Gray caps All-Star season, previews '24 with 6 stellar frames

BALTIMORE -- Josiah Gray walked off the mound for the final time this season in front of a postseason-hungry opposing crowd at Camden Yards having held the 98-win Orioles to just one run across six innings.

Gray concluded his third Major League season (second full year) with an 8-13 record and a 3.91 ERA following the Nationals’ 1-0 loss to the Orioles on Tuesday night. He finished with an ERA below 5.00 for the first time in his career.

“I think any time you can finish on a strong outing, it takes you into the offseason with a positive mindset, feel like you can kind of check that box,” Gray said. “I've been able to have a last couple good outings. But this one, obviously, feels sweet to go into the offseason knowing that some of the changes I've made over the last three outings have obviously breeded results, so I can focus on those things and look forward to the offseason being positive and getting back after it next year.”

After allowing a leadoff home run to Gunnar Henderson, Gray locked in to record seven strikeouts and allow five hits and two walks on 98 pitches (63 strikes), his most since Aug. 22.

“[He was] awesome,” manager Dave Martinez said. “He pitched really well. He used all his pitches. [He] threw some really good changeups today, but his fastball was good, it was electric today. I’m proud of him. He finished off the season really strong. We can build off of that for next year.”

Gray earned his first All-Star selection this season after going 6-7 with a 3.41 ERA in 18 first-half starts. His 2.39 road ERA at the time ranked second in the Majors. On April 25, Gray recorded nine strikeouts in the Nationals’ shutout against the Mets at Citi Field on April 26 to earn his first win of the year.

Following the All-Star break, Gray’s ERA rose to 8.84 for August, when three of his five starts were less than four innings (including a season-low two frames on Aug. 28 at Toronto). But the right-hander bounced back to hold opponents to three or fewer earned runs in each of his four September outings, and he finished the season with three consecutive starts of at least five innings.

“It's been a crazy season,” said Gray. “Obviously, being named an All-Star is something that I never dreamed of. Being able to go out there and succeed and just be in that environment was surreal. Then, the struggle after the break was also something that was tough. I can't really put it into words; it made you kind of like, ‘Man, what am I doing here?’ Like, ‘Where's things going?’

“To be able to rebound from that -- obviously, with the confidence of my teammates, confidence of the staff -- it means a lot. It keeps you going out there working every day to know that brighter days are ahead. So this year’s been a good year, but I know there's a lot more work to be done.”

Martinez believes Gray’s next steps will look like “what you saw today.” He hopes the confidence from the 25-year-old’s season finale will carry over into his offseason work.

“Obviously, he was an All-Star for us in the beginning,” Martinez said. “It’s just about consistency with him every five days. But he’s made some unbelievable strides, he really has. We’re hoping that next year he gets even a little bit better and he gets to be on the All-Star team -- I always say -- at the end of the year, which is the one that we really want to make. He's done really well, though.”

Gray’s pitch mix continued to develop this season. He introduced a sweeper and led with his slider, although Martinez would like Gray to return more to his fastball next season. Gray also notably dropped his home runs per nine innings rate to 1.25 from 2.30 in 2022, when he allowed a league-high 38 homers.

“We talked to him a lot about his identity and what he wants to do,” Martinez said. “He's always trying to figure out how to get better, so I don't want to take away one thing to add something else. But I really want him to understand that he's got to do a better job pitching with his fastball and throwing his fastball for strikes. If he can do that, everything else works really well.”

As Martinez looks ahead to next season, he envisions Gray as a key member of the starting rotation. Given how much Gray already has evolved, the skipper is looking forward to seeing who he is as a pitcher when he takes the mound in Spring Training.

“He's still learning -- he's learning a lot about himself, he’s learning a lot about what he can and can't do,” Martinez said. “But I know that in the future, he's going to be a guy to be reckoned with. I’m not just talking about in the short term, I'm talking about long term.

“I think with him, we have a chance to win here and get back to where we need to be, and that's to be in the playoffs.”