Colin Rea is a 36-year-old right-handed starter for the Chicago Cubs — a pitcher who has quietly built one of the more durable careers of his generation. He debuted in the big leagues on August 11, 2015, and over a decade later he’s still eating innings at the highest level.
Quick Facts
- Full name: Colin Rea
- Position: Starting Pitcher
- Team: Chicago Cubs
- Number: 53
- Bats / Throws: Right / Right
- Height / Weight: 6’5″ / 220 lbs
- Born: July 1, 1990 — Cascade, USA 🇺🇸
- MLB Debut: August 11, 2015
Background
Rea grew up in Cascade, Iowa, and took the grinder’s path to the majors — working his way through the minor leagues and earning every opportunity along the way. He’s the kind of pitcher who doesn’t make headlines every five days but shows up, competes, and delivers innings. Over ten years in, that consistency is its own story.
Professional Career
Before joining Chicago, Rea was a key part of the Milwaukee Brewers rotation. In 2024, he went 12-6 with a 4.29 ERA, 135 strikeouts, and 167.2 innings pitched — the kind of workload that makes a pitching coach sleep well at night.
He carried that momentum into 2025 with the Cubs and actually got better: 11 wins, a 3.95 ERA, 127 strikeouts in 159.1 innings, and a 1.25 WHIP — his sharpest control in years. The 2026 season has been more of a grind, with an ERA of 4.59, an 8-8 record, and 90 strikeouts across 117.2 frames, but he’s still in the rotation and still competing.
Stats at a Glance
- 2026 — Chicago Cubs: 8-8, 4.59 ERA, 90 K, 1.36 WHIP, 117.2 IP
- 2025 — Chicago Cubs: 11-7, 3.95 ERA, 127 K, 1.25 WHIP, 159.1 IP
- 2024 — Milwaukee Brewers: 12-6, 4.29 ERA, 135 K, 1.26 WHIP, 167.2 IP
Awards and Recognition
No Cy Young awards, no All-Star nods — but Rea’s real trophy is the trust of his coaching staff. In a game that chews through pitchers faster than ever, being a reliable rotation arm who logs 150-plus innings a year is genuinely valuable. That kind of consistency doesn’t always make the highlight reel, but every front office notices it.
Worth Noting
Rea is 36 and still holding down a spot in a major-league rotation — something that’s rarer than it sounds in the modern game, where many starters fade or shift to relief roles well before that age. Whatever he’s doing to stay on the mound, it’s working.
