Ryan Rolison
A first-round draft pick whose left arm carries the hopes of the Chicago Cubs' pitching future after a long-awaited MLB debut.
Born 1997 (age 29)·American baseball player·Birthday: July 11·Generation Z
Biography
Ryan Rolison's baseball journey began in Tennessee and accelerated at the University of Mississippi, where his command and poise on the mound made him a standout. The Colorado Rockies saw enough to make him a first-round selection in 2018, banking on his potential as a rotation anchor. His path to the majors, however, became a test of patience, navigating the minor leagues' grind and the inevitable injuries that delay prospects. When he finally took a big-league mound in 2025, it was the culmination of years of refinement, a moment that validated the Rockies' initial faith before his move to the Chicago Cubs. Now, he represents a classic baseball archetype: the talented pitcher whose career narrative is just beginning to be written at the highest level.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
Ryan was born in 1997, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Ryan Was Born
The biggest hits of 1997
#1 Movie
Titanic
Best Picture
Titanic
#1 TV Show
ER
Ryan's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1997Born
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2002Started school
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2010Became a teenager
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2013Could drive
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2015Could vote
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2018Turned 21
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 29 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Selected in the first round (22nd overall) by the Colorado Rockies in the 2018 MLB Draft.
- Made his Major League Baseball debut in the 2025 season.
- Pitched collegiately for the Ole Miss Rebels in the competitive SEC conference.
Did You Know?
He was a two-sport athlete in high school, also playing basketball.
His MLB debut came seven years after he was drafted.
He played in the same Ole Miss program that produced big leaguers like Drew Pomeranz.
“I trust my fastball and the work we put in every day.”
