In Wednesday’s blowout victory over the Padres, Rockies starter Jon Gray hurled six innings, allowing four runs – all in the sixth inning – on seven hits to earn his third win of the year. For the first five innings, Gray was sharp. His pitches had late life, which resulted in a lot of swing and misses; however, the source of Gray’s success stemmed not from his fastball or slider, but his curveball, a pitch he’s been developing for some time.
Gray has used the curve in small spurts in the past, but Sunday was the first time it was showcased as a primary pitch. If he can master the curveball, Gray has the potential to take his game to new heights.
Gray’s fastball and slider are his bread and butter, complimenting each other nicely. But if he wants to brand himself with ace status, it is essential he develops another power pitch to increase his makeup.
“It was a big pitch in some games last year, but I feel like this year every game I’m using it quite a bit,” Gray told Mile High Sports. “It’s been a weapon every game so far. I feel like the more and more I use it the better it gets, and the more feel I have for it.
“I feel like it’s really making strides, and I’m throwing it better than ever right now.”
Gray’s career has been a bit of a mystery to date. From his call-up in 2015 to the present day, there have been plenty of question marks surrounding his outlook for the future.
So far in his career, Gray’s numbers have been average – with a 13-13 record and an ERA of 4.97.
Throughout all the stages of his Rockies tenure, one thing holds true: He’s got ‘the stuff’ to thrive as a power arm in the big leagues.
At times he looks like the flamethrower the club expects him to develop into, and in other instances, he’s fallen into the same path of struggles that most pitchers experience at the beginning of their careers.
The recent incorporation of the curveball gives Gray the opportunity to take the next big step in his development. The curve helps keep hitters off balance, a skill that is critical to a finding success on the mound. A plus curveball would add another layer of deception to Gray’s supply of pitches, and could be the most effective if used at the right moments.
“Sometimes you’re not going to have every pitch that day,” Gray said. “If you have a lot of options to go to, you might get something that works against that hitter.
“There could be times when you’re battling a guy and [it’s] like a seven or eight pitch at-bat, but they’ve seen just about everything so far, and they’re still getting a piece of it, and then you bring something new out. It’s always good to be unpredictable.”
As of right now, Gray labels the curveball as a “feel” pitch but is gaining confidence in it as the season progresses. His curveball has been effective before, and in some games, has been his best pitch. The addition of a third power pitch, specifically the curve, would revolutionize Gray as a pitcher and could help him turn the corner to becoming the true ace that so many believe he can be.
