Fantasy Baseball: Will Sonny Gray Succeed In New York?

The Yankees won the Sonny Gray sweepstakes, but will he be able to handle the Big Apple? Many a pitcher has failed under the bright lights and scrutiny of the city. Can Gray do it? First, let’s see what got him here.

Yankees Get

RHP Sonny Gray, future considerations

Athletics Get

SS Jorge Mateo, RHP James Kaprielian, OF Dustin Fowler

Gray was 44-36 with a 3.42 ERA in five seasons in Oakland, a noted pitcher’s park. Yankee Stadium is quite the opposite. Gray has only pitched in Yankee Stadium once in those five years. He gave up three runs in seven innings, so it was a solid start. Something else of note: Gray actually had a better ERA on the road (3.33) than he did at the Coliseum (3.50).

That doesn’t really answer whether Gray can handle Yankee Stadium. The good news is that Gray isn’t really a fly ball pitcher. He has only given up 62 home runs in 705 career innings. That will go a long way towards success at Yankee Stadium.

Gray isn’t a dominating strikeout artist, but he does hold his own. He has 607 career punchouts in those 705 innings pitched.

More from Fantasy Baseball

The biggest boost Gray will get from this deal is in wins because of the heightened run support. His ERA may suffer a little, but I don’t expect a huge difference one way or the other. I would target Gray in a trade if you are looking for wins, but don’t give up a lot to get him. Keep in mind that Gray likely only has about 14 starts left on the season. Anything more than eight wins would be impressive, and even eight may be a lofty goal. That said, with the Yankee pen backing him up, Gray will get a lot more wins.

A talent like Gray doesn’t come cheap. Dustin Fowler was the ninth ranked Yankee prospect, and is currently number three in the A’s system. He hit .293 with 13 homers, 43 RBI, and 13 steals at AAA this year, and should slide right into a starting outfield slot for Oakland. Those of you in 12 team leagues or larger should add Fowler. He has the talent to help you in the standings. Those in standard leagues should take a wait and see approach.

The loser in playing time here will be Jaycob Brugman. The good news is that most of us were not relying on Brugman anyway.

James Kaprielian was the six ranked prospect in the Yankees system. He is 2-2 with a 2.45 ERA in eight career minor league games (six starts). Kaprielian had a strained flexor muscle last year, and hasn’t pitched this year because of Tommy John surgery. There is a lot of risk here with Kaprielian, but if he stays healthy, he projects to fly through the minors.

Jorge Mateo was one of the most sought after prospects in the Yankees system. He is hitting .257 with eight homers and 39 steals between high A and AA this season. He is one of the fastest players in all of baseball, and will make an immediate fantasy impact when he gets called up. However, that likely wont be until next year at the earliest.

Next: Will Jonathan Lucroy Get His Season Back On Track?

Stay tuned to Fantasy CPR for the rest of the trade breakdowns and our daily picks for DraftKings and FanDuel!

Home/Fantasy Baseball