Colorado Rockies Top 25 Under 25: No. 2: Jon Gray

Welcome to the BSN Denver Colorado Rockies Top 25 Under 25 where we will rank the organization’s best players who will be 25 years-old or younger on Opening Day 2017.

Our parameters for this list may be different than others it resembles so let us be clear about them:

1. The list was created entirely by the BSN Rockies staff and had no other input from any outside sources.
2. While giving credit for overall (or trade) value, we prioritized an ability to help the MLB club win immediately.
3. In accordance with this, we also prioritized players with fewer question marks but potentially lower ceilings.
4. Statistics were considered on an equal level with scouting reports in addition to our own field reporting.

Our observations come through a combination of spending parts of each of the past four (going on five) seasons on the ground on the backfields at spring training and through our regular reporting from Rookie Level Grand Junction, talking to coaches, scouts, and journalists both on and off the record. Of course, countless hours are spent on MiLB.tv and combing over public reports from other credible sources.

No. 2: Jon Gray, 22 (RHP)

This is going to be short and sweet. Short because if you are reading this, you are almost certainly familiar Jon Gray’s story up to this point. And sweet because … well … you are probably familiar with the ridiculous strikeout numbers from a year ago, including the record-blasting 16 Ks against the San Diego Padres last year.

He’s a national name now due to his production a year ago, and there seems to be as close to you are ever going to get to a consensus on a Rockies pitcher that Gray is just getting started. He’s added a curveball with a 15 mph difference from his average fastball that he says he uses to “steal strikes” and occasionally for punchouts.

His slider had the second highest swing-and-miss rate of anyone in MLB behind only Noah Syndergaard. And the location with the fastball is getting better and better.

If he learns how to keep the early damage down and not let individual games get away from him, he could quite easily get himself into some Cy Young conversations. His stuff is just that good.

That’s how he managed to strike out the sixth most batters of any pitcher in Rockies history last season. He also posted the fifth best single-season WHIP in Rockies history. In his rookie season. He earned the moniker, The Wolf of Blake Street.

BSN Denver talked to Gray this past week down in Scottsdale and his confidence is at an all-time high. We will have that report for you soon.