Robert Ray
| IP | 28 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 4.179 |
| WHIP | 1.286 |
| BB/9 | 3.536 |
| SO/9 | 5.143 |
- Full name Robert Andrew Ray
- Born 01/21/1984 in Lufkin, TX
- Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 205 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Texas A&M
- Debut 05/02/2009
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Drafted in the 7th round (206th overall) by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2005 (signed for $120,000).
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Ray looked like a possible first-round pick based on his performance as a set-up man in the Cape Cod League last summer. But he got off to slow start in Texas A&M's rotation this spring, costing him support from scouts and earning him a temporary demotion to the bullpen. Ray bounced back in April, showing the same 90-93 mph fastball with late, explosive life he had on the Cape. He also flashed a plus curveball and an effective changeup. He needs to avoid overthrowing his curve and continue refining his changeup. There's deceptive strength in his long, lean frame and he throws with little effort, so there's no reason he can't start as a pro. Ray was making a late push for the supplemental first round, but hurt his momentum when he didn't pitch well in a mid-May showdown with Baylor's Mark McCormick.
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Organization Prospect Rankings
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Ray worked his way through the Blue Jays system and broke through to the big leagues last May, making four big league starts before a shoulder injury derailed his season. His shoulder bothered him in 2006-07 as well, eventually leading to labrum surgery. When he's healthy, Ray has a sinking fastball that sits at 86-87 mph and touches 91. He also mixes in an average slider. His curveball shows flashes of being an average and he has worked with a splitter, using it as a change of pace. Ray relies on his command because he doesn't have a real knockout pitch. He showed his shoulder was sound when he pitched 24 innings in the Arizona Fall League, going 2-1, 4.81, so he'll battle for a job in the Toronto rotation in spring training. -
Ray's dominant turn in the 2004 Cape Cod League piqued the interest of the Blue Jays, who took Ray in the seventh round of the 2005 draft despite his inconsistent junior year at Texas A&M. After a promising pro debut, he totaled just 116 innings in 2006-07 as he battled shoulder woes that resulted in labrum surgery. With health restored, Ray made 29 starts in 2008, logging 167 innings and reaching Double-A. Increased emphasis on attacking hitters with his 89-92 mph sinker propelled him to a breakout season. He also did a much better job of throwing strikes with his average slider, which batters struggle to differentiate from his fastball, in part because he works both sides of the plate. He'll also flash an average curveball from time to time. Additionally, Ray made strides with an average splitter that he uses as a changeup. He has two variations of the pitch, one that cuts and one that fades. His arm action isn't textbook, but it works for him. As the top righthanded starting pitching prospect in the system, Ray could surface in Toronto in 2009 if he continues to progress in the minors. He was added to the 40-man roster in the offseason. -
Despite an inconsistent junior season at Texas A&M in 2005, the Blue Jays made Ray a seventh-round pick on the strength of his dominant summer the year before in the Cape Cod League. Ray was more consistent as a pro than he had been in the spring, and Toronto believes he can remain a starter after he pitched in multiple roles for the Aggies. His best pitch is an 89-93 mph fastball with late life, and his heater sat at 92-94 when he came out of the bullpen in Cape Cod. His slider rates a 55 on the 20-80 scouting scale, and he also throws an average curve and an in-progress changeup. The Jays were impressed with his feel for changing speeds and attacking hitters. Roving pitching instructor Dane Johnson helped simplify his approach, but Ray will need to improve his command if he's to remain a starter. He also can do a better job of trying to figure out what hitters are attempting to do against him. He'll open his first full pro season in low Class A.
