Rangers Spring Training Preview: Jon Gray

Jon Gray was, at one point, the only veteran Texas Rangers starting pitcher under contract and now he has plenty of company.

InsidetheRangers.com previews every player on the Texas Rangers 40-man roster heading into Spring Training in Surprise, Arizona.

P Jon Gray

In 2022: Gray began his first season with the Rangers battling some injuries. He started the season on the injured list with a blister. He spent more than a week on the injured list with a low-grade left knee sprain. Then he spent nearly two months on the injured list with a left oblique strain. It wasn’t the consistent season Gray or the Rangers were hoping for.

That oblique strain came after an impressive stretch of pitching. In June and July he went 7-4 with a 2.65 ERA, striking out 81 against 20 walks. Pitching behind Martín Pérez, he and the veteran left-hander became a quality 1-2 punch.

Gray had a couple of rough outings in his final two starts, giving up nine earned runs in 11 innings. But, in the balance, Gray’s first season was solid. He was willing to pitch with a brace on his knee for most of May to remain in the rotation.

Gray went 7-7 with a 3.96 ERA in 24 starts. He threw 127 1/3 innings, giving up 105 hits, 61 runs (56 earned), 17 home runs and 39 walks. He struck out 134. Opponents hit .222 against him and he had a 1.13 WHIP.

Gray’s Career at a Glance: Gray was a first-round pick of the Colorado Rockies in 2013 (third different time Gray was drafted). He broke in with the Rockies in 2015 and spent his first seven seasons with Colorado, where he went 53-49 with a 4.59 ERA. For his career, Gray is 60-56 with a 4.51 ERA.

Contract Status: Gray will enter the second year of a four-year, $56 million contract that will pay him $15 million in 2023.

In Surprise: Going into last season the feeling was that Gray would be the ace of a young staff. Now? Gray is a cog in a rotation that features six veterans over the age of 30. Along with Pérez, the Rangers now have Jacob deGrom, Andrew Heaney, Jake Odorizzi and Nathan Eovaldi. If there was pressure on Gray to be an ace, that’s done now. That pressure is distributed to deGrom, a two-time Cy Young winner. Gray goes into 2023 with an inside track for a rotation spot. There are two questions. First, will the Rangers stick with a five-man rotation or move to a six-man rotation? Second, can Gray stay healthy? If he can, he’s likely to duplicate what he did in Colorado from 2016-19, when he had at least 10 wins per season.

2023 Texas Rangers 40-Man Spring Training Previews:

Joe Barlow | John King | Dane Dunning | Brett Martin | Jake Odorizzi | Yerry Rodriguez | Owen White | Cole Ragans | Andrew Heaney | Glenn Otto | Josh Sborz | Ricky Vanasco | Cole Winn | Nathan Eovaldi |

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