Rangers Announce Jon Gray as Opening Day Starter in Toronto
Texas Rangers manager Chris Woodward made it official Tuesday: Jon Gray will be his starting pitcher on Opening Day in Toronto on April 8.
The Rangers signed Gray as a free agent early in the offseason with the intention of having him front the starting rotation for the 2022 season. Gray, who spent the first seven seasons of his big-league career with the Colorado Rockies, has pitched on Opening Day on two previous occasions in 2017 and 2018.
"I think it's really important for the organization," Woodward said. "We signed him for that reason. We knew when we signed him that he was going to be our No. 1. I knew that. He knew that. He's good. He's an elite pitcher. ... He's had a ton of success in the big leagues."
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To date, Gray owns a career 4.59 ERA and his overall numbers have been inconsistent, which is no surprise given how Coors Field's thin air heavily favors hitters. However, Gray's advanced stats suggests he may fare better while not having to deal with the constant swing of pitching between Coors Field and other ballparks.
The Rangers have also worked with Gray on developing a new slider—one that breaks more horizontally. Gray's slider was a strong pitch for him last year. Opposing batters only hit .156 and slugged .300 off of it, but did not generate the swing-and-miss he desired. When co-pitching coach Brendan Sagara presented him with a new grip, Gray completely bought into making the change.
The club invested four years and $56 million in Gray. They're going to do everything they can to make a good pitcher into an even better one.
"I think there's another level to him," Woodward said. "He believes that. He can't wait to get to that level."
