Josiah Gray - Continues to expand arsenalGray threw a sweeper 26 times in Wednesday's start against the Astros, throwing 18 strikes with the pitch and generating four swinging strikes, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post...ImpactThe pitch is a new one for the right-hander, but it's quickly progressed from bullpen experiment to effective in-game weapon. Per Statcast, Gray had only thrown four total sweepers coming into Wednesday's start and instead had used four other pitches -- four-seam fastball, slider, curve and cutter -- more than 17 percent of the time this season while also mixing in an occasional sinker (seven percent). The 25-year-old cites pitchers like Yu Darvish and Chris Bassitt as veterans he's attempting to emulate with a more diverse arsenal, and there have been signs in 2023 the approach is working. While Gray's swinging strike rate remains basically unchanged from last year at 11.4 percent, he's generating more groundballs than ever before (42.2 percent) and has cut more than seven points off his HR/FB% (career-low 11.4 percent), pointing to a pitcher who's producing more weak contact than before. While his career-best 3.19 ERA isn't reflected in his 4.89 xFIP, Gray is taking steps toward evolving into a reliable mid-rotation arm.
JUNE 15, 2023•ROTOWIRE
