With baseball season now underway, I decided to whip up another MLB special. This won’t be your usual baseball special either. I won’t be talking about any superstars, won’t be talking about individual teams, and also won’t be giving my two cents on why certain players are starting off slow in 2014. Instead I will be giving baseball fans insight on “low key studs.” These studs are certain players that have been catching my attention for the past 2-3 years. They also aren’t on the radar of your typical baseball fans. I will be talking about one low key stud for each division. So I advise that everyone keeps their eyes and ears open on these players because they will be household names some time in the future.
Stud Watch: AL West
Sonny Gray, Pitcher, Oakland A’s
Sonny Gray is a starting pitcher for the Oakland A’s, and in 2014 he was the Opening Day starter. Given the start on Opening Day instantly made him the ace of the very young and talented ball club that has been making major noise for the past 2 seasons. Gray is only 24 years old and stands at a short 5’11. He isn’t your average looking ace with his short frame but that doesn’t stop him from dominating his opponents.
Gray attended Vanderbilt University where he pitched from 2008-2011. Gray started off in the bullpen his freshman season, collecting 4 saves until he was moved into a starter roll late in the season. He was designated as the ace of Vandy’s staff in 2010 and 2011. In 2010, he went 10-5 with a 3.48 ERA, but lead the team in strikeouts (113). Sonny’s junior year was his most successful, as he went 12-4 with a 2.43 ERA and 132 Ks. Sonny elected to forgo his senior year at Vanderbilt and entered the draft. He was selected 18th overall by the Oakland Athletics in the 2011 MLB Draft.
Sonny Gray is one the best up-and-coming young arms in all of baseball. He doesn’t seem too intimidating standing on the mound but once the game starts you understand why the A’s decided to make him their Ace for the 2014 season.
Strengths
- Very calm
- Smooth mechanics
- Attacks the zone
- Gets stronger as game goes on
- Pitches like an Ace
Gray had a herky-jerky type delivery while in college. His leg kick was very sharp and his arms went above his head as he would start his leg kick (click here to view). Once he entered Oakland’s minor league system they changed his mechanics as fast as they could and to be honest it is one of the nicest deliveries in all of baseball in my opinion (click here to view). Now that delivery looks silky smooth. Thanks to his change in mechanics he has became very calm while toeing the rubber and that allows him to attack the zone with his 93+ fastball. His fastball sneaks up on batters which causes for plenty swings and misses or weak hit ground balls since batters will be late on it.
Weakness
- Lacks 3rd pitch
- Starts off slow
- Control issues at times
- Too many walks
Now Gray doesn’t have many weaknesses in his game but the ones he does have proves that he still has a lot of room for improvement. He doesn’t tend to start the game off great at times. When he struggles in the early innings it is because his control is off a majority of the time. With his control issues comes walks, and with walks comes earned runs. Gray also lacks a reliable 3rd pitch. He consists of a great fastball and sharp breaking ball but doesn’t have a solid change-up or other pitch to complete the other two.
Overall
Sonny Gray has Ace like stuff when he stands on the mound every 5th day. He has a fastball that he attacks the zone with and moves the batters eye. Not many young pitchers have that ability. Most young pitchers go up just “throwing” while Gray is up there “pitching” trying to find ways to collect an out. That is a veteran trait that Sonny has picked up quickly in his young career. Gray looks like a veteran when he dominates in games. He starts off at a great pace, locating all his pitches and collecting outs without any struggle. Sonny Gray has a bright future ahead of him if he is able to find a 3rd reliable pitch and get his pitching location on during the early innings in games. Look for Gray to be a regular in the All-Star Game for years to come.