A peek at the newest Card's workout routine

This story was excerpted from John Denton’s Cardinals Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

FRANKLIN, Tenn. -- The morning after Sonny Gray worked late into the night as his cul-de-sac’s unofficial Christmas decorator -- designs that included a 9-foot Santa Claus that he excitedly purchased last summer, and a hay bale he painted brown to look like the body of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer -- the Cardinals' newest ace was back in the lab working on his craft.

The smile Gray sported the previous night was replaced by focused eyes and a purposeful walk between stations as he worked to strengthen his body at a suburban Nashville fitness and performance center. It’s not that Gray was in a hurry during the three-hour strength, balance and endurance workout that includes throwing exercises with weighted balls and baseballs; he doesn’t want to waste a second or a step -- he’s determined to exploit every ounce of growth that will serve him in the season ahead.

“I definitely feel stronger now than I did going into my 20s, and even when I was in my 20s,” the 34-year-old Gray told MLB.com in an exclusive interview after the workout, during which he had donned a “Vandy Boys” hoodie and a “Santa Claws” T-shirt. “My velo is just as good or maybe better now than it was. So, yeah, I’d say I’m stronger now than ever. But I’ve got to work at it.”

Cardinals fans need to know this about their new No. 1 starting pitcher: Gray is much more Chris Carpenter than he is Adam Wainwright. He has a bit of Tennessee twang, but his words likely won’t ever be syrupy sweet or leave foes all warm and fuzzy. He said as much during his introductory news conference in St. Louis, promising never to be one to smile and wave at a hitter. Instead, he’s more likely to buzz their tower with a 95-mph fastball then buckle their knees with the sweeper that made him one of baseball’s most efficient pitchers in 2023, after which he finished second in the American League Cy Young race.

Gray’s actions all have purpose -- whether it’s constructing Franklin’s most impressive Christmas shrine, working out three days a week and throwing on a fourth nine weeks before Spring Training or battling MLB hitters in games. He bear-crawls backward while lugging 25-pound weights and he engages his core while doing weighted lunges. And he doesn’t want to chat while in the midst of his throwing routine.

Every drill is a challenge, a hill to climb, a device with which he can use to better his powerful 5-foot-10, 195-pound frame. It’s something that Cardinals reliever James Naile picked up on a year ago when he started working alongside the uber-serious Gray in the offseason, and the reason Naile smiled wide when Gray signed a three-year deal with St. Louis that guaranteed him at least $80 million.

“Sonny is one of the more competitive people I have ever been around in my life,” Naile said. “I mean, if you’re stretching next to him, he’s going to try to beat you in stretching. This is my second year being around Sonny and it seems like this year he is even more on a mission.

“He came in after signing with St. Louis and we were all fired up about being teammates, but Sonny got right back to work and has been a machine. He’s going to push our staff and push our team. After being around him for two years, I can’t wait to watch how he makes our team better.”

Before he can do that, though, Gray will push his body to the brink to ensure that he is ready to give his all when the Cards open Spring Training in mid-February. Until then, every step is strategically mapped out with no wasted movements, no wasted days and no times when he’s not thinking about bettering himself. Barring an injury, Gray’s Cardinals debut will come against $700 million sensation Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers in late March -- a date he’s already anticipating.

“You can’t ever get content, or you will either stay the same or just fizzle out,” said Gray, who has talked to players in their mid-30s to figure out ways to prolong his career. “There are constant adjustments that have to be made. Taking care of my body is first and then I can take the ball 30, 31, 33 times a year. I do that and my numbers will be there. The biggest thing for myself is taking the ball, taking the ball and taking the ball for the team.”

Gray used to take an extended break after the season, but after turning 30 he discovered it took more work to get his body and arm back in shape. These days, he sticks to a torturous full-body workout several times a week to ensure that he’s just as strong at the end of the season as he is on Opening Day.

“For me, I started coming in here to be around baseball more during the offseason, which is good for me being around other baseball players and talking baseball,” Gray said. “When the work becomes enjoyable and it’s something you look forward to, then you’ve found something. That’s when you’re in a good spot and I feel like I’m in a good spot now.”