 starts at High-A Spokane and nine with Double-A Hartford, striking out 12.9 batters per nine innings with a 1.195 WHIP in 118 combined innings. The Evans, Georgia, native will have to adjust to the elevation of Coors Field in Colorado, a stadium that historically disadvantages pitchers.
Geoff Pontes of Baseball America noted in January that Dollander’s fastball reminds him of a hard-throwing right-hander who made a name for himself soon after reaching the MLB level.
“When Dollander’s fastball is right, it’s reminiscent of prime Jacob DeGrom’s heater, sitting in a similar velocity range with more vertical break than you’d expect from his release height,” Pontes wrote. Pontes added that Dollander’s fastball ranges from 96 to 98 mph, and he mixes in a slider, changeup, and curveball.
Dollander will make his MLB debut on Sunday against the Athletics at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado. The first pitch of the ballgame is set for 3:10 p.m. EDT. The Rockies entered Friday’s game against the A’s with a 1-5 record despite the rotation leading MLB with a 1.35 ERA.
