Ranking The Rockies: 10 Jon Gray

We at BSN Denver are running a series where we rank how valuable each of the Colorado Rockies’ 51 players was to the team in 2015. Value was calculated by statistics, viewing, and how memorable each player’s contributions were. The rankings will be from last to first, you may view the full rankings (here)

Player: Jon Gray

Stats: 9 G, 40.2 IP, 0-2, 5.53 ERA, 1.623 WHIP, 3.63 FIP, 85 ERA+, 8.9 K/9, 3.1 BB/9, 0.8 WAR

Big Moment: Aug 4, the Colorado Rockies are at home with the Mariners visiting Denver. History was made for the Rockies as top pitching prospect Jon Gray made his debut.

#GrayDay pic.twitter.com/B9ORTjJDEL

— Jake Shapiro, but festive 🎁 (@Shapalicious) August 5, 2015

He threw four innings allowing five hits and two earned runs while striking out four and working out of a few jams. Gray’s Game Score was only a 44, but the debut represented a turning point for a franchise that had just traded star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki a week earlier. The former third overall pick was fast-tracked to the big leagues in a little over two years and this day was his coronation, a day Rockies fans had waited two years for.

Season Recap: The 24-year old right-hander started the season in Triple-A with the Isotopes. Coming off a good 2014 season with Tulsa Gray had a really rocky April in Albuquerque. He recovered very nicely finishing off his stint in the minors with a 6-6 record and a 4.33 ERA in 2015.

Gray’s second start against the Mets was his best, throwing six innings allowing one run on one hit and a walk while striking out five. It would tell the story of what was to come as Gray was limited to 75 pitches by his manager. The Rockies had the leash on the young starter in his nine appearances with the team as he was shut down for the season before the season ended due to an innings limit. He threw 155 innings this year and the 40 he threw for the Rockies already has fans itching for more. He was solid, and everyone could see the flashes of his elite stuff, but a lot of people were also able to see that Gray has a long way to go before he can be a top of the rotation guy.

What’s Ahead: Assuming his leash comes off in 2016 he could potentially be the Rockies ace. He may not be ready to dominate in comparison to other team’s starters, but the Rockies have little elite depth at the top of their rotation. It will be interesting to see how his club handles him entering the season considering there are about nine pitchers competing for five spots.