San Francisco Giants Cy Young Winner Shines in First Spring Training Start

The San Francisco Giants are counting on this veteran left-handed pitcher to be a key piece of their starting rotation in 2025.

Aug 20, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants pitcher Robbie Ray (23) catches the ball during the third inning against the Chicago White Sox at Oracle Park. | Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

A day after the San Francisco Giants trotted out one of their Cy Young winners for his first spring training start, the Giants sent their other Cy Young winner, Robbie Ray, out to make his debut.

Ray, who won the 2021 American League Cy Young award with the Toronto Blue Jays, looked like he was already set for his first regular-season start as he threw two near-perfect innings in the Giants’ 7-5 loss to the Athletics.

His start came one day after San Francisco’s newly acquired Cy Young winner, Justin Verlander, made his first start on Monday. He gave up one hit and one run in two innings, while he struck out one and walked one.

Ray? Well, he looked nearly unhittable, though he ended up hitting the first hitter he faced, Max Schuemann.

After Schuemann was hit by a pitch, Ray struck out Brent Rooker and induced a pop-out from JJ Bleday. With Shea Langeliers at the plate, Schuemann was picked off trying to steal second base, which ended the inning.

Langeliers returned to the plate in the second and doubled, making that the only hit Ray allowed. Gio Urshela struck out, Miguel Andujar popped out and Seth Brown struck out to end the inning and Ray’s outing.

This is the sort of outing San Francisco was hoping for from Ray, who has been working to get back to full health since he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2023.

After winning the Cy Young with the Blue Jays, he signed a lucrative deal to join the Seattle Mariners, where he had a productive 2022 season and helped them break their long playoff drought. He went 12-12 with a 3.71 ERA in 32 starts, with 212 strikeouts in 189 innings.

He started one game for Seattle in 2023 and suffered an elbow injury that required surgery. That offseason, the Mariners traded him to San Francisco and the Giants knew he would need at least half of the 2024 season to finish his recovery.

Ray completed rehab, got in some starts in the minor leagues and returned to the Majors on July 24. He made seven starts, going 3-2 with a 4.70 ERA with 43 strikeouts and 15 walks before a hip injury ended his season.

Ray had an option in his contract to test free agency, but he opted to stay with the Giants. If he keeps pitching like this, it could be beneficial to both sides.