Colin Poche Bio
Colin Michael Poche, born on January 17, 1994, is an American professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. A left-handed reliever, he made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut in 2019 with the Tampa Bay Rays and has since appeared in the big leagues for the Washington Nationals and the New York Mets. Over the course of his professional career, Poche has built a reputation as a strike-throwing reliever capable of handling late-inning responsibilities at the Triple-A level.
Poche (pronounced poh-SHAY) attended Marcus High School in Flower Mound, Texas, and later played college baseball at the University of Arkansas and Dallas Baptist University. He was drafted twice, first by the Baltimore Orioles out of high school and later by the Arizona Diamondbacks after his redshirt junior season, before eventually reaching the majors with the Rays. Through the 2025 season, he has compiled a 23–14 win–loss record, a 4.01 earned run average (ERA), and 241 strikeouts in his MLB career.
Early Life and Background
Colin Michael Poche grew up in the Dallas–Fort Worth area and attended Marcus High School in Flower Mound, Texas, where he quickly established himself as one of the top pitching prospects in the region. As a senior in 2012, he went 7–3 with a remarkable 0.21 ERA, drawing attention from professional scouts. His combination of size, left-handed delivery, and mound presence made him a sought-after talent entering the MLB draft that year.
Poche was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the fifth round of the 2012 MLB draft straight out of high school. Rather than sign, he chose to honor his college commitment and enrolled at the University of Arkansas, where he played college baseball for the Arkansas Razorbacks. His early years in Fayetteville were marked by significant promise, as he worked to refine his mechanics and develop a deeper arsenal of pitches.
Path to Major League Baseball
Poche’s momentum was interrupted in June 2014, when he underwent Tommy John surgery on his throwing elbow. The procedure forced him to miss the entire 2015 season and limited his development timeline. After two years at Arkansas, he transferred to Dallas Baptist University to restart his college career and regain his form on the mound.
In 2016, as a redshirt junior, Poche put together a dominant campaign at Dallas Baptist, pitching to a 9–1 record with a 2.38 ERA across 16 starts. His bounce-back performance caught the attention of scouts once again, and the Arizona Diamondbacks selected him in the 14th round of the 2016 MLB draft. Poche signed with Arizona, beginning his professional career in earnest after a winding and resilient path through amateur baseball.
Colin Poche Career
Early Career (2016–2018)
Poche signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks and made his professional debut in 2016 with the Hillsboro Hops of the Low–A Northwest League, compiling a 1–2 record with a 3.19 ERA in 31 innings pitched. He returned to the minor leagues in 2017, splitting time between the Single–A Kane County Cougars and the High–A Visalia Rawhide, where he posted a combined 3–1 record and 1.25 ERA in more than 50 innings of relief work. He also pitched in the Arizona Fall League that offseason, gaining valuable experience against top prospects.
On May 1, 2018, Poche was acquired by the Tampa Bay Rays as a player to be named later in a trade that had sent Steven Souza Jr. to Arizona. After three appearances with the Montgomery Biscuits, he was promoted to the Triple-A Durham Bulls. That season, he was a dominant force, posting a 0.82 ERA in 66 innings between Double-A and Triple-A, earning a place on the 2018 MLB Pipeline team of the year and the Rays’ Minor League Reliever of the Year award.
Tampa Bay Rays Breakthrough (2019–2024)
Poche began 2019 back at Triple-A Durham, but his strong work in the minors led to a promotion on June 8, when the Rays selected his contract. That same night, he made his MLB debut against the Boston Red Sox. He went on to appear in 51 major-league games that season, all in relief, finishing 5–5 with a 4.70 ERA as the Rays relied on him as a key left-handed option out of the bullpen.
The 2020 season, however, proved to be a major setback. On July 21, the Rays announced that Poche would miss the entire abbreviated campaign with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow that required Tommy John surgery. The recovery kept him off the mound for the entire 2021 season as well, as he worked his way back from a second career elbow procedure.
Poche returned to action in 2022, making six relief appearances with Durham before logging 64 relief appearances with Tampa Bay during the regular season. He continued to serve as a left-handed specialist for the Rays in subsequent years, and in 2024 he made 43 appearances, compiling a 3.86 ERA with 33 strikeouts across 37⅓ innings. On November 22, 2024, Tampa Bay non-tendered Poche, making him a free agent for the first time in his career.
Washington Nationals Era (2025)
On February 7, 2025, Poche signed a minor league contract with the Washington Nationals, and on March 22 the team selected his contract, adding him to the Opening Day roster. The opportunity marked a fresh start in the National League after years with the Rays. However, his time in the Washington bullpen proved brief and difficult.
In 13 appearances for Washington, Poche struggled to an 11.42 ERA with 10 strikeouts across 8⅔ innings pitched. Following the signing of Andrew Chafin, the Nationals designated Poche for assignment on May 1, ending his brief tenure with the club.
New York Mets Era (2025)
Poche quickly found a new home, signing a minor league deal with the New York Mets on May 7, 2025. He was assigned to the Triple-A Syracuse Mets, where he logged an 0–1 record and 4.26 ERA with 13 strikeouts and one save across 12⅔ innings. On June 27, the Mets selected his contract, adding him to the active roster. In his lone appearance for the big-league club, he allowed two runs on two hits with one strikeout over two-thirds of an inning before being designated for assignment on June 29.
Poche elected free agency after clearing waivers on July 1, only to re-sign with the Mets on a minor league contract on July 4. The Mets released him on August 2, concluding his time in the organization for the 2025 season.
Notable Events and Milestones
Poche’s career has been defined by remarkable perseverance, as he has twice returned from Tommy John surgery to reach the major leagues. His 2018 minor-league campaign, when he posted a 0.82 ERA across 66 innings, remains one of the most dominant relief seasons in Rays history. He has also become a familiar face in the Triple-A level, where his work in Syracuse in 2025 included a save and consistent strikeout totals.
Colin Poche Career Wins
Through the 2025 season, Colin Michael Poche has built a steady résumé as a left-handed reliever, compiling 23 career MLB wins, a 4.01 ERA, and 241 strikeouts in his major-league appearances. The majority of those wins came during his 2019 rookie campaign and subsequent seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays, where he became a dependable option for the bullpen.
Tampa Bay Rays Highlights
Poche’s most productive stretch came with the Rays between 2019 and 2024, where he served primarily as a left-handed reliever. His 5–5 record in 51 appearances during his 2019 debut season marked his arrival as a major-league option, and his 64 appearances in 2022 demonstrated his durability following his second Tommy John surgery. In 2024, he made 43 appearances, finishing with a 3.86 ERA before being non-tendered by Tampa Bay.
Colin Poche Family
Personal Life
Colin Michael Poche is a United States citizen who grew up in the Dallas–Fort Worth area of Texas. Public details about his family life, marital status, and children have not been widely reported, and he has generally kept his personal affairs private throughout his professional baseball career.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season proved to be one of the most turbulent years of Colin Michael Poche’s career, as he bounced between three different organizations. He began the year with the Washington Nationals, making their Opening Day roster out of spring training. In 13 appearances with Washington, however, he struggled to an 11.42 ERA across 8⅔ innings, and the team designated him for assignment on May 1 after the signing of Andrew Chafin.
Poche quickly latched on with the New York Mets on a minor league contract, pitching for the Triple-A Syracuse Mets, where he posted a 4.26 ERA with 13 strikeouts and a save across 12⅔ innings. The Mets selected his contract in late June, though his only major-league appearance that month was a brief, difficult outing in which he allowed two runs. After being designated for assignment, electing free agency, and briefly re-signing with the Mets, Poche was released on August 2.
Following his release, Poche became a free agent once again. Through the 2025 season, his career totals stood at a 23–14 record, a 4.01 ERA, and 241 strikeouts, underscoring a journeyman left-hander who has consistently found work in the high minors even when major-league opportunities have been fleeting.
