The Colorado Rockies have added right-handed pitcher Gabriel Hughes to their 40-man Major League roster ahead of the Rule 5 Draft deadline. Hughes, the team's top pick from the 2022 Draft and ranked as the No. 14 prospect, overcame injuries to post strong minor league performances in 2025. This move protects him from selection in the draft and positions him for a potential big league opportunity.
Gabriel Hughes, a 24-year-old right-hander, earned protection on the Colorado Rockies' 40-man roster on Tuesday, safeguarding him from the upcoming Rule 5 Draft. Selected by the Rockies in the second round of the 2022 MLB Draft as their top choice that year, Hughes faced setbacks including Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, which sidelined him for the entire 2024 minor league season.
In 2025, Hughes rebounded impressively at Double-A Hartford, where he made nine starts with a 3.07 ERA, holding opponents to a .184 batting average and a 0.85 WHIP. Promoted to Triple-A Albuquerque on May 31, he encountered right shoulder fatigue after four starts, missing about a month. Upon returning in mid-July, he delivered a 3.72 ERA across his final 10 outings in Albuquerque.
Hughes credited the year with teaching him patience. "Everybody wants to be in the Major Leagues," he said. "But one of the biggest things the year taught me was patience. I look back, and this September was the best string of starts that I put together all year."
The Rockies' dismal 43-119 record in 2025 forced rapid promotions for several young pitchers, including 2023 first-round pick Chase Dollander and McCade Brown, who debuted directly from Double-A. In contrast, Hughes' injuries kept him in the minors, allowing him to focus on adapting to high-altitude pitching challenges similar to those at Coors Field.
He consulted with former Rockies reliever Scott Oberg, now a minor league pitching coordinator, and teammates like Dollander, Drew Romo, and Daniel Cope to refine his approach. Hughes employs a five-pitch mix: a four-seam fastball that cuts, a two-seam sinker, a slider, a curveball, and a changeup. His adjustments emphasize pitch usage variations between altitude and sea level, without altering mechanics.
"The biggest change for me was the mindset around pitch usage -- understanding that some of my pitches will play better at higher elevation versus at low elevation," Hughes explained. With the projected 2026 rotation featuring mostly 2025 rookies except for Kyle Freeland and Ryan Feltner, Hughes enters the year with a clear path to contention.