Rockies: Jon Gray Finally Getting Things Right

Rockies sophomore pitcher Jon Gra has had an up and down season. Things look to be going in the right direction, so pick him up.

The Colorado Rockies are six games under .500 and sit third in the National League West. While the offense is playing great, it’s the starting pitching that is dropping the ball (no pun intended). Only one pitcher has an ERA below .400. However, there is another pitcher that is pitching well this month and should be added. His name is Jon Gray.

For the season, Gray’s numbers aren’t the best. He has a 4.12 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 9.7 K/9 with a 6-4 record. The highlight is his 111 strikeouts in 102.2 innings pitched. Over his last four starts, Gray has pitched very well.

He has four straight quality starts. He lowered his ERA from 4.83 to where it currently is at 4.12. Gray has three straight eight-strikeout games and allowed no more than three earned runs. The only caveat is that he faced the lowly Atlanta Braves in his last two starts.

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There are two things worth keeping an eye on with Gray. He doesn’t pitch late into games, two of his last four starts when less than seven innings. The other two went exactly seven, but with the amount of base runners he allows, that doesn’t help his WHIP.

Speaking of base runners, the second thing is his walk rate. He has a 2.9 BB/9, which is down from last year, but ranks No. 55 among all qualified pitchers in BB/9.

The Rockies really don’t have a chance to win the division this season, 12.0 games back of first place. There are rumors that the Rockies are going to be sellers this trade deadline, so this season is likely a lost season. Though, if the team wants to build and compete in the future, Gray has to become an ace in the rotation.

Next: Aaron Sanchez Going to the Bullpen?

Gray is owned in 38.5 percent of ESPN leagues, up 7.4 percent over the last week. He’s been pitching well over the last couple of weeks, so fantasy owners are jumping on the bandwagon. Owners may need to be careful with him in his next start. The Rockies travel east to take on the American League East leading Baltimore Orioles.