Kyle Richard Freeland (born May 14, 1993) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played college baseball at Evansville and was drafted by the Rockies with the eighth pick in the first round of the 2014 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut in 2017.
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Amateur career
High school
Freeland attended Thomas Jefferson High School in Denver, Colorado. He lettered in baseball three years. In his senior season in 2011, he set a state record with 145 strikeouts, was named an all-state player, and had an 8–2 win–loss record, 1.39 ERA, and 17 walks in 65 innings.
College
The Philadelphia Phillies selected Freeland in the 35th round of the 2011 Major League Baseball draft. He did not sign and attended the University of Evansville, playing college baseball for the Evansville Purple Aces.
As a freshman in 2012, Freeland had a 4–5 record with a 4.55 earned run average (ERA) and 70 strikeouts in 91 innings across 14 games started. He threw two complete game shutouts. As a sophomore in 2013, he again started 14 games, going 4–8 with a 4.34 ERA and 84 strikeouts in 93+1⁄3 innings. That summer, he played in the Cape Cod League with the Hyannis Harbor Hawks, where he had a 2.25 ERA and a league-leading 48 strikeouts. He was named a league all-star. As a junior, he was 10–2 with a 1.90 ERA and 128 strikeouts over 99+2⁄3 innings, again starting 14 games. He was named a first-team All-American by Baseball America and Perfect Game.
Professional career
Draft and minor leagues
Considered a top prospect for the 2014 Major League Baseball draft, the Colorado Rockies selected Freeland in the first round, with the eighth overall pick of the draft. Freeland debuted professionally that summer with the Grand Junction Rockies and was promoted in August to the Asheville Tourists. He started five games for both clubs, with a combined 3–0 record and a 1.15 ERA.
Freeland did not start pitching in 2015 until July, due to shoulder fatigue and surgery to remove bone chips in his elbow. He started twice for Grand Junction before advancing to the Modesto Nuts. He had a combined 4.05 ERA in seven starts. After the regular season, Freeland started six games for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, with a 2.84 ERA and just 13 strikeouts in 26+1⁄3 innings. In 2016, Freeland began the season with the Hartford Yard Goats and was promoted to the Albuquerque Isotopes in June. Freeland posted an 11–10 record with a 3.89 ERA between the two clubs, starting 26 games.
Major leagues
Freeland made his major league debut with the Rockies on April 7, 2017, against the Los Angeles Dodgers and earned his first MLB win. He also had his first major league hit, a single. It was the first time in 51 years that a starting pitcher made his MLB debut in his team's home opener in the state where he was born. Chuck Dobson last did so for the Kansas City Athletics in 1966. Freeland hit his first major league home run on May 21, off Cincinnati Reds pitcher Bronson Arroyo. On July 9, Freeland took a no-hitter into the 9th inning against the Chicago White Sox before allowing a one-out a single to Melky Cabrera. He pitched five games in relief, the only relief appearances in the first 9 years of his career. He finished the season with an 11–11 record and 4.10 ERA in 156 innings, tying for the team lead in wins and hit batsmen with fellow rookie Germán Márquez. Both Rockies rookies received National League (NL) Rookie of the Year votes, with Freeland finishing seventh, two spots below Márquez.
Freeland had a career year in 2018. He broke Ubaldo Jimenez's single-season Rockies record with a 2.85 ERA and ended the year with a 17–7 record in 33 starts. He struggled badly in his first four starts, going 0–3 with a 5.85 ERA, but went 17–4 with a 2.52 ERA the rest of the season. Unlike most pitchers, Freeland excelled at the hitter-friendly Coors Field, setting the single-season Rockies record for home ERA at 2.40. He pitched 202+1⁄3 innings, striking out 173 batters against 70 walks and 182 hits and holding opponents to a .240 batting average. Additionally, 24 of his 33 starts were quality starts, including 11 consecutive quality starts from August 6 through the end of the season. Freeland finished fourth in Cy Young Award voting.
In his only postseason appearance, Freeland started the NL Wild Card Game. He pitched 6+2⁄3 scoreless innings, striking out six while allowing four singles and one walk as the Rockies defeated the Chicago Cubs 2–1 in 13 innings. Freeland also became the first Rockies pitcher to have a scoreless postseason start.
Freeland followed up his best season with one of his worst. He was the Rockies Opening Day starter, but went 2–6 with a 7.13 ERA through his first 12 starts before being demoted to Triple-A on May 31. He also missed a week with a blister on his finger. He returned to pitch for Colorado in July, but his performance was only slightly better, going 1–5 with a 6.20 ERA in 10 starts. He also missed a month with a left groin strain. He tied with Antonio Senzatela for the most losses on the team, which tied for the 10th most in the NL.
International career
Freeland pitched for the United States in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. He pitched in two games, allowing 2 runs and striking out 5 batters in 6 innings, including a solo home run to Kazuma Okamoto in the championship game loss to Japan.
Personal life
Freeland and his wife married in 2021. They live in Scottsdale, Arizona. He has an older brother. Their mother teaches at the Denver elementary school that Freeland attended.
Freeland lettered in golf four years in high school.
Freeland and his wife donated $3 million to the Evansville baseball program in 2024 for a new clubhouse. In January 2025, the Purple Aces retired Freeland's number 21.