DENVER -- Rockies right-handed pitcher Jon Gray's coachability has been one of his biggest assets.

Gray voluntarily swapped a motion that allowed him to frequently fire his fastball at 100 mph at the University of Oklahoma to one that brought greater consistency. Further windup changes, adjusting his diet, adding to his workouts and learning how to interpret data are among the ways he has listened and learned.

So when Gray is asked about his influences, his list is full of coaches.

Youth coach Mitch Tarver: “Mitch took me to my first Major League game -- it was in Kansas City against the Twins, if I remember right, probably 1999 or 2000,” Gray said. “He always had an incredible energy about him, too. He fired us kids up every single game, and he wore the biggest smile. Baseball always seemed like a good place to be for me, and I think a lot of that is because of him.”

Coaches Geoff Metheny at Chandler (Okla.) High School, and Travis Graham of Ada (Okla.) American Legion: “I wish I would have listened to coach Metheny earlier, because I didn’t know the game and he taught me how to play baseball,” said Gray, who also was a standout football player. “Travis was our head coach at a very young age. He was committed to every one of us and took the time to drive us up to Kansas or across the state to give us opportunities to play.

“Playing American Legion was tough, and I needed to get better. And another thing was Travis always believed I could hit, too," Gray added with a laugh.

Jack Giese at the University of Oklahoma: “When he first saw me play catch, he said he could make me a first-round [Draft] pick,” Gray said. “He always believed in me and really helped my pitching development.”