Colton Gordon Bio
Colton Zimring Gordon is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). A left-handed pitcher, Gordon played college baseball at Hillsborough Community College and the University of Central Florida (UCF) before being selected by the Astros in the eighth round of the 2021 MLB draft. He made his Major League debut in 2025 after working his way through the Astros’ minor league system, and previously represented Team Israel in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
Early Life and Background
Colton Zimring Gordon was born on December 20, 1998, in St. Petersburg, Florida. He grew up in a Jewish household, attended Hebrew school, and later had his bar mitzvah in St. Petersburg, where his father Steve Gordon lives. He spent part of his childhood in Bradenton, Florida, with his mother, and attended Haile Middle School. Gordon also grew up playing T-ball and Little League at Fossil Park in St. Petersburg, and was a fan of the Tampa Bay Rays while growing up.
Path to Baseball
Gordon attended Lakewood Ranch High School in Bradenton, Florida, where he starred on the baseball team. In his senior year, he posted a 4-2 record with a 1.21 ERA, recording 77 strikeouts in 52 innings, and was ranked the number six left-handed pitcher in the state of Florida coming out of high school. After high school, he pitched for Hillsborough Community College in 2019, going 7-4 with a 2.44 ERA, before redshirting at the University of Florida. He then transferred to the University of Central Florida, where in 2020 he went 2-0 with a 2.35 ERA, and in 2021 posted a 5-2 record with a 2.77 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 55.1 innings. He underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2021 during his senior year at UCF.
Colton Gordon Career
Early Career (2022)
Despite undergoing Tommy John surgery two months prior, Gordon was selected by the Houston Astros in the eighth round of the 2021 MLB draft and signed for a bonus of $127,500. He returned from the injury in 2022 to pitch for the rookie-level Florida Complex League Astros, Single-A Fayetteville Woodpeckers, and High-A Asheville Tourists. Across those affiliates, he posted a combined 2-1 record with a 2.35 ERA, a 0.787 WHIP, a .182 batting average against, and a 9.75 strikeout-to-walk ratio that ranked second-best in the minor leagues. He later pitched in the Arizona Fall League for the Surprise Saguaros and was named a 2022 MiLB.com Organization All-Star. Astros pitching coach Bill Murphy praised his development that season.
Minor League Rise (2023–2024)
Entering 2023, MiLB.com named Gordon the emergent star of the American League West, and he was ranked as the Astros’ number 10 prospect by MLB.com. His four-seam fastball from a low release point sat in the 89-92 mph range and could reach 94 mph, complementing a mid-70s curveball, a 78-82 mph slider, a low-80s sinking changeup, and a cutter. He began the year with the Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks before being promoted to the Triple-A Sugar Land Space Cowboys, compiling a 7-7 record and 4.14 ERA with 151 strikeouts across 128.1 innings in 29 appearances. He was again named a 2023 MiLB.com Organization All-Star.
Gordon spent the 2024 season with the Triple-A Sugar Land Space Cowboys, making 25 appearances with 24 starts and posting an 8-2 record and 3.94 ERA with 124 strikeouts in 123.1 innings. His strikeout total ranked fourth in the Pacific Coast League, and he led qualified PCL pitchers with a .238 batting average against and a 1.22 WHIP, while Sugar Land went 21-4 in games he started. He was twice named PCL Pitcher of the Week and earned PCL All-Star honors, and on November 19, 2024, the Astros added him to the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.
Houston Astros Era (2025–Present)
Gordon was optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land to begin the 2025 season, and he opened the year 4-0 with a 2.55 ERA, 43 strikeouts, and eight walks across 42.1 innings in eight starts. On May 14, 2025, he was promoted to the major leagues for the first time and made his MLB debut that evening as the starting pitcher at Daikin Park against the Kansas City Royals. He logged 4.1 innings and allowed three runs in a no decision as the Astros won 4-3. On June 6, 2025, he earned his first major league win by tossing five innings against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field, surrendering one run on seven hits while striking out five to set up a 4-2 Astros victory.
International Career
Gordon is Jewish and pitched for the Israel national baseball team in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, representing his heritage on the international stage.
Notable Events and Milestones
Signature milestones for Gordon include his 2022 MiLB.com Organization All-Star selection, his 2023 recognition as the emergent star of the American League West, his 2024 PCL All-Star nod, his Rule 5 protection in November 2024, and his first major league win on June 6, 2025, against the Cleveland Guardians.
Colton Gordon Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Gordon was raised between St. Petersburg, Florida, where his father Steve Gordon lives, and Bradenton, Florida, where he spent time with his mother. He attended Haile Middle School in the area and grew up attending Hebrew school, reflecting his Jewish heritage. He later had his bar mitzvah in St. Petersburg.
2025 Season Performance
Gordon opened the 2025 season in the Triple-A Sugar Land Space Cowboys rotation and quickly established himself as one of the top arms in the Pacific Coast League. In eight starts, he went 4-0 with a 2.55 ERA, striking out 43 against only eight walks in 42.1 innings, which earned him a promotion to the major leagues on May 14, 2025. He made his MLB debut that same night against the Kansas City Royals, navigating 4.1 innings in a no decision during a 4-3 Astros win. Less than a month later, he recorded his first major league victory on June 6, 2025, by holding the Cleveland Guardians to one run across five innings in a 4-2 road win at Progressive Field. With continued work alongside the Astros’ pitching staff, Gordon’s outlook in the Houston rotation appeared strong heading into the second half of the season.