Hughes Has Contract Purchased by Colorado
Published on May 13, 2026 under Frontier League (FL)
Evansville Otters News Release
Evansville Otters pitcher Grif Hughes
(Evansville Otters)
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - The Evansville Otters are excited to announce that left-handed pitcher Grif Hughes has had his contract acquired by the Colorado Rockies.
Hughes, a Knoxville, TN native, returned to Evansville this season for his third season in an Otters jersey. Upon making his first professional start on Opening Day, Hughes led the Otters to their fourth no-hitter in team history, spinning six hitless innings with eight strikeouts before turning the game over to Nolan Thebiay and Junior Cerda. Hughes was named the Frontier League Pitcher of the Week for the season's opening weekend.
"Not only is Grif an incredibly hard worker, but he also makes the clubhouse a better place," Otters Field Manager Andy McCauley said. "We know he is going to make the most of this opportunity and continue to prove his skillset."
Last season, Hughes began the season with Evansville, pitching 13 games with a 2.89 ERA. In 18.2 innings, he struck out 28 batters while allowing only three walks. His start with the Otters earned him an MLB signing with the Toronto Blue Jays. He helped the Blue Jays Florida Complex League rookie team win the FCL Championship before finishing the season with the Blue Jays' Single-A team in Dunedin.
Hughes spent four seasons with Division II Carson-Newman University in Jefferson City, TN. He kicked off his professional career with the Otters in 2024, clocking a 3.07 ERA in 36 games. He struck out 61 and walked just 17 across 44 innings of work.
Hughes is the 99th MLB player signing in Evansville Otters history, his second time having his contract purchased out of Evansville.
The Evansville Otters are the 2006 and 2016 Frontier League champions.
The Otters play all home games at EVSC's Historic Bosse Field, located at 23 Don Mattingly Way in Evansville, Ind. Stay up to date with the Evansville Otters by visiting evansvilleotters.com, or follow the Otters on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
For more information, visit evansvilleotters.com or call (812) 435-8686.
Images from this story
 Evansville Otters pitcher Grif Hughes |
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