The Boston Red Sox in the 2020’s have been up and down certainly, but there’s one thing you can always count on for them. They have had a very good run with veteran pitchers “past their prime” coming in on short-term deals. In 2022, it was Michael Wacha. 2023 (and to a lesser extent, ‘24) was James Paxton. In 2025, it was Lucas Giolito. And this year, the hope is that Sonny Gray can become the next great in this streak.
Unlike the rest, Gray did not sign a deal with Boston. He was traded from the St. Louis Cardinals back in November. Last year with the Cardinals, he went 14-8 with 201 strikeouts. It proved there was still stuff left in the tank for the 36-year-old rightie. With Giolito becoming a free agent last year (and still somehow unsigned), the Sox pulled the trigger and got Gray to be their number two starter.
Is Sonny Gray Boston’s Best Starter?
So far this season, it’s fair enough to make the case that Gray has been the Red Sox’s best starter. Before Tuesday’s collapse against a very hot Minnesota Twins lineup, he was having a very good April. In his previous two starts (both of which were wins), he allowed two runs on seven hits in 12 ⅓ innings pitched.
However, when you dig into the analytics, that’s where the questions arise. He’s got a six pitch mix, of which the sweeper, curve, and changeup all have Whiff% of over 26%. But when looking at all his pitches combined, his Whiff% drops to 19.5%, the second lowest in Boston’s rotation. As mentioned, he’s not much of a strikeout pitcher through four starts this season, falling around the fifth percentile of all pitchers. However, he walks very few, falling in the 87th percentile as just 4.5% of batters faced get a ball four against him. The next closest in that area is ace Garrett Crochet, who falls in the 68th percentile at 7.6%.
Can Sonny Gray Sustain Success?
Gray’s career has honestly been a weird one to look back on. He’s had good seasons, and he’s been able to be the ace of a staff. But he’s never really had a dominant stretch that could be the prime of his career. It’s more like he’s had a few good stretches. There was obviously the first few seasons with Oakland, when he went 33-20. Then his start to his Cincinnati stint was pretty good, getting to the All-Star game for the second time in his career. But the run he’s been on currently could be argued for his best years as well.
In 2023 with the Twins, not only did he have a 2.79 ERA and make his third All-Star appearance, but he also finished runner-up in the American League Cy Young, losing out to Gerrit Cole. Seeing as there were pitchers with better records and more strikeouts than him, it could be seen as controversial for an 8-8 pitcher to finish as the runner-up, but he did it regardless. In ’24, he went 13-9 with a SO/9 of 11. And in 2025, he led the National League in K/BB ratio at 5.29. He’s still a solid pitcher in this league and will come around in Boston eventually. Tuesday night was bad, but it was against a Twins lineup that has been on a tear recently. Gray continues to impress, and he may continue this trend for the Red Sox.
Main Photo Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images
