Noah Spirek | August 1, 2025
The trade deadline has come and gone, and the Rockies were active, trading away veterans Ryan McMahon, Jake Bird, and Tyler Kinley. However, Colorado’s highest-valued arm, Seth Halvorsen, remains with the club. Despite reports that the Rockies could have received quite a haul for the flamethrowing 25-year-old, the Rockies elected to secure the back end of their bullpen and solidify a foundation for future success.
This is a decision that instills absolute belief in Halvorsen, a University of Tennessee product every Rockies fan should know as the club shifts toward a competitive window.
Graduating from Heritage Christian Academy in Plymouth, Minnesota, in 2018, Halvorsen earned numerous honors, including being named 2018 Minnesota Mr. Baseball and Minnesota Gatorade Player of the Year.
Unfortunately, after committing to the University of Missouri, he took a medical redshirt in his freshman season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in March 2019.
The following year, during a COVID-shortened 2020 season, Halvorsen did not pitch in a single game. Instead, he made 10 starts in center field but struggled, slashing .172/.324/.345.
In 2021, Halvorsen converted to almost exclusively a pitcher, as he only recorded five plate appearances. On the mound, he made 14 starts with a 4-3 record, racking up 70 strikeouts in 72 innings (both marks led the team).
“I learned a lot,” Halvorsen said of his time at Missouri. “I hit as well as pitched. It was a lot of fun.”
That offseason, Halvorsen transferred to the University of Tennessee, a storied program coming off another 50-win season.
After taking such great strides in the aforementioned 2021 season, Halvorsen hit another roadblock in 2022, undergoing surgery on a fractured elbow in January. He missed the entire season.
In 2023, Halvorsen’s only season as a Volunteer, he rolled, pitching in 25 games (one start) with a 3.81 ERA. He struck out a batter per inning over 52 innings and notched two saves.
“At Tennessee, I think I took a big step as a pitcher,” Halvorsen said. “[Pitching Coach] Frank Anderson really helped me a lot right when I got there, especially making a lot of mechanical adjustments. Mentally, he also taught me how to handle outings and simplify the game.”
After his strong 2023 campaign, Halvorsen was selected by the Colorado Rockies in the seventh round of the 2023 Draft and made his MLB debut just a year later in 2024.
Halvorsen said he knew he could reach the majors after that lone season at Tennessee.
“I made a mechanical adjustment in my fourth year of college – my first at Tennessee – with Coach Frank Anderson,” Halvorsen said. “Leading into the spring, I probably had four bullpens in a row where I thought, ‘wow.’ I was throwing a curveball then too, and I was spotting up four pitches pretty consistently. It was a lot of fun being able to put the ball where I wanted it.”
After being drafted in June, Halvorsen pitched in the Arizona Complex League, High-A Spokane, and Double-A Hartford in 2023. Despite tossing just 13.1 innings, Halvorsen’s high-end velocity allowed the Rockies to ascend him through the system quickly.
In 2024, Halvorsen began the year in Double-A Hartford, where he pitched 35.1 innings with a 4.84 ERA. He struck out 41 hitters while walking 19.
Then, in August, he was promoted to Triple-A Albuquerque, where he continued his meteoric rise, pitching just nine innings (eight games), allowing three earned runs, and striking out 15 hitters. His domination of Triple-A made the Rockies’ decision easy, and Halvorsen made his Major League debut on August 30.
The remainder of the 2024 season offered a glimpse of Halvorsen’s talent against major league hitters. He threw 12.1 innings across 12 games, allowing just two runs while striking out 12.
Heading into 2025, the Rockies hoped Halvorsen could anchor the back end of the bullpen. Despite limited late-game chances to protect leads, he has converted 11 of 14 save opportunities this season and is 6-for-6 since June 22. Halvorsen’s 11 saves are the most among rookie relievers this season.
Despite being a rookie, Halvorsen has already etched his name in Rockies history. On July 3, he threw the fastest pitch by a Rockie in the Statcast era (since 2015) at 103.3 MPH, breaking his own previous record of 102.9 MPH set earlier this season.
To Halvorsen, throwing heat is nothing new.
“I got invited to the Futures Games mainly as a shortstop, but another guy had a great arm from that position,” Halvorsen recalled. “Then our coach asked one of my teammates, ‘Does he pitch, too?’ and my friend told him I did. So, they added an extra inning and I pitched. That was the first time I clocked at 90. Right after sophomore year of high school.”
True to form, Halvorsen now averages 100.0 MPH on his fastball, the third-fastest fastball average among all pitchers in baseball.
As the Rockies look ahead to a competitive window, Halvorsen hopes to cement himself as a shutdown closer.
“I want to be known as someone that they can rely on,” he said. “Someone who can consistently go out there and get zeroes while staying focused.”
Story by Noah Spirek.
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