Sonny Gray’s career was rejuvenated with a trade from the Yankees to Cincinnati before last season, and the right-hander is now a legitimate Cy Young candidate. Here are two props available to wager at Mybookie on Gray’s 2020 MLB season – assuming there is one — and an overview.
Sonny Gray MLB Awards Odds & Analysis For 2020 Season
- Most wins of any pitcher: Gray is priced +5000
- NL Cy Young Award: Gray is +4000 to win his first Cy Young
Some guys just aren’t suited to pitch in New York with all the pressure involved. Right-hander Sonny Gray clearly was one such guy. Gray was a celebrated acquisition from the Athletics in July 2017, when he was obtained with international bonus slot money in exchange for prospects James Kaprielian, Jorge Mateo and Dustin Fowler, but Gray endured a bumpy tenure in pinstripes.
In 41 games (34 starts) over his 1 1/2 seasons in New York, Gray compiled a record of 15-16 with a 4.51 ERA and did not appear on the roster for the 2018 American League Division Series against the Red Sox. Gray struggled in particular at Yankee Stadium, where he owned a 6.35 ERA in 95 career innings.
So, in January 2019 Gray was traded to the Cincinnati Reds and signed a three-year, $30.5 million extension covering 2020-22, with a club option for ’23.
Great trade for the Reds. In his first season with the Reds, Gray was a National League All-Star and Luis Castillo as the first Reds starting pitchers named to the All-Star team since Johnny Cueto and Alfredo Simon in 2014.
Gray enters the 2020 season with an active streak of 33 consecutive starts, beginning 8/25/18 and including all 31 starts in 2019, without allowing more than 6 hits. That is the longest such streak in Major League history, excluding “openers”. Gray and Houston’s Justin Verlander were the only pitchers in the Major Leagues last year to make at least 30 starts and allow no more than 4 runs in any of those starts.
Gray ranked among the National League leaders in ERA (2.87, 5th), opponents’ BA (.196, 2nd), fewest hits per 9 IP (6.26, 2nd), most strikeouts per 9 IP (10.52, 10th), fewest walks/hits per inning (1.08, 8th), road ERA (2.71, 3rd) and night ERA (2.78, 3rd). He established a career high in strikeouts (205) and produced at least 30 starts for the third time in his career.
Gray had the lowest ERA ever by a Reds pitcher for the month of August at 0.74 in six starts and became just the fifth Reds pitcher ever to make at least 3 consecutive scoreless starts (18ip, 7h, 11bb, 24k), the first since Tom Browning in June 1989. In his last 15 starts of the season, Gray was 8-3 with a 1.99 ERA with 13 quality starts and 5 times was the victim of blown saves. Over that span, he ranked fourth among all MLB starting pitchers in ERA (Jack Flaherty 1.22, Gerrit Cole 1.64, Jacob deGrom 1.68). In his last 9 starts at home, Gray went 7-1 with a 2.39 ERA.
Gray reported no issues during his early spring sessions this year after he underwent surgery in late September to remove bone chips from his right elbow. He pitched with them all season.
“It was hard to think that he wasn’t completely healthy last year, based on the kind of year he had,” manager David Bell said. “He’s definitely confident coming off of last season. It’s just a mindset knowing that he’s healthy and you had something taken out of his elbow. It has freed him up even more not only with mechanics but his mentality.”
Gray allowed four runs with an 8/3 K/BB ratio across seven innings in the Cactus League before spring training was shut down. Gray only threw seven innings as he was just a tad behind his teammates because of his offseason elbow surgery.
