Player Outlook
Sonny Gray was the runner up for the AL Cy Young award after posting a 2.69 ERA and 1.15 WHIP. He was largely the same pitcher as in 2022 (3.64 FIP compared to 3.66 FIP in 2022) with a similar strikeout rate (24.3% K%) and walk rate (7.3% BB%), but he was able to stay healthy and pitch more innings (32 starts compared to 24 in 2022) and more innings per outing (5.75 IP per game, compared to 4.96 IP per game in 2022). He may have been a bit luckier with a low 5.2% HR/FB, but he also had a low 9.4% HR/FB in 2022 as his home runs allowed numbers declined sharply in his move to Target Field from Great American Ball Park. His .295 BABIP was also his highest in five seasons, which shows his outstanding season wasn't all luck. At age 34, Gray has above-average control, limits hard contact (77th percentile in Barrel rate) and induces ground balls (47.3%) despite below average velocity (92.9 mph average fastball). He'll work at the top of the St. Louis rotation after signing a three-year, $70 free agent deal.

Fantasy Stats

Year fpts
Fantasy Points
fpts/g
Fantasy Points per Game
ip
Innings Pitched
w
Wins
l
Losses
sv
Saves
so
Strikeouts
bb
Base on Balls (Walk)
era
Earned Run Average
whip
Walks and Hits Allowed Per Inning
2024 0.00 0.00
2023 436.513.6 184.0 8 8 183 55 2.79 1.15
2022 293.512.2 119.7 8 5 117 36 3.08 1.13
3y Avg. 34112.6 146.3 8 7 152 47 3.32 1.16
Projections Powered by
Fantasy Performance by Week
92%
Roster
54%
Start
#35
SP Rank

Fantasy News

  • Cardinals' Sonny Gray: IL stint not guaranteed

    Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said Sunday that Gray (hamstring) won't be an option to start Opening Day but may not require a stay on the injured list to begin the season, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports. The veteran right-hander quickly resumed throwing after he suffered a right hamstring strain March 4, and he's scheduled to face hitters in a simulated session Sunday. Miles Mikolas was named St. Louis' Opening Day starter, but Gray could still be an option to pitch later in the first week of the season if he continues to progress with no setbacks.
    ... See More ... See Less
  • Cardinals' Sonny Gray: Seeing hitters Sunday

    Gray (hamstring) will face hitters in a simulated session Sunday, John Denton of MLB.com reports. Gray will pitch to hitters before Sunday's Grapefruit League game as the next step in his rehab process, but the hitters will not be permitted to swing. If all goes well, the right-hander may move on to throwing batting practice or a full simulated game. Gray's status for Opening Day remains uncertain, though the Cardinals are optimistic the 34-year-old will be able to pitch in St. Louis' opening series against the Dodgers.
    ... See More ... See Less
  • Cardinals' Sonny Gray: Another bullpen session Thursday

    Gray (hamstring) will throw another bullpen session Thursday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Depending on how Gray comes out of the session, he's expected to then advance to either live batting practice or a game. The veteran right-hander has made a quick recovery from his mild right hamstring strain and might have an outside shot to be ready for his first start of the season, though a short stint on the injured list still seems more likely than not.
    ... See More ... See Less
  • Cardinals' Sonny Gray: Slated for longer bullpen session

    Gray (hamstring) completed a 20-pitch light bullpen session Monday with no issues and is slated for a longer bullpen session Wednesday or Thursday, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports. Gray didn't throw at full effort Monday, but he topped out at 92 miles per hour on his final pitch and said afterward of his recovery that "it's been a good week." While being ready for Opening Day would still appear to be a lofty goal, Gray won't need to do a full ramp-up since the longest he went without throwing was two days. If Gray does need a stint on the injured list to begin the season, it's shaping up to be a brief one.
    ... See More ... See Less
  • Cardinals' Sonny Gray: Throwing off mound Monday

    Gray (hamstring) will throw a bullpen session Monday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Gray will throw from the bump for the first time since he suffered a mild right hamstring strain a week ago. While Gray still looks like a longshot to complete his ramp-up program ahead of Opening Day, the veteran hurler is making nice progress and shouldn't miss too much time if he continues trending in the right direction.
    ... See More ... See Less
  • Cardinals' Sonny Gray: Throwing from 120 feet

    Gray (hamstring) has progressed to throwing from 120 feet and participating in agility drills, John Denton of MLB.com reports. Manager Oliver Marmol said there's a chance Gray could begin throwing bullpen sessions next week if Gray's recovery goes well over the weekend. The 34-year-old righty still isn't expected to start for the Cardinals on Opening Day, but it is appearing increasingly likely that Gray's early season absence will be a brief one.
    ... See More ... See Less
  • Cardinals' Sonny Gray: Playing catch Thursday

    Gray (hamstring) will play catch from 60 feet Thursday, Lynn Worthy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Gray was diagnosed with a mild right hamstring strain earlier this week but is ready to ease back into baseball activities. The expectation is that he will likely require a stint on the injured list to begin the season, although the Cardinals seem optimistic that Gray's absence will be a short one.
    ... See More ... See Less
  • Cardinals' Sonny Gray: Dealing with mild hamstring strain

    Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said Tuesday that Gray has been diagnosed with a "mild" right hamstring strain and it would be "challenging" getting the pitcher ready in time for Opening Day, John Denton of MLB.com reports. Mozeliak referred to the news as "encouraging" on the whole, but Gray will need some down time and is not expected to be ready for what would have been his Opening Day start March 28 versus the Dodgers. Zack Thompson or Matthew Liberatore could fill Gray's spot in the rotation, and it's possible both will be needed if Steven Matz isn't quite ready.
    ... See More ... See Less
  • Cardinals' Sonny Gray: Undergoing MRI on injured hamstring

    Gray will undergo an MRI on his injured right hamstring Monday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Gray tweaked the hamstring while delivering a pitch during Monday's Grapefruit League start against the Nationals. For what it's worth, Gray made two separate trips to the injured list in 2022 with a strain of the same hamstring, although he had no issues with it during the 2023 campaign. Gray is in line to start Opening Day for the Cardinals, if healthy.
    ... See More ... See Less
  • Cardinals' Sonny Gray: Lifted with tight hamstring

    Gray was removed from Monday's outing against the Nationals because of right hamstring tightness, Lynn Worthy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. It's not ideal, but at least it's not arm-related. Gray permitted one hit and struck out one over 1.2 innings Monday before being lifted. The Cardinals will wait to see how he recovers before deciding whether he will be ready for his next Grapefruit League start or requires a little rest. Assuming health, Gray will be the Cardinals' Opening Day starter.
    ... See More ... See Less
  • Cardinals' Sonny Gray: In line for Opening Day start

    Gray will be the Cardinals' Opening Day starter March 28 against the Dodgers, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. The team has not yet officially made the announcement, but Goold says that's coming. Gray is the obvious choice to garner the Opening Day nod for St. Louis after signing a three-year, $70 million contract in November. He was the American League Cy Young runner-up as a result of a 2.79 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 183:55 K:BB over 184 innings covering 32 starts for the Twins in 2023.
    ... See More ... See Less
  • Cardinals' Sonny Gray: Reaches deal with St. Louis

    Gray agreed to a three-year, $70 million contract with the Cardinals on Monday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports. The deal also includes a $30 million club option (or $5 million buyout) for 2027. St. Louis will also forfeit a draft pick and international bonus pool money as a result of signing Gray, who was given a qualifying offer from Minnesota before becoming a free agent. Gray is coming off an American League Cy Young runner-up finish in 2023 with the Twins, having collected a 2.79 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 183:55 K:BB over 184 innings. He could be the final piece of a rotation makeover for the Cardinals after they announced deals with Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson last week.
    ... See More ... See Less
  • Twins' Sonny Gray: Starting Game 3 of ALDS

    Gray will start Game 3 of Minnesota's ALDS matchup versus the Astros on Tuesday, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. Gray's next postseason start will come after Bailey Ober and Pablo Lopez, who are slated to start the first two games of the series, respectively. Gray faced Houston twice in the regular season, giving up four total runs while striking out 16 batters and walking four through 13 innings.
    ... See More ... See Less
  • Twins' Sonny Gray: Tabbed as Game 2 starter

    Gray will start Game 2 of the AL Wild Card Series against the Blue Jays on Wednesday. Gray, who is a free agent this offseason, finished strong with a 1.54 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 36 strikeouts in 41 innings over his final seven starts. Pablo Lopez is starting Game 1 for Minnesota.
    ... See More ... See Less
  • Twins' Sonny Gray: Sharp over four innings

    Gray did not factor into the decision Thursday, allowing one run on three hits and one walk over four innings against Oakland while striking out four. Gray allowed three hits over the first two innings, with the last one driving home JJ Bleday to give the Athletics their first run of the game. However, the right-hander would not allow another hit until being relieved by Kenta Maeda to start the fifth. Gray now finishes the month of September with a sparkling 2.00 ERA and 27:4 K:BB as the Twins prepare for the postseason.
    ... See More ... See Less
  • Twins' Sonny Gray: Hit with tough loss

    Gray (8-8) took the loss Saturday, allowing one run on four hits over six innings against the Angels. He struck out eight and did not walk a batter. Gray was lights-out for most of the day, outside of a home run he surrendered to Jo Adell to lead off the fourth inning. Unfortunately for the right-hander, he still got stuck with the loss due to the Twins failing to provide any run support. Gray has now allowed one run or fewer in three consecutive starts and in six of his last eight, though he's just 3-3 over that stretch. He also has not walked a batter in each of his last two outings and carries a 1.96 ERA in September following Saturday's performance.
    ... See More ... See Less
  • Twins' Sonny Gray: Throws seven scoreless in win

    Gray (8-7) earned the win Sunday, allowing five hits and zero walks over seven scoreless innings against the White Sox. He struck out six. Gray was staked to a three-run lead in the fifth, then cruised from there to earn his eighth win. It was an efficient and relatively stress-free outing for Gray, who never allowed more than one baserunner in an inning and needed only 81 pitches to complete seven frames. In 30 starts covering 174 innings, the veteran Cy Young contender is first in home run rate, allowing 0.36 per nine, and second in the American League with a 2.84 ERA. However, his eight wins are lower than any of the other top 20 pitchers who qualify for the ERA title. He's next scheduled to take the hill during a weekend series at home against the Angels.
    ... See More ... See Less
  • Twins' Sonny Gray: Logs quality start in no-decision

    Gray did not factor into the decision Tuesday, allowing three runs on six hits and two walks over six innings against the Guardians. He struck out four. The veteran righty pitched well Tuesday, save for surrendering a two-run homer to Bo Naylor in the third inning and a sacrifice fly to Myles Straw in the fifth. The quality start was Gray's eighth in his last nine outings, as he has compiled a 2.65 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 54:10 K:BB across 57.2 innings during the impressive stretch. The 33-year-old hurler is tentatively lined up to face the Rays at home early next week.
    ... See More ... See Less
  • Twins' Sonny Gray: Hurls seven shutout frames

    Gray did not factor into the decision Wednesday, allowing three hits and one walk over seven scoreless innings against the Guardians while striking out five. Gray surrendered a leadoff double to Steven Kwan to open the game before retiring the next 13 batters he faced. The right-hander allowed just three hits on the afternoon but was still unable to log his fourth win this month due to a lack of run support. Gray has now pitched at least six shutout innings in two of his last four starts while it was his second time this season hurling seven shutout frames. He's also logged quality starts in seven of his last eight outings.
    ... See More ... See Less
  • Twins' Sonny Gray: Takes tough loss

    Gray (6-6) took the loss Saturday, allowing four runs on four hits and three walks over 6.2 innings against Pittsburgh. He struck out seven. The 33-year-old righty was perfect through 5.1 innings, but an infield single by Liover Peguero started a three-run Pittsburgh rally in the sixth. Gray was chased from the game with two outs in the seventh after issuing a pair of walks, one of which came around to score later in the frame, charging the veteran hurler with his fourth earned run of the contest. In seven starts since the All-Star break, Gray owns a 3.74 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 46:11 K:BB across 43.1 innings. He is projected to face a tough Rangers lineup at home next week.
    ... See More ... See Less

Recent Tweets