Jaden Hill facts for kids

Kenneth Jaden Hill (born December 22, 1999) is an American baseball pitcher who plays for the Colorado Rockies in Major League Baseball (MLB). Before joining the pros, he played college baseball for the LSU Tigers.

Jaden Hill's Early Life and High School Baseball

Jaden Hill grew up in Ashdown, Arkansas. He was a talented athlete at Ashdown High School, playing both baseball and football. In July 2017, he was invited to play in a special game called the Under Armour All-American Game at Wrigley Field.

In his final year of high school in 2018, Jaden had an amazing baseball season. He won seven games without any losses. His ERA (which stands for earned run average and shows how few runs a pitcher gives up) was super low at 0.51. He was also a great hitter, batting .540 with 11 home runs. Because of his great performance, he was named the Arkansas Gatorade Player of the Year. The St. Louis Cardinals picked him in the 2018 Major League Baseball draft. However, Jaden decided not to sign with them. Instead, he chose to go to Louisiana State University (LSU) to play college baseball.

College Baseball Career at LSU

Jaden's first year at LSU was in 2019. He started two games but only pitched for two innings before he had to have surgery on his collarbone. This injury meant he missed the rest of the season. Even with the short time he played, he was named the SEC Freshman of the Week. This happened after he pitched five innings without giving up any runs and got eight strikeouts in his very first college game.

Before the 2020 season, a newspaper called Collegiate Baseball Newspaper named him an All-American. Jaden was healthy again in 2020 and started pitching from the bullpen (meaning he came into games after the starting pitcher). He pitched for 11 and two-thirds innings without giving up any runs. However, the season ended early because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In April 2021, Jaden faced another challenge. He hurt his right elbow and needed a special surgery called Tommy John surgery. This surgery helps fix a common elbow injury in baseball players. Because of this, he missed the rest of the 2021 season. Before his injury, he had started seven games, winning two and losing three.

Jaden Hill's Professional Baseball Journey

The Colorado Rockies chose Jaden Hill in the second round of the 2021 Major League Baseball draft. He was the 44th player picked overall. Jaden signed a contract with the Rockies and received a $1.7 million signing bonus. A signing bonus is a payment given to a player when they agree to join a team.

Jaden started throwing again in mid-June 2022 after his surgery. He made his first professional appearance in July 2022 with the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League Rockies. After seven starts, he moved up to the Fresno Grizzlies, a Single-A team. Between these two teams, Jaden pitched 17 and two-thirds innings. He had a 3.06 ERA, struck out 25 batters, and only walked six.

For the 2023 season, Jaden played for the Spokane Indians, a High-A team. He started 16 games, but it was a tough season for him. After the season, he was chosen to play in the Arizona Fall League for the Salt River Rafters. This league helps players get more experience.

In 2024, Jaden started the season with the Hartford Yard Goats, a Double-A team. He had a good ERA of 3.52 and got 56 strikeouts. He also earned 6 saves, which means he finished games where his team was winning. On September 5, 2024, Jaden Hill was called up to the major leagues for the very first time! He made his MLB debut with the Colorado Rockies.

See also

• List of baseball players who underwent Tommy John surgery