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Sonny Gray 2020 Outlook: Equipped To Replicate Resurgent Season
5 years agoIn his first season with the Cincinnati Reds, Sonny Gray returned to All-Star form after several middling years with the Yankees and Athletics. He tossed 175.1 IP, the most since 2015, racking up 205 strikeouts while sporting a 2.87 ERA and 1.08 WHIP during his resurgent 11-win season. Gray was effective early in his career by pitching to weak contact and keeping the ball on the ground, but in 2019 he altered his method of attack to get batters out. Instead of relying on his sinker, the two-time All-Star upped his usage on his slider by over 10%, aiding his elusiveness by setting career-highs in K-rate (29.0%), Whiff% (28.4%) and Contact% (73.1%). With this new change in approach, Gray seemed to get more comfortable in his ability by posting a 2.12 ERA and .162 BA in the second half, both top-three numbers in the NL. Entering his age-30 season, it appears that this is the new-look Sonny Gray, and we should expect another high strikeout total from him in 2020. His 3.65 xFIP and 3.97 SIERA, however, suggest he likely won’t repeat his terrific ERA, but he is still capable of returning value at his 101.7 ADP.
