Colorado Rockies: Jon Gray has high hopes for next season
By Paul Ashley
The Colorado Rockies have a very solid starting rotation already under contract for next season. However, if Jon Gray is able to reach his full potential, they may have one of the best rotations in the entire MLB next season.
Following a solid 2017 regular season in which Jon Gray compiled a 10-4 record with a 3.67 ERA, a 3.18 FIP, and a 1.296 WHIP through 110.1 innings pitched, he regressed during the 2018 regular season. Through 172.1 innings pitched for the Colorado Rockies last season, Gray compiled a 12-9 record with a 5.12 ERA, a 4.08 FIP, and a 1.346 WHIP.
Even though his 4.08 FIP suggests that he was somewhat unlucky throughout his starts compared to his bloated 5.12 ERA and 1.346 WHIP last season, Gray still allowed 27 home runs, 180 hits, 52 walks, and 98 earned runs. His performance last season also caused the organization to send him down to Triple-A Albuquerque between the end of June and the middle of July.
Although the demotion helped the Rockies extend the amount of time he will remain under team control, it also seemed to benefit the right-handed starter. Prior to his demotion, Gray compiled a 7-7 record with a 5.77 ERA while allowing 108 hits and 29 walks through 92.0 innings pitched. After returning to the big leagues, Gray compiled a 4-0 record with a 3.17 ERA while allowing 50 hits and 16 walks through his next 10 starts (65.1 innings pitched).
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Unfortunately for Gray, he stumbled back into the form he had during the first half over his final four starts of the regular season. During this time, he compiled a 1-2 record with a 9.60 ERA while allowing 22 hits and 7 walks through 15.0 innings pitched. This performance potentially cost the Rockies a division title as they ended up one game behind the Los Angeles Dodgers following the tie-breaking game 163.
Nonetheless, as Gray is still only 27-years-old with three more years of team control remaining, there is still hope that he will be able to turn things around. The third overall pick in the 2013 draft recently spoke with Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post about his anger over not being able to help the Colorado Rockies win the NL West as well as his anger over not being included on the postseason roster.
Gray stated: “I feel like that’s what’s going to push me forward. [Last season] sucked. It made me hate baseball a lot. I wasn’t really having fun at all. I’m ready to be a part of things. I feel I missed out on too much. …I’m ready to use it as motivation to make myself bigger and stronger. I’m going to throw the damn ball 100 miles an hour again.”
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As Kyle Freeland and German Marquez have settled in as very reliable starting options for the Colorado Rockies, a revitalized Jon Gray could give the organization a great chance at capturing their first ever NL West title next season. If the Rockies are able to win the division next season, it could also go a long way in convincing Nolan Arenado to stick around for the long haul.