Great expectations have stalked the “Gray Wolf” since the Rockies made him the third overall pick out of Oklahoma in the 2013 draft.
A 100 mph fastball and knifing slider had Jon Gray ticketed for stardom. Despite flashes of brilliance, that never happened in Colorado. He finished his career here with a 53-49 record, 4.59 ERA, and track record of not pitching well in big games.
But 10 years after he was drafted — one spot behind Kris Bryant, by the way — Gray is pitching like the ace everyone kept waiting for him to become. The 31-year-old right-hander has made 12 starts for the powerhouse Rangers, going 6-2 with a 2.32 ERA and 0.964 WHIP.
“I have never felt this confident on the mound. I’ve never been in a better place,” Gray said Saturday during a phone interview from Tampa, where the Rangers (40-22 and leading the AL West) were playing the Rays (47-19, first in the AL East).
“Right now, I just never get worried out there, no matter the situation I’m in,” Gray continued. “I’m confident I can work my way out of it.”
Wednesday night against the Cardinals at Globe Life Field, the right-hander tossed the second complete game of his nine-year big league career, striking out a season-high 12. Unfortunately for Gray, he gave up a solo homer to Alec Burleson in the eighth inning and the Rangers lost, 1-0, ending a five-game winning streak.
The bitter loss is soothed by these stats: Gray has posted a 5-1 record and 0.84 ERA over his past six starts. During that span, he struck out 44 hitters and walked just six. He’s been All-Star Game-worthy.
“He’s just been so good,” Texas manager Bruce Bochy told reporters. “He’s commanding the fastball and the slider well, and the change, too. He’s got great stuff. He throwing 95-96 out there with a really good slider that’s gotten a lot better. That’s been a difference-maker. The slider is a little bit tighter and he’s throwing quality strikes. What you see is what you get. You get a good pitcher with good command, and he’s tough out there.”
Gray said that, yes, he’s taught his often temperamental slider to behave better, but it’s his changeup that’s been the difference-maker.
“It’s been a great pitch for me and it compliments my slider so well,” he said.
Gray’s best game in a Rockies uniform came Sept. 17, 2016, against the Padres at Coors Field. It was the most-dominant pitching performance in franchise history. In Colorado’s 8-0 victory, Gray threw a complete-game four-hitter, walked none and struck out a franchise record 16. Not a single Padres batter got beyond first base. That game showed what Gray was capable of when he’s at his very best.
Throughout the 2021 season, Gray said publicly that he wanted to stay in Colorado but a deal never materialized and he ended up signing a four-year, $56 million contract with the Rangers.
Gray, one the most genuinely nice guys in the majors, was not about to badmouth the Rockies, but he said the Rangers are a perfect fit for him.
“There are a lot of reasons, but one of them is being in Texas and being close to what feels like home for me,” said Gray, who grew up in Chandler, Okla. “That’s really big. I absolutely love that.
“And the team chemistry we have here is really good. I was nervous about that coming in because Colorado was all I knew. I didn’t know how people would accept me here, but it’s been great. The coaches, staff and players have made it really easy. It’s been great. And I know the franchise is headed in the right direction.”
Gray said he actually missed pitching at Coors Field — he loved the environment — but admitted he doesn’t miss the Jekyll-and-Hyde existence of pitching at altitude.
“It’s nice to have the consistency of not having to deal with home-road and road-home,” he said. “I’m having a lot of fun.”
And he’s fulfilling those great expectations.
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