Sonny Gray didn’t just arrive in Boston-he made an entrance.
Meeting the media for the first time since being traded from the St. Louis Cardinals to the Red Sox, Gray wasted no time embracing the historic rivalry that defines baseball in the Northeast. With a grin and a jab, he delivered a line that will echo through Fenway Park and beyond:
“It feels good to me to go to a place where it’s easy to hate the Yankees.”
That’s the kind of quote that instantly endears you to Red Sox Nation. And whether it ruffles feathers in the Bronx or not, it’s clear Gray knows exactly what he’s walking into-and he’s not backing down from it.
But this isn’t just about soundbites. Gray also reflected on his time with the Yankees, calling it a formative stretch in his career.
He credited the experience with making him not just a better pitcher, but a better husband. That’s a level of self-awareness and maturity that doesn’t always make the headlines, but it speaks volumes about how far Gray has come since his rocky stint in New York.
And yes, it was rocky.
Back in 2018, Gray’s numbers in pinstripes told two very different stories depending on the zip code. At Yankee Stadium, he struggled mightily, posting a 7.71 ERA.
On the road, he looked like a completely different pitcher, with a 3.62 ERA. That split helped fuel the narrative that Gray “couldn’t pitch in New York,” a label that stuck with him long after he left.
But some inside the game have pushed back on that idea. Former Yankees catcher Erik Kratz has been vocal about what he believes really went wrong.
According to Kratz, the issue wasn’t the market-it was the messaging. Specifically, a disconnect between Gray and then-pitching coach Larry Rothschild.
Kratz described a fundamental disagreement over pitch selection, with Rothschild pushing Gray to lean into his slider, while Gray preferred to work off his curveball and pitch more by feel. That kind of philosophical clash can derail even the most talented arms, especially in a high-pressure environment like the Bronx.
Since leaving New York, Gray has done more than just bounce back-he’s rebuilt himself into one of the more consistent starters in the league. He’s earned multiple All-Star nods, logged over 1,900 innings with a career ERA of 3.58, and maintained a strikeout rate in the mid-20s. Advanced metrics like FIP and xFIP have consistently backed up what the eye test shows: Gray is a legitimate top-of-the-rotation arm.
Now, at 36, he comes to Boston not as a reclamation project, but as a veteran anchor.
The Red Sox acquired him from St. Louis following a 2025 campaign where he went 14-8 with a 4.28 ERA and racked up 201 strikeouts in 180 2/3 innings.
That’s still frontline production, especially for a club looking to stabilize its starting rotation. Boston also restructured his contract, guaranteeing him $41 million through 2027 while the Cardinals pick up a sizable portion of the tab.
It’s a move that signals intent from the Red Sox front office-and one that could have real implications in October. If Boston lets Gray pitch the way he believes in-trusting his feel, mixing his pitches his way-there’s every reason to believe he’ll thrive in this environment.
And that quote? About hating the Yankees?
Yeah, that one’s going to come back every time Gray takes the mound against his old team. But if he keeps dealing the way he has since leaving New York, don’t be surprised if it’s the Red Sox fans doing most of the smiling when the rivalry heats up again.