Sonny Gray didn’t come to Boston to be a footnote in the Red Sox rotation. He’s turned into the guy holding it together.
The Red Sox spent the offseason chasing pitching, specifically a No. 2 starter to slot behind Garrett Crochet. Craig Breslow and the front office made their move by landing three-time All-Star Sonny Gray from the St. Louis Cardinals, and plenty of fans immediately wondered whether a 36-year-old could really fill that role for a playoff club.
Gray has answered that question the hard way: by dealing every time out.
Even with Boston scuffling through the first few months of the season, Gray kept giving the team a chance. When Crochet got hurt, the Red Sox leaned on Gray even more, and he didn’t blink. He has been more than a No. 2 - he’s been the No. 1 starter for a team that is in the driver’s seat for a Wild Card spot right now.
He showed it again Saturday. Boston came in having lost six of its last seven and needing a win, and Gray delivered one. He threw seven shutout innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates, struck out seven, and helped the Red Sox pick up their 66th win of the season.
That outing pushed Gray to 15-3 on the year and dropped his ERA to 2.65 over 132 2/3 innings. By any measure, he’s blown past expectations.
And he just hit a pretty rare piece of Red Sox history. Per ESPN, Gray became the fastest Boston pitcher to reach 15 wins in a season since Pedro Martínez in 1998, getting there in 23 appearances. Martinez also did it in 23 outings.
"Sonny Gray improved to 15-3 with 7 shutout innings for Boston Saturday. "Gray is the fastest Red Sox pitcher to reach 15 wins in a season (23 appearances) since Pedro Martínez in 1998 (also 23)."
That’s not a casual comparison. Martinez was in the middle of one of the most dominant stretches any starter has ever put together, winning three Cy Young Awards from 1997 through 2000 and carving up the sport. If a pitcher is showing up in the same sentence as that version of Pedro, he’s doing something very right.
Gray’s numbers back it up: a 15-3 record, 2.65 ERA and a 117-to-34 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 132 2/3 innings.
And with the 2026 American League Cy Young Award in the picture, Gray is going to be in the conversation. Cam Schlittler of the New York Yankees and Dylan Cease of the Toronto Blue Jays are the other names to watch, and right now Schlittler is the favorite. Gray still has a shot.
In Other News...
Ex-Red Sox Catcher Opens Up After Boston Moved On For Adley Rutschman
Jake Rogers went from one roster squeeze to another in a hurry this summer, a reminder of how quickly catching depth can turn over across the majors. After the Detroit Tigers designated him for assignment in mid-July, he was claimed by the Orioles, then shipped to Boston in the trade that brought Adley Rutschman to the Red Sox. The move gave Boston the top-line catcher it wanted, but it also pushed Rogers back onto the churn of waivers almost immediately.
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Red Sox Catch A Break As Strange Ketel Marte News Emerges
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Manager Torey Lovullo said Marte is dealing with a personal issue, leaving the Diamondbacks to adjust on the fly for a game that was already carrying plenty of weight. For Boston, it was one of those small breaks that can matter in a tight series, even if the bigger story around Marte remains unresolved. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Suddenly Face A Big Decision With Payton Tolle
Payton Tolle has gone from opening the year outside the Red Soxs plans to becoming a real piece of the rotation, the kind of young arm who changes the conversation around a pitching staff. In 20 starts, he has paired a 2.97 ERA with a strong strikeout-to-walk ratio, giving Boston the sort of dependable innings it did not necessarily expect from him when camp broke.
Now the next question is less about what Tolle has done on the mound and more about what comes after it. The Red Sox have not yet explored a long-term extension with him, even as he has shown he can handle a meaningful role, and Tolle has already signaled that he would be open to staying in Boston for the long haul. [Read more 🡒]