"I'm worried about Gray for a couple of reasons. The first is his performance against left-handed hitters. Last season, he limited lefties to a .668 OPS and struck out 29% of them, which is excellent. But while the numbers were great, the under-the-hood statistics raise some questions. He used six different pitches against lefties, none of which held an ideal contact rate below 40%."
"The second reason Gray gives me pause is his called strike rate against right-handed hitters. His four-seam, sinker, and cutter combined for about 65% of his pitches to righties last season. They returned called strike rates of 29%, 26%, and 19%, respectively. It works because everything is thrown to the glove side. Cutters run off the plate, which gives hitters enough pause to let four-seams that stay straight and sinkers that come back to the plate go by for called strikes."
The Red Sox pitching staff underwent significant analysis for the 2026 season. While the overall pitching is improved and the team is expected to make the playoffs, concerns exist about Sonny Gray's postseason viability. Gray's performance against left-handed hitters, despite strong surface statistics, reveals underlying issues with contact rates across his six-pitch arsenal. Additionally, his called strike rate against right-handed hitters has declined, particularly with his four-seam fastball, sinker, and cutter. These pitches, which comprise 65% of his offerings to righties, generated called strike rates of 29%, 26%, and 19% respectively. Early warmup outings suggest further deterioration in his cutter shape, raising questions about his effectiveness in high-leverage playoff situations.
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