Carson Palmquist Bio
Carson James Palmquist is an American professional baseball pitcher. Born on October 17, 2000, he currently plays in Major League Baseball (MLB) and is recognized for his rapid climb through the minor leagues. Palmquist attended Riverdale High School in Fort Myers, Florida, where he had a stellar senior year, striking out 106 batters without allowing an earned run. After a promising college career at the University of Miami, he was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in 2022 and has been climbing the ranks ever since.
Early Life and Background
Carson James Palmquist was born on October 17, 2000, and grew up in the Fort Myers, Florida area. He attended Riverdale High School, where he quickly developed into one of the most talked-about high school arms in the region. As a senior in 2019, he produced a historic stat line by not allowing an earned run across more than 60 innings while striking out 106 batters, drawing attention from major league scouts.
Despite that résumé, Palmquist went unselected in the 2019 Major League Baseball draft. Rather than turn professional through other avenues, he opted to honor his college commitment and enrolled at the University of Miami, where he joined a competitive baseball program in a conference well known for producing future big leaguers.
Path to Baseball
Palmquist’s college path began with a shortened 2020 freshman season at Miami, where he went 1–0 with a 2.31 ERA and 15 strikeouts over 11⅔ innings before the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled the remainder of the schedule. The following year, working as a redshirt freshman in 2021, he was named Miami’s closer. He made 25 appearances, going 1–1 with a 2.22 ERA, 75 strikeouts, and 14 saves in 44⅔ innings, with his 14 saves ranking third in college baseball that season. He was also named to the USA Baseball National Collegiate Team after the 2021 campaign.
In 2022, Palmquist moved into Miami’s starting rotation, where he thrived across 16 starts, going 9–4 with a 3.54 ERA and 118 strikeouts over 84 innings. After the season, he participated in the MLB Draft Combine in San Diego, a final showcase that set the stage for his professional career.
Carson Palmquist Career
Early Career (2022–2023)
Palmquist was selected by the Colorado Rockies in the third round with the 88th overall pick of the 2022 MLB Draft. He signed with the organization for $775,000 and made his professional debut that same year with the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League Rockies, pitching a total of one inning in his first taste of pro ball.
To open 2023, Palmquist was assigned to the Spokane Indians of the High-A Northwest League. He later earned a mid-August promotion to the Hartford Yard Goats of the Double-A Eastern League. Across 19 combined starts that season, he went 7–4 with a 3.90 ERA and 134 strikeouts over 92⅓ innings, establishing himself as one of the system’s more polished arms.
Minor League Breakthrough (2024)
Palmquist returned to Hartford to begin the 2024 season and was promoted to the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes in early August. Over 27 starts split between the two levels, he posted a 7–8 record with a 3.98 ERA and 144 strikeouts in 117⅔ innings, demonstrating that he could handle the Triple-A hitters while continuing to miss bats at a high rate.
The strong showing positioned him on the cusp of the major leagues heading into 2025 and locked in his place as one of the Rockies’ top pitching prospects.
Colorado Rockies Era (2025)
Palmquist opened 2025 with Triple-A Albuquerque, where he logged a 2–2 record and a 3.82 ERA with 45 strikeouts across his first seven starts. On May 16, 2025, he was selected to the 40-man roster and promoted to the major leagues for the first time. That same day, he made his MLB debut as Colorado’s starting pitcher against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field, allowing five runs over four innings in an 8–0 loss.
He was optioned and recalled multiple times throughout the season. Palmquist appeared in nine games and seven starts for the Rockies, finishing with a 0–4 record, an 8.91 ERA, 27 strikeouts, and 25 walks over 34⅓ innings. With Albuquerque, he pitched in 26 games and posted a 4–5 record with a 4.64 ERA, continuing to develop despite a tough first big league stint.
Washington Nationals Era (2026–Present)
Palmquist was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque to begin the 2026 season. He made 12 appearances, including five starts, but struggled to a 1–3 record and a 7.20 ERA with 24 strikeouts over 25 innings. On May 21, 2026, he was designated for assignment by the Rockies. Four days later, on May 25, 2026, the Rockies traded him to the Washington Nationals in exchange for cash considerations, giving him a fresh start with a new organization.
Notable Events and Milestones
Palmquist’s most signature moment came during his senior year at Riverdale High School, when he finished the 2019 season without allowing an earned run while racking up 106 strikeouts, a rare feat that put him on the national radar. His 14 saves for the University of Miami in 2021 placed him third in all of college baseball and earned him a spot on the USA Baseball National Collegiate Team. His MLB debut on May 16, 2025, against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field marked the realization of a long-anticipated arrival in the big leagues.
Carson Palmquist Career Wins
Minor League Highlights
While Palmquist has not yet secured a major league win, his minor league résumé shows steady progression. In 2023, he combined for a 7–4 record across High-A Spokane and Double-A Hartford with a 3.90 ERA and 134 strikeouts in 92⅓ innings, a strong first full professional season. In 2024, he added another 7 wins between Hartford and Triple-A Albuquerque while striking out 144 batters in 117⅔ innings, reinforcing his reputation as a high-volume strikeout pitcher climbing through the system.
Other Wins & Performances
Palmquist posted single-season win totals in college as well, going 1–0 at Miami in 2020, 1–1 as the Hurricanes’ closer in 2021, and 9–4 as a starter in 2022. Combined with his minor league totals and a 2–2 mark at Triple-A Albuquerque early in 2025, his body of work has consistently reflected an arm that misses bats at every level, even when results have not always gone his way at the highest tier.
2025 Season Performance
Palmquist’s 2025 campaign began at Triple-A Albuquerque, where he was sharp in his first seven starts, going 2–2 with a 3.82 ERA and 45 strikeouts. That performance was strong enough to earn him a May 16 promotion to the major leagues and his first career start for the Rockies. He was optioned and recalled multiple times throughout the year as the club shuffled its pitching staff.
At the big league level, he went 0–4 with an 8.91 ERA, 27 strikeouts, and 25 walks over 34⅓ innings across nine games and seven starts, learning on the job against major league lineups. In Albuquerque, he appeared in 26 games and finished 4–5 with a 4.64 ERA, splitting the year between Triple-A stints and short MLB call-ups as the Rockies worked to gauge his readiness for a full-time role.
