Jon Gray Has Quality June for Rangers

After a slow start, Texas' high-priced pitching acquisition from the offseason is heating up entering July

The Texas Rangers are finally getting the Jon Gray they expected when they signed him last offseason.

Gray (4-3) wrapped up a terrific June on Tuesday in the Rangers’ 8-3 win over Kansas City. While the Rangers gave him a lot of run support, Gray also went seven innings, giving up five hits, one run and two walks while striking out eight. He started the game by striking out the side in the bottom of the first inning.

At the end of May, Gray seemed to be poised to do this. He was three starts past his week-long stint on the injured list after hurting his knee for the second time. He has just shed the knee brace that made pitching a bit more uncomfortable for him.

But since he left the brace behind, Gray has been worth that four-year, $56 million contract he signed.

How good was he in June? Consider the numbers:

Gray finished June with a 3-1 record, a 2.39 ERA (10 earned runs in 37 2/3 innings pitched) with 12 walks and 44 strikeouts, along with a .195 opponent batting average. Among American League pitchers in June he’s second in strikeouts, sixth in strikeouts per nine innings (10.51), eighth in ERA (2.39) and eighth in opponent batting average.

Gray has won three consecutive starts to match the longest streak of his career (for the fifth time), also matching the longest streak by a Ranger in 2022, matching Martín Pérez (May 10-20) and Glenn Otto (May 25-June 4).

Gray’s win on Tuesday was his third ultra-quality start of the season, which is a start in which the pitcher goes at least seven innings and gives up, at most, two earned runs. Pérez is the only Ranger with more ultra-quality starts with six.

Gray had three starts of at least seven innings and one or zero runs allowed in June, which ties him with six other pitchers in the Majors — Gerrit Cole (New York Yankees), Yu Darvish (San Diego Padres), Aaron Nola (Philadelphia Phillies), Nick Pivetta (Boston Red Sox), Robbie Ray (Seattle Mariners) and Justin Verlander (Houston Astros).

Best of all, Gray has brought down his overall ERA from a high of 7.50 on May 3 to 3.89 after his start against Kansas City.

Gray won’t pitch against until Sunday at the New York Mets.

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You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard

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