Any time you talk about a player with the Rockies, home/road splits will often be a part of the conversation. With Gray, however, there has been balance both at and away from altitude.
Heading into Wednesday, Gray possessed almost identical home/road splits in his career. At Coors Field, he had a 4.44 ERA and had given up 46 home runs in 66 games (65 starts). Away from Denver, Gray has a 4.58 ERA and has surrendered 42 homers in 64 starts. His control, however, has been better in Denver, walking 105 batters at home and 133 on the road.
Also, left-handers have a career .260 average against Gray while right-handers have batted .261, showing more balance.
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This season, the home/road splits have been more widespread, with Gray posting a 2.00 ERA in six home starts and a 6.30 ERA in two road starts. But the numbers are also skewed in terms of innings pitched, with Gray throwing 36 in Denver and 10 on the road.
Along with showing he can succeed in Colorado, Gray is also healthy this season, something that couldn’t be said the last two years as a foot injury cut his 2019 short and a shoulder injury cost him the majority of September last season.
He’s also a pitcher, a commodity that is always needed for teams looking for quality depth and battling for a postseason berth.
Throw all of this together and it’s easy to see why Gray, who is scheduled to become a free agent at the end of the season, will likely command plenty of attention at this year’s deadline. Outings like Wednesday should continue to catch the interest of teams, and the Rockies will likely have the opportunity to restock their farm system if they can find the right trade partner.
In this scenario, Gray may actually fetch a higher trade return than Story. Here’s why.