Two Colorado Rockies Ready To Break Out In The Second Half

Mar 1, 2015; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Colorado Rockies pitcher J. Gray poses for a portrait during photo day at Salt River Fields. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Pitcher Jon Gray

I know, I know. It’s time to call up Jon Gray. I’ve argued in the past (about a month ago) that it made sense to wait on Gray — and, at that point, it did. Now though, it’s past mid-July. It’s very close to the trade deadline. What more are the Rockies playing for this season? Nobody’s making a run at the NL West or the Wild Card.

Gray’s thrown well in AAA Albuquerque after a slow start to the year, and has now struck out 90 hitters in 99.1 innings while walking just 35 in 18 games/17 starts. Over his last ten starts, Gray is 2-2, 3.66 with 59 strikeouts against just 23 walks in 59 innings.

Sure, he has been inefficient on pitch counts, tossing 100+ pitches in several of his recent six inning starts. And that is an issue — but these are now the kinds of issues a player like this begins to work out in the big leagues for a club that isn’t going anywhere as the year wraps up.

Gray will break out this year, if only because it’ll be his opportunity to finally show the Rockies what he can do, as he begins to audition for a starting rotation spot in 2016.

More from Rox Pile

• A Colorado Rockies Thanksgiving
• Colorado Rockies: What if Todd Helton had played football instead?
• Colorado Rockies: Charlie Blackmon out for the season
• Colorado Rockies: Injuries shift look of roster ahead of Dodgers series
• Colorado Rockies: Has Sean Bouchard earned a second look in 2023?