Baseball has its hotbeds, both in the United States and abroad. The south tends to produce a lot of Major League Baseball talent but there is a surprising number of current and former MLB players to come out of Colorado. Plus, Colorado is home to one of the best sports teams in the MLB, the Rockies.
Narrowing down the list of the best players to come out of the Mile High state gets a little tough around the fourth or fifth-best player, with a few names that could argue their way onto the list. That said, let’s take a look at the five best players to lace ‘em up from Colorado.
Roy Halladay (1998-2013)
Number one on the list is as clear as day and one of the best pitchers of his time. Every major accolade you can think of, Halladay achieved over his 15-year career. The Arvada West alumni would go 17th overall in the 1995 MLB Amateur Draft, his career only rising from there.
Halladay took some time to emerge as a bona fide MLB stud, finally becoming a major threat on the mound for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2002. Over the next nine years, he would lead the MLB in complete games, wins, and shutouts. He is also just one of five pitchers to win the Cy Young Award in both leagues, plus he is just one of five to throw multiple no-hitters in one season.
Halladay is a two-time Cy Young Award Winner. He was named to the All-Star team eight times, led the league in complete games an impressive seven times, innings pitched four times, and wins twice. He also has a perfect game and even a postseason no-hitter to his name. There are few with as impressive a resume as Halladay.
#OTD in 2013, Roy Halladay pitched six strong innings in his return from the disabled list and John Mayberry Jr. homered to lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a 9-5 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday.#RingTheBell | August 25, 2013 pic.twitter.com/kS58h8ci2G
— Leo 💎 (@prayforleonard) August 27, 2023
Rich “Goose” Gossage (1972-1994)
If this were a list of the best baseball mustaches, the man called “Goose” would surely be near the top of the list. Taken in the 9th round of the 1970 Amateur Draft, the Colorado Springs native would go on to have an impressive Major League career.
Gossage was born and raised a mere 70 miles from where Coors Field now stands. The son of a gold prospector, Gossage loved the outdoors and spent much of his life on the mound. The pinnacle of his career is no doubt being part of the 1978 World Series Champion New York Yankees.
In 22 Major League seasons, Gossage racked up nine All-Star Game appearances, a 124-107 career record, a very impressive career 3.01 ERA, 310 saves, and led the Majors in saves three times. His efforts were enough to land him in the Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2008. The Goose flew high for two decades, going down as one of the great closers of his era.
Rich Gossage pitches during a game at Three Rivers Stadium, 1977 pic.twitter.com/vlFEFrCQtt
— Pittsburgh Pirates History (@HistoryPirates) September 7, 2021
John Stearns (1974-1984)
Stearns isn’t with us anymore, passing away in 2022 at age 71. During his time in the majors, however, he made an impact. Picked in the 13th round by the Oakland A’s in the 1969 MLB Draft, he would re-enter the draft in 1972, going second overall after an impressive career at the University of Colorado.
Stearns would play just one game for the Philadelphia Phillies as a 22-year-old before working his way into All-Star form with the New York Mets. Stearns batted a career .260, reaching .293 in his last full season in 1982. His career would end prematurely due to injuries, eventually moving into a coaching career.
Stearns finished his MLB career as a four-time MLB All-Star. The long-time Mets catcher had a rare penchant for hitting during a time when catchers traditionally were not the strongest at the plate. As much as he is remembered for his MLB accolades, it is hard to ignore the fact that he was a two-sport star while at the University of Colorado as well.
John Stearns was born on this day in 1951.
Stearns was a 4-time All Star, and played with the #Mets from ‘75-‘84. pic.twitter.com/BpI6s9DrPv
— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) August 21, 2023
Chase Headley (2007-2018)
A second-round pick in the 2005 MLB Draft to the San Diego Padres, the Fountain, CO native grew up idolizing Colorado Rockies’ star Vinny Castilla, one of the best Rockies players of all time. Despite not having the chance for his hometown team, Headley wound up carving out a pretty solid career for himself over 12 seasons in the Majors.
For the most part, Headley served as a solid player for the Padres and Yankees. He will be most remembered for his 2012 campaign. During that season, he hit .286, 31 home runs, a Major League-best 115 RBIs, and drew 86 walks, all career-highs. He would earn a gold glove and silver slugger award that year, finishing fifth in NL MVP voting.
Headley would never return to that level of dominance, settling into being a solid utility player instead. He fell into becoming a 10-15 home run, 50-60 RBI man with the Yankees. He would finish his career at 34 years old, appearing in 37 games with the Padres to bring his career full circle.
Since when did Chase Headley hit 43 home runs with the Yankees 😂 pic.twitter.com/ceaNxwnWVZ
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) May 27, 2023
Mark Melancon (2009-2022)
Though many see Melancon as something of a journeyman, he managed a bit more than that. Picked in the 9th round of the 2006 MLB Draft (his second go-round) by the Yankees, he would embark on a 14-year MLB career with nine Major League teams. His role was much more than a journeyman, leading him to become a valuable relief pitcher.
The Golden High alumni would use his time with the Yankees well. After learning the cutter from all-time great Mariano Rivera, it would become his signature pitch. Along with his knuckle curve, Melancon would become one of the premier closers in the Majors. Melancon sits 36th all-time with 262 career saves.
Now retired, the 38-year-old finished with four All-Star Game appearances, including three in four years as part of the Pittsburgh Pirates from 2013-2015. He led the 2016 season in games finished with 7, and twice was the MLB saves leader, including an impressive 51 in 2015, earning him recognition on the Cy Young Award ballot. It is tough for closers to get the recognition they deserve but Melacon was known as one of the best in the business for much of his career.
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Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball card of the Day#538: @Mark_Melancon_ @Pirates @ATTSportsNetPIT @YoungBucsPIT @1992Pirates @814Pirates @MattCapps55 @theFortMcKenry @joe_block @gbrowniepoints @Garrett_GIJones @NeilWalker18 @Topps @baseballhall @MLB @MiLB @MLBNetwork #LetsGoBucs pic.twitter.com/eTZeGspho3
— Jacob Blondin (@BlondinPirate) August 22, 2023
