PHILADELPHIA -- Moments after Josiah Gray found out he was an All-Star for the first time, he called his mother, Monica, to deliver the news.

“I had to repeat it to her like three or four times. She was like, ‘What? What are you telling me?’" Gray said. "So she sat down and she was just like, ‘Oh my God.’ She was really happy for me, really proud of me.”

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Gray, himself, had a similar reaction just minutes earlier when Nationals manager Dave Martinez announced that the 25-year-old righty would represent the club at the 2023 All-Star Game on July 11 in Seattle.

Martinez gathered everyone in the visitors’ clubhouse for a team meeting one hour before first pitch of Sunday afternoon's 5-4 victory in Philadelphia. The Nats skipper revealed one player was chosen by Major League Baseball to take part in the 93rd Midsummer Classic.

"And his name is Josiah Gray," Martinez said.

An emotional Gray took a moment to collect himself before briefly addressing his teammates and making his way around the room for hugs and handshakes.

"I kind of just stopped in my tracks. I didn’t think it would be my name," Gray said. "You dream of playing baseball at this level for years and years as a kid. Being an All-Star is kind of the cherry on top."

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Gray is one of 26 first-time All-Stars this year, including one of 15 on the NL roster. It's been a whirlwind couple seasons for Gray, who was acquired by the Nationals as one of the centerpieces in the 2021 trade that sent Max Scherzer and Trea Turner to the Dodgers.

After posting a 5.31 ERA in 12 starts down the stretch in '21, Gray had a 5.02 ERA over 28 starts last season while allowing an MLB-high 38 home runs over 148 2/3 innings. Through 17 starts this season, Gray has a 3.30 ERA and he's allowed just 12 homers over 95 1/3 innings.

“We talk about Josiah all the time and what he’s done and how much he’s matured,” Martinez said. “But this is big for one of our young players. Proud of him. He’s getting better. Every time out there, he’s getting better.”

Gray's turnaround certainly didn't happen overnight. He started tinkering with his pitch mix toward the end of last season, then spent the offseason looking into fellow pitchers like Yu Darvish, Chris Bassitt and Joe Musgrove -- all known for their expansive arsenals.

After all, Gray rode his elite four-seam fastball to the Majors, but it was responsible for allowing 24 of his 38 homers last year.

"I think when I got up here in 2021, I was so hell-bent on my fastball as an elite pitch," Gray said. "I mean, it got me to the big leagues, but it was getting hit all over the park. It kind of took me a second to adapt to that."

Unable to keep opposing hitters off his four-seamer, Gray added a cutter this offseason. He started throwing a sweeper a few weeks ago. He's also relying far more on his sinker this season.

And he's not done yet.

Gray has mixed in a few changeups in recent outings, and he hopes to develop the pitch further in the second half.

"Those guys have their one outlier pitch, but they have an array of other pitches that they throw that keep hitters off-balance," Gray said of the aforementioned trio. "So, for me, I said, 'You know what? If I want to play this game for a long time, it might be something that I have to do.'"

The results have not only led to Gray cutting his home run rate in half and restoring his four-seamer as an effective offering, but he’s now an All-Star. Being a new experience, Gray is planning to check in with teammates Corey Dickerson (2017 All-Star) and Patrick Corbin (two-time All-Star), as well as Martinez (four-time All-Star coach) before departing for Seattle.

“Anytime you're a first-time All Star, it definitely hits you a little bit,” Gray said. “So I'm going to try to pick the brains of guys in this clubhouse and see what their experiences were and how it went for them. Just embrace the moment because it’s going to be super cool.”

Any particular fellow All-Stars Gray is looking forward to seeing?

“Everyone, man. It’s going to be so cool just to see all the guys there,” Gray said. “Just to meet maybe like Aaron Judge or getting to shake hands with Mike Trout or Shohei Ohtani. I’ve faced them a few times, but just to see them up close and personal, and kind of be on the same level, will be really cool.”