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MLB Power Rankings: Top 25 players under 25

By Joshua Sadlock

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 26: Bryce Harper #34 of the Washington Nationals bats against the Chicago Cubs at Nationals Park on June 26, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 26: Bryce Harper #34 of the Washington Nationals bats against the Chicago Cubs at Nationals Park on June 26, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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DENVER, CO – JULY 4: Starter Kyle Freeland #31 of the Colorado Rockies pitches in the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Coors Field on July 4, 2017 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO – JULY 4: Starter Kyle Freeland #31 of the Colorado Rockies pitches in the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Coors Field on July 4, 2017 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) /

20. Kyle Freeland

It may be a touch early to anoint Kyle Freeland a top-25 player under 25, but his rookie season for the Colorado Rockies has been impressive. The Denver native is pitching well for the team he grew up rooting for. With the Rockies in line for their first playoff berth in over a decade, it feels fitting to include Freeland here.

Freeland is the leader of a Rockies staff that has been without presumptive ace Jon Gray. That is a lot for a rookie to handle, but Freeland has been exceptional. He is 8-6 with a 3.84 ERA and an ERA+ of 131. Freeland is making it work in Coors Field by relying on a solid sinker-cutter mix. He mostly pitches to contact, but has done enough to keep the ball in the ground and in the ballpark.

The Rockies have a talented group of young starters. Antonio Senzatela, German Marquez, and Jeff Hoffman have all pitched well to varying degrees this season. Gray is also only 25 years old and will be back in the second half to help carry some of the load. There is reason to hope that the Rockies may have finally figured out the magic formula for developing pitchers to succeed in the thin mountain air of Colorado.

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