Why Red Sox Fans Shouldn't Sweat Sonny Gray's Spring Struggles
Sonny Gray's introduction to the Boston Red Sox might not have been picture-perfect, but history tells us there's no need for panic. In his first two spring training outings, Gray posted a 6.75 ERA over 5 1/3 innings, with an 8.32 FIP, allowing two homers and three walks against five strikeouts. Not ideal, but if you know Gray, this is just part of his process.
Gray's approach in spring training is all about fine-tuning. He's known for using this time to work on mechanics and feel, which doesn't always translate to stellar stats.
Last year with the Cardinals, he had a spring ERA of 12.56. In fact, Gray has posted a spring-training ERA above 5.00 seven times in his career.
Yet, when it counts, Gray delivers. Check out his first-month ERAs over the past three years: 3.60, 1.16, and 0.77.
Consistently, he's maintained an xERA below 4.00 since 2019, along with impressive FIP and xFIP numbers. Even as he's aged, he's kept elite chase, whiff, and walk rates, despite allowing harder contact.
Gray's strikeout numbers have seen a boost recently, with rates of 30.3% in 2024 and 26.7% in 2025. While his velocity might be in the low-90s, he's got an arsenal of eight pitches. Sure, he's past his 2023 peak when he led the league in FIP and was a Cy Young runner-up, but in 2025, he topped the Senior Circuit in strikeout-to-walk ratio and logged over 180 innings for the second time in three years.
So, should Red Sox fans be worried? Not really.
Gray is as dependable as they come. Let the 13-year vet do his thing and focus on the regular season.
Trust the process; Gray's got this.