Colorado Rockies: Is Jon Gray the next Roy Halladay?

By Luke Mullins | Jul 6, 2018

PHILADELPHIA, PA - JUNE 12: Starting pitcher Jon Gray #55 of the Colorado Rockies throws a pitch in the first inning during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on June 12, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images) /

The Colorado Rockies‘ starting pitching seems to have gotten back on track of late, posting a 1.71 ERA since June 27 (nine games), and helping the team win some of the most critical games of the season. What makes this stretch even more fascinating is the fact that they’ve done it without presumed ace Jon Gray.

Gray was demoted to Triple-A Albuquerque last Saturday in the midst of a disappointing season … but hope is not lost for Gray. Despite a 5.77 ERA, Gray’s 2018 hasn’t been all bad. Gray is fourth in the National League in strikeouts with 119 and his 11.64 K/9 is second only to Max Scherzer.

Gray has the stuff to be one of the most dominate pitchers in the NL. We saw that in the second half of last season. Unfortunately, he has struggled on the mental side of the game. Again and again this season, we watched a good-to-mediocre start by Gray blow up because of one bad inning. His ERA in the sixth inning alone is an astronomical 13.50.

At the heart of Gray’s 2018 has been his inability to control the big innings. He’ll cruise along all game striking out everyone, but a couple bad breaks — an error, a bloop, an untimely walk — and he looks like a completely different pitcher. With runners at first and third, batters are hitting .353 off Gray. That rises to .364 when there are runners at second and third. Bases loaded? Opponents are hitting .429 with a 1.357 OPS.

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The Rockies hope Gray’s trip to Albuquerque will help him get his mind right. It’s worked before for other big-time arms who struggled early in their careers, most notably the late Roy Halladay.

Halladay flashed his potential in two games in 1998 before posting solid numbers in his first full season in 1999, going 8-7 with a 3.92 ERA and 82 strikeouts … but then he hit a wall. To put it lightly, the 2000 season was a disaster. Halladay put together a 10.67 ERA over 67.2 innings before being sent down to Triple-A where his struggles continued and he put up a 5.50 ERA.

Halladay started 2001 back at A-ball for the first time since 1996 … but something clicked for Halladay that season. Maybe it was another year of maturity, maybe it was the instruction of baseball lifer Mel Queen. Maybe it was boosted confidence from facing lower levels of competition. Most likely, it was a combination of all three. Whatever the case, Halladay put his career back on track that season.

The future two-time Cy Young award winner tore through A, AA, and AAA with a 2.93 ERA before returning to Toronto in July and posting a 3.16 ERA in 17 games. And he never looked back.

Jon Gray might not finish in the top five in Cy Young voting seven times like Halladay, but the former ace should be a reminder that the road to success is a long one that sometimes requires a mental refresher. Though unfortunate, Gray’s demotion was a necessary step in his progression as a big-league pitcher … and the initial results are promising. In his first start since being sent down, Gray lasted six innings, giving up two runs on just two hits.

Next: Why Antonio Senzatela was dominant in his return to Coors Field

Time will tell how long it takes Gray to sort things out, but one thing is for sure. The Colorado Rockies aren’t done with Jon Gray … and that should scare hitters across Major League Baseball.

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