Sonny Gray

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Oakland Athletics #5 prospect in 2013
  Gray is accustomed to success, having led Smyrna (Tenn.) High to state baseball and football championships and Vanderbilt to its first-ever College World Series in 2011. But after signing for $1.54 million as the 18th overall pick that June, he struggled for most of his first full pro season. Gray tends to spin off as he finishes his delivery, so the A's tried to get him more on line to the plate. His command suffered and his pitches flattened out, leading him to return to his old mechanics in the second half. His pure stuff isn't a problem, as he has a 91-95 mph fastball that reaches 97 and features some sink and natural cutting action. He also has a knockout curveball, and he can vary both its velocity (76-84 mph) and shape. His changeup has depth but he still doesn't fully trust it. He needs to do a better job of setting hitters up. Gray did finish last season on a solid note, pitching well in a Triple-A playoff game. He'll go back to Sacramento to open 2013 and still can reach his ceiling of a No. 2 starter as long as he irons out his command.
• 
  Ranked Oakland Athletics #2 prospect in 2012
  Gray could've been a top-two-rounds pick coming out of high school in 2008, but an ankle injury and a Vanderbilt commitment dropped him to the Cubs in the 27th round. He went on to lead Vanderbilt to its first-ever College World Series in 2011 and became the third recent Commodores ace to become a first-rounder. Following in the footsteps of David Price (2007) and Mike Minor (2009), Gray went 18th overall last June and signed for $1.54 million. Gray is undersized but has the arsenal to make up for it. He gets sink and run on his 90-94 mph fastball, can reach back and hit 97 and has a feel for moving it around the strike zone. He has a second plus pitch in his curveball, which rated as the best in the 2011 draft. It has late, sharp 1-to-7 break, and he'll throw it in any count. Gray's changeup lags behind his other offerings, but it has some sink. He tended to spin off a bit in his delivery, but the A's got him to stay more on line to the plate during instructional league. They love his competitiveness and pitching IQ. Gray dominated at Double-A Midland in his brief pro debut, and he'll likely open his first full pro season there. He has a chance to pitch his way to Oakland by season's end, and he eventually could be a No. 2 starter in the big leagues.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Pacific Coast League #12 prospect in 2013
  Gray had a modest pro debut as the A?s pushed him to Double-A, and he remained mostly a two-pitch pitcher in Triple-A. Usually, that doesn?t work, but Gray?s fastball and curveball can be exceptional. He threw more strikes with his 92-97 mph fastball, helping him to set up his classic power curveball, which drops out at it approaches the plate. It was voted the best breaking ball by league managers, as was his control. League evaluators were unsure of Gray?s long-term ability to sustain his fastball into the later innings given his small size, which doesn?t allow him to get on top of his pitches. He has enough velocity generally to pitch up in the zone with his heater, then change hitters? eye level with his downer curve while using his changeup sparingly. His makeup and plus fastball and curve would make closing an attractive fallback option for Gray.
• 
  Ranked Texas League #17 prospect in 2012
  Gray got a taste of Double-A in 2011 after the Athletics made him a first-round pick, and he returned to Midland to open 2012. He was inconsistent with the RockHounds but still got a promotion to Triple-A at the end of the season. Though he's an undersized righthander, Gray has legitimate plus stuff. His fastball usually ranges from 90-93 mph with sink, though he can touch 97, and his hard curveball is a quality second pitch. His changeup is solid at times but needs more consistency. Gray's problem in Midland was that his command wasn't reliable, causing him to run hot and cold. When he was in the strike zone with his curveball he was tough to hit, but when he wasn't he was quite hittable. To succeed at higher levels, he'll need to fine-tune his mechanics and repeat them, and also to keep the ball down in the zone.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #65 prospect in 2012

• December, 2012 Scouting Report
  Background: Gray is accustomed to success, having led Smyrna (Tenn.) High to state baseball and football championships and Vanderbilt to its first-ever College World Series in 2011. But after signing for $1.54 million as the 18th overall pick that June, he struggled for most of his first full pro season while trying to make adjustments to his mechanics. Scouting Report: Gray tends to spin off as he finishes his delivery, so the A's tried to get him more on line to the plate. His command suffered and his pitches flattened out, leading him to return to his old mechanics in the second half. Gray's pure stuff isn't a problem, as he has a 91-95 mph fastball that reaches 97 and features some sink and natural cutting action. He also has a knockout curveball, and he can vary both its velocity (76-84 mph) and shape. His changeup has depth but he still doesn't fully trust it. He needs to do a better job of setting hitters up. The Future: Gray did finish last season on a solid note, pitching well in a Triple-A playoff game. He'll go back to Sacramento to open 2013 and still can reach his ceiling of a No. 2 starter as long as he irons out his command and makes his changeup a more consistent part of his arsenal.
• December, 2011 Scouting Report
  Background: Gray could've been a top-two-rounds pick coming out of high school in 2008, but an ankle injury and a Vanderbilt commitment dropped him to the Cubs in the 27th round. He went on to lead Vanderbilt to its first-ever College World Series in 2011 and became the third recent Commodores ace to become a first-rounder. Following in the footsteps of David Price (2007) and Mike Minor (2009), Gray went 18th overall last June and signed for $1.54 million.Scouting Report: Gray is undersized but has the arsenal to make up for it. He gets sink and run on his 90-94 mph fastball, can reach back and hit 97 and has a feel for moving it around the strike zone. He has a second plus pitch in his curveball, which rated as the best in the 2011 draft. It has late, sharp 1-to-7 break, and he'll throw it in any count. Gray's changeup lags behind his other offerings, but it has some sink. He tended to spin off a bit in his delivery, but the A's got him to stay more on line to the plate during instructional league. They love his competitiveness and pitching IQ.The Future: Gray dominated at Double-A Midland in his brief pro debut, and he'll likely open his first full pro season there. He has a chance to pitch his way to Oakland by season's end, and he eventually could be a No. 2 starter in the big leagues.