Jon Gray Ready To 'Set The Tone' For New Rangers Season

The Texas Rangers' pivot from tear-down mode takes its first tangible step on Friday, and starting pitcher Jon Gray is ready to set the tone.

The tide has turned for the Texas Rangers. 100-loss seasons are not the expectation anymore. After spending more money than any team ever has this past offseason, the Rangers are pivoting away from tear-down mode and taking the first steps toward building the next contending team in Arlington.

And it all begins Friday night in Toronto.

$56 million of the record-spending offseason went to Jon Gray, who will take the ball on Opening Day for the Rangers. The club brought him in believing he can establish himself as a top-of-the-rotation starter. Gray, sporting a new-and-improved slider, is also trying to take his own game to another level.

"I feel like my command has gotten a little better," Gray told reporters on Thursday. "I don't want to see myself nitpick. I want to go in and attack the zone. I think that will really set the tone for the rest of the game."

Gray understands how important it is to set the tone. The 30-year-old has a young crop of pitchers behind him in the rotation. In addition to the expectation to perform, Gray must also help mentor the next wave of Rangers pitching.

"I think (setting the tone) is going to be key—with this series and with the whole season," Gray said. "I think it's important to have a good presence on Opening Day."

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It's easy to get caught up in the romance and nostalgia of Opening Day. Gray, who brings the experience of two Opening Day starts as a member of the Colorado Rockies, knows how to navigate the atmosphere. While it's important to get off to a good start, it's also important to remember it's just one game out of 162.

"I try not to have too many expectations," Gray said. "Obviously, expect to win and expect to do well, but not get caught up in my imagination of how everything is going to be. ... Things may not go your way sometimes, but just having a good presence and be a guy that doesn't get affected by the things out of your control. Just go out there, do your best and pitch your game."

This time around, Gray is taking the ball for a Rangers team ready to move on from last-place finishes. He has arguably the best middle infield in baseball behind him in Corey Seager and Marcus Semien. He has a revamped lineup that should perform much better than last year's counterpart. 

As manager Chris Woodward indicated on Wednesday, there may be a lot of buzz around the Blue Jays, who are one of the World Series favorites this year. However, the injection of star power to the Texas lineup has created its own buzz for the upcoming season.

"It feels really new and really fresh," Gray said. "But I know the guys I'm going to battle with are really good. I think we're a really solid team. It's going to be a lot of fun."