Jewish pitcher Colton Gordon made his Major League Baseball debut on Wednesday night for the Houston Astros against the Kansas City Royals.
The 26-year-old left-hander, who previously represented Team Israel in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, became the first Jewish starting pitcher to debut in the majors since 2023.
In his debut, Gordon pitched 4⅓ innings, allowing three runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out three batters. He recorded his first major league strikeout by fanning Jonathan India in the first inning.
Despite yielding a solo home run to Maikel Garcia and an RBI double to India in the second inning, Gordon managed to keep the Astros competitive before exiting the game. The Astros rallied late to secure a 4-3 victory over the Royals, though Gordon did not factor into the decision.
Gordon’s journey to the big leagues has been marked by perseverance and talent. Drafted by the Astros in the eighth round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of the University of Central Florida, he has steadily climbed the minor league ranks.
In the 2024 season with Triple-A Sugar Land, Gordon posted an impressive 8-2 record with a 3.94 ERA, striking out 124 batters over 1231/3 innings. He began the 2025 season strongly, going 4-0 with a 2.55 ERA in eight starts before receiving the call to join the Astros.
Moment of pride for the Jewish community
Gordon’s debut is not only a personal milestone but also a moment of pride for the Jewish community and fans of Team Israel.
Gordon is among several active Jewish MLB players, including Dean Kremer (Baltimore Orioles), Jake Bird (Colorado Rockies), Jared Shuster (Chicago White Sox), Matt Mervis (Miami Marlins), and Max Lazar (Philadelphia Phillies).