Robbie Ray (baseball)

Robbie Ray
Ray with the Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks – No. 38
Starting pitcher
Born: (1991-10-01) October 1, 1991
Brentwood, Tennessee
Bats: Left Throws: Left
MLB debut
May 6, 2014, for the Detroit Tigers
MLB statistics
(through September 24, 2018)
Win–loss record 35–38
Earned run average 4.04
Strikeouts 731
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Robert Glenn Ray (born October 1, 1991) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2014 for the Detroit Tigers, and was traded to the Diamondbacks before the 2015 season. Ray was an MLB All-Star in 2017.

Career

Washington Nationals

Ray with the Detroit Tigers in 2014 spring training

Ray attended Brentwood High School in Brentwood, Tennessee. He committed to attend the University of Arkansas. The Washington Nationals selected Ray in the 12th round of the 2010 Major League Baseball draft. He signed with the Nationals, receiving a $799,000 signing bonus.[1]

Ray pitched in one game for the Vermont Lake Monsters in 2010, striking out two in one inning pitched. Pitching for the Hagerstown Suns in 2011, he went 2–3 with a 3.13 earned run average with 95 strikeouts in 89 innings pitched.[2] Ray struggled pitching for the Potomac Nationals in 2012, going 4–12 with a 6.56 ERA.[3] He returned to Potomac for the start of the 2013 season.[4] After going 6–3 with a 3.11 ERA and 100 strikeouts in 84 innings, he was promoted to the Double-A Harrisburg Senators.[5] He posted a 5–2 record with a 3.72 ERA at Harrisburg.

Detroit Tigers

On December 2, 2013, Ray was traded to the Detroit Tigers, along with Ian Krol and Steve Lombardozzi Jr., for Doug Fister.[6][7]

Ray started the 2014 season with the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens. The Tigers announced he would be called up to the Major League team following an April 26 injury to starter Aníbal Sánchez. Ray made his Major League debut on May 6, 2014, earning his first big-league win in the Tigers' 11–4 victory over the Houston Astros.[8] On August 12, he was recalled to replace an injured Aníbal Sánchez again. Ray pitched five innings, allowing four runs on six hits, while striking out five and walking two, in a 4–2 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates.[9]

Arizona Diamondbacks

On December 5, 2014, the Tigers traded Ray and Domingo Leyba to the Arizona Diamondbacks in a three-team trade that brought Shane Greene to the Detroit Tigers, and Didi Gregorius to the New York Yankees.[10] He started the 2015 season at their AAA affiliate, the Reno Aces.[11] He made his debut in a Diamondbacks uniform on May 6, 2015, being called up to face the Colorado Rockies in the second game of a doubleheader.[12] Robbie Ray hit his first career home run on June 7, 2016, off of Chris Archer, becoming the first Diamondbacks pitcher to do so since Wade Miley. Despite striking out 218 batters, Ray finished 8-15 with a 4.90 ERA in 174⅓ innings in 32 starts, giving up 24 home runs and recording just 10 quality starts in 32 total starts.

In his first month and a half of 2017, Ray pitched poorly, recording a 4.57 ERA in 8 starts. In his following 8 starts, however, he went 6-1 with a 1.81 ERA in 54⅔ innings, holding opponents to a .173 batting average. He pitched his first career complete game shutout on May 30 against the Pirates, striking out 10 while allowing just four hits. In his next two starts he struck out 11 and 12 batters respectively. In a five start stretch (those three and the two prior to the shutout), Ray went 5-0 with an 0.24 ERA (1 ER in 37 innings) holding opponents to a .115 batting average (just 14 hits allowed) and 48 strikeouts. On July 2, Ray was named to his first career All-Star game. At the time, he had a 8-4 record and a 3.06 ERA in 100 innings, with a .202 batting average against and 128 strikeouts. In a game against the St. Louis Cardinals on July 28, 2017, Ray was struck in the head on a line drive by Cardinal first baseman Luke Voit in the 2nd inning and carted off the field, but a CT scan later showed that he did not suffer any fracture and only needed a few stitches to his head.[13][14] He was put on the 7-day concussion DL and did not return to the mound until August 24. On September 4, 2017, Ray struck out a career high 14 batters while pitching 7 2/3 innings in a 13-0 victory against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ray earned his 12th victory of the season, and this would propel the Diamondbacks to their 11th consecutive victory. He finished the season with 15-5 with 218 strikeouts and a 2.89 ERA over 162 innings in 28 starts. His 12.11 K/9 rate was the best in the National League and he held opponents to a .199 batting average.

Pitch selection

Ray throws a fastball in the 92–95 miles per hour (148–153 km/h) range, topping out at 98 miles per hour (158 km/h). His primary offspeed pitches are a slider that averages about 85 miles per hour (137 km/h) (tops out at 87 miles per hour (140 km/h)) and a curveball that he throws at about 84 miles per hour (135 km/h).[15]

Personal life

Ray married Taylor Pasma on November 7, 2014. The couple had their first child, a son named Asher, in December 2015.[16]

References

  1. ↑ Kilgore, Adam (August 16, 2010). "Nationals announce signing of Robbie Ray". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 2, 2013.
  2. ↑ Sheinin, Dave (May 10, 2011). "A dazzling debut for Hagerstown's Robbie Ray". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 2, 2013.
  3. ↑ Seiner, Jake (January 2, 2013). "Ray continues to rebound for Nats". Minor League Baseball. Retrieved December 2, 2013.
  4. ↑ Kilgore, Adam (May 2, 2013). "A. J. Cole, Robbie Ray together again at Potomac". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 2, 2013.
  5. ↑ Morrow, Geoff (July 5, 2013). "Robbie Ray makes Double-A debut for Harrisburg Senators in opener of Friday night doubleheader on City Island". The Patriot News. Retrieved April 30, 2014.
  6. ↑ Beck, Jason (December 2, 2013). "Tigers send Fister to Nats for three players". Major League Baseball. Archived from the original on December 6, 2013. Retrieved December 3, 2013.
  7. ↑ Sipple, George (February 16, 2014). "He may be key to Doug Fister deal, but lefty Robbie Ray knows he must prove himself to Detroit Tigers". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved April 30, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Tigers 11, Astros 4". CBS Sports. May 6, 2014. Retrieved May 16, 2014.
  9. ↑ Iott, Chris (August 12, 2014). "Pirates 4, Tigers 2: Robbie Ray takes loss, bats silent as Detroit losing streak reaches four games". MLive. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
  10. ↑ Nowak, Joey (December 5, 2014). "Gregorius goes to Yanks, Ray to Arizona, Greene to Tigers". MLB. Archived from the original on December 10, 2014. Retrieved December 5, 2014.
  11. ↑ http://www.kolotv.com/sports/headlines/Diamondbacks-Make-4-Roster-Moves-After-Final-Spring-Game-298688391.html
  12. ↑ Graham, Pat (May 6, 2015). "Gregorius Diamondbacks earn 1st DH sweep on road since 2006". cbssports.com. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
  13. ↑ Piecoro, Nick (July 28, 2017). "Robbie Ray hit in head by line drive, knocked out of loss to Cardinals". azcentral.com. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  14. ↑ Piecoro, Nick (July 30, 2017). "Robbie Ray thankful head injury wasn't worse". azcentral.com. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  15. ↑ "Robbie Ray PitchFX at FanGraphs.com". fangraphs.com. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
  16. ↑ "Trades, movement hard on baseball families". azcentral. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
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