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Rockies Sticking With McCade Brown in Rotation Following Uneven Debut

Originally posted on Colorado Rockies on SI
By Brad Wakai | Last updated Aug 25, 2025 5:34 PM ET

The Colorado Rockies have been searching for starting pitching for a while now, and that continues heading into the final month of the 2025 season after getting horrendous results from their rotation throughout this campaign.

Following the decision to release Austin Gomber, they needed to fill a spot. That prompted the decision makers to make the surprising move to promote McCade Brown all the way up to the bigs from Double-A Hartford, bypassing the Triple-A level altogether.

Brown made his MLB debut on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Pirates, an outing that began in promising fashion before becoming undone in the fourth inning when he allowed a three-run homer and RBI double.

While the on-paper stats don't look pretty coming out of this start, there were some bright spots in there that suggested Brown could carve out a role for himself at some point during his career. Whether or not he would continue to pitch at the major league level for the rest of the season wasn't clear, though.

McCade Brown Getting Another Opportunity

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However, it seems like the 25-year-old did enough to impress the brass, with interim manager Warren Schaeffer making it clear that Brown is going to at least get another turn in the rotation despite the uneven debut he had.

"He looked poised. He looked calm. (Jared) Triolo got him, but other than that, it was a promising first outing," he said, per Thomas Harding of MLB.com. "I'm happy for him. The next step is to pitch five days from now. To get that first one out of the way was special for him, and we'll move forward."

Brown isn't currently a top 30 prospect. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2023, halting his career just two years removed after being taken in the third round of the 2021 draft. But he had a good showing in High-A to start this season to earn himself the promotion to Double-A before being called up to The Show.

Now, the right-hander is going to get another chance to prove he belongs as a starting pitcher at the big league level, an opportunity Colorado is hoping allows him to flourish as they search for rotation members who can impact winning going forward.

His next start would come on Aug. 30 against the Chicago Cubs, a much more challenging test compared to the one he just faced. But with the debut behind him, Brown can focus on pitching, hopefully delivering a gem for his new team.