Prospects on the Verge: Jon Gray

Feb 26, 2014; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Colorado Rockies pitcher Jon Gray poses during photo day at Salt River Fields. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports

At the University of Oklahoma, he went by Jonathan, but now he is just Jon Gray. Gray was selected third overall by the Colorado Rockies in the 2013 draft, but he just might end up being the best player selected.

2013 was not the first time Gray heard his name called in the MLB draft, as the Kansas City Royals selected him out of high school in the 13th round in 2010. Then, in 2011, while at East Oklahoma State College, he was taken in the tenth round by the New York Yankees. both times he chose to continue his amateur career, and it paid off.

He now has put in just 61 professional innings where his ERA is good, 2.66, but his strikeout/walk ratio leaps off the page. He has struck out 76 while only walking 12, or 11.5 strikeouts and 1.8 walks per nine innings pitched.

In baseball, a true ace is very rare to come across, you are talking the Jose Fernandez, Clayton Kershaw, Yu Darvish territory when you start to give guys a number one grade, and that is something that has been mentioned with Jon Gray.

His fastball sits 95-96 MPH but he can reach back and touch triple digits with reports he has been clocked as high as 102 MPH. In addition to lighting up radar guns, his fastball even has a a little some late run to it.

While there is little argument that any pitcher in the minor leagues has a better fastball than Gray, one could also argue Gray has the best slider in all the minor leagues. It sits in the high 80s to low 90s and has devastatingly sharp break.

As if those two pitches aren’t enough, he has a change-up that grades in as a plus pitch and he has shown solid control of all three pitches. If there is a weakness, it would be in his stiff front leg. It sometimes looks as though his front leg is fighting against his body, causing occasional inconsistency in his delivery causing his pitches to remain elevated. Given his big league home ballpark will be Coors Field, he will want to limit balls up in the zone, but it certainly an issue that will improve as he progresses.

Gray will probably not see the big league until mid-to-late season this year, but I fully expect him to dominate from day one. While Fernandez and Kershaw will likely be the pre-season Cy Young favorites for years to come, don’t be surprised if his name is mentioned with those within just a couple years.