Cardinals 3x All-Star Ranked Among Top 30 Aces In MLB

The Cardinals ace is ranked among the top starters in the league.

Jul 24, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Sonny Gray (54) pitches against the San Diego Padres during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals have fallen out of postseason contention with just over a month to go in the regular season. They won their series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday night at George Steinbrenner Field, but their best hope the rest of the way is to play spoiler on contending ballclubs and affect the playoff race that way.

They were sellers at the trade deadline, sending rental relievers Ryan Helsley, Steven Matz and Phil Maton to other contenders and finally committing to a rebuild rather than trying to piece together a contender with a lackluster roster. The next few years might be a little rough in St. Louis

Right-hander Sonny Gray is somebody that could be traded in the offseason if the Cardinals are committed to a rebuild. He started Thursday and pitched five innings while allowing three runs against the Rays. Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report recently listed the top 30 aces in Major League Baseball, and Gray was ranked 25th out of the 30 listed.

Gray ranked among top pitchers in MLB

Jul 13, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Sonny Gray (54) pitches against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

"Just some awful batted ball luck since landing with St. Louis, especially this season with a .330 BABIP against. But we kind of have to rank him based on what has actually happened as opposed to what should have happened," Miller wrote on Friday.

"Tip o' the cap, though, for leading the National League in both walk rate (1.5 BB/9) and K/BB (6.46) among qualified pitchers. At least he's doing a fine job of controlling what he can control."

Gray, a three-time All-Star, hasn't exactly been the ace the Cardinals signed him to be back in 2023. The 35-year-old right-hander and former Cy Young finalist is 12-6, but has a 4.33 ERA in his 26 starts, though he has recorded 161 strikeouts in 145 1/3 innings of work.

He'll be entering the final year of his contract in 2026. If the Cardinals aren't planning on contending, then it might be worth shopping him and seeing if he will waive his no-trade clause. Even with a bad ERA though, Gray can still be considered a dependable starter and can eat innings when needed. He also can generate swings and misses.

It will certainly be interesting to see what happens with the veteran right-hander in the offseason and if St. Louis will trade him elsewhere.

More MLB: Cardinals Young Star Gaining Steam As Franchise Cornerstone