Philadelphia Phillies fans received welcome news this week when minor league pitcher Gabriel Barbosa was declared cancer-free. The 24-year-old had been diagnosed with colon cancer and, after three months of treatment, was given the best possible news.
Barbosa began his professional baseball career in 2019 at 17 years old. The Brazilian right-hander was a member of the Colorado Rockies organization and spent the next five years in their farm system. After being cut loose following the 2023 campaign, he spent one year in Low-A with the New York Yankees before making his way to the Phillies.
The Phils scooped him up in December of 2024 in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 Draft. Barbosa ascended the Phillies’ organizational ladder, making his way from Low-A to High-A and then to Double-A in 2025, posting a 3.62 ERA in 87 total innings across all three levels.
He had a similar journey in 2026, earning promotions from High-A to Double-A and finally to Triple-A, sporting a 5.57 ERA in 42 innings over all three stops. The Bastos native also made his way onto his native country’s roster for this past winter’s World Baseball Classic, where he pitched alongside Joseph Contreras, son of former Phillie José.
Unfortunately, in July, Barbosa was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer. That was no small thing, since stage 4 is the worst possible diagnosis.
The baseball world came together to support the young man, as the Rockies executive who originally signed him started a GoFundMe to help defray medical costs, with numerous players and fans making donations that added up to thousands of dollars.
Gabriel Barbosa's successful recovery from cancer should give every Phillies fan joy
Barbosa spent the next three months locked in a life-and-death battle. Miraculously, according to his latest Instagram post, Barbosa is now cancer-free. He stated, “After so much struggle, treatments, difficult moments and lots of prayers, after exactly 3 months. Got the results from the surgery, and it was positive! The exam found no residual cancer in the surgical piece, and the 128 lymph nodes tested negative for carcinoma. To God be the Glory!”
Moreover, it appears Barbosa will be able to skip some of the more arduous parts of a struggle with cancer, as he went on to say, “Also received word that at this time I will not need chemo or radiotherapy. There is a possibility to perform another immunotherapy for safety, but that will still be determined by the medical team.”
The good news didn't stop there for the Barbosa family, as Gabriel and his wife welcomed a baby boy, Lorenzo, into the world less than two weeks ago. It must feel like a miraculous turnaround for the young man. Some things are bigger than baseball.
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