Boston Red Sox
Yes, he deserved to be selected as an All-Star.
Sonny Gray is 10-1 with a 2.61 ERA as of Thursday. Mark Stockwell/AP Photo
July 9, 2026 | 2:26 PM
4 minutes to read
In the summer of 2015, as an intern covering the Oakland Athletics for MLB.com, I first met a fiery, meticulous, and unflappable young pitcher by the name of Sonny Gray.
I was 22 at the time, and Gray was 25, and it felt like we were trying to prove we belonged in the big leagues simultaneously.
Gray finished the season 14-7 with a 2.73 ERA and was named an All-Star despite the club ending up an American League-worst 68-94. It wasn’t a very good baseball team, but Gray was the model of consistency and had a knack for stopping losing streaks.
It felt like every time he took the mound, the team had a chance. If he allowed two earned runs in seven sharp innings in a 3-2 loss, he spent his postgame press conference lamenting the three pitches he wanted back rather than the 90 he executed well. You could tell every mistake ate at him and that he would be up late at night tossing and turning about what went wrong.
Gray is his own toughest critic, and as someone who operates in a similar manner in recreational sports, his disposition really resonated with me. He’s someone who genuinely expects to perform at a masterful level and isn’t OK with being above-average.
When I learned that Gray was joining the Red Sox and that I would be covering the team more regularly this season, it felt like a full-circle moment 11 years in the making. We’ve both advanced in our careers since that point but still carry the underdog, slept-on mentality that gives us our edge.
I’m well aware Gray is a professional baseball player and I’m a recreational athlete, but it’s always fun covering stars who play with a chip on their shoulder and remind you of yourself. He doesn’t overpower hitters, instead relying on preparation, finesse, and attention to detail to wear them down.
Since those Oakland days, Gray has bounced around from the Yankees to the Reds to the Twins to the Cardinals and now the Red Sox. He’s had some wonderful years and some tough years individually, but from a team standpoint, he’s been on a lot more losing teams than winning teams.
After making the playoffs his first two years, the A’s didn’t make it in his remaining seasons with the team. He made two starts in the postseason (one good, one not as good) with the Yankees in 2017 and was left off the postseason roster in 2018. The Reds missed the playoffs in 2019, 2020, and 2021, then the Twins did the same in 2022.
In 2023, he blanked the Blue Jays in one playoff start but struggled against the Astros in another. The Cardinals missed the playoffs in 2024 and 2025.
So that’s two playoff starts in Oakland, two in New York, and two in Minnesota for a total of six (1-3, 3.26 ERA) in 14 years. Three seasons with October baseball and 11 without it. A guy who desperately craves the ball in the biggest moments has barely gotten a chance. The Red Sox shouldn’t trade him, but if they do, it would be fitting if he goes to a contender and breaks through with everything on the line.
I got the chance to briefly chat with Gray outside the dugout before a game a few weeks ago. I told him I covered him back in 2015 and he said he was recently looking back at that film. He’s always searching for a competitive edge, however he can gain one, and has found a winning formula once again in arguably his best season since that one so far.
When Gray allowed three earned runs in a disheartening 4-3 loss to the Blue Jays in mid-June – as the team fell to 2-8 in the last 10 and a season-low 14 games below .500 – Gray didn’t mince words. He never does.
“It’s very frustrating,” Gray said. “We’re not good. We’re just not a good team right now. That’s just a fact.”
The Atlanta Braves are one of several teams expressing interest in acquiring Sonny Gray, per @Ken_Rosenthal.
The Red Sox, however, may want to see if they can fight their way back into a playoff spot before selling. pic.twitter.com/Y9QxGI2GgS
— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) July 9, 2026
Since that point, the Red Sox are 13-5 and have unexpectedly caught fire and entered the American League playoff picture. They’re 9-2 in their last 11 and have won five straight as of Thursday morning.
In that span, Gray allowed one earned run in seven innings in a win over the Rockies and took a no-hit bid into the eighth against the Yankees. He racked up 20 strikeouts in those two games, improving to 10-1 with a 2.61 ERA on the season.
It’s one thing to be 10-1 on a first-place team; it’s another to boast such an impressive record on a sub-.500 team. He has six straight quality starts since May 30 (5-0, 1.97 ERA) and has been one of the most consistent pitchers in the Majors all season.
When the All-Stars were revealed, it felt like a formality that Gray would be included and was genuinely extremely surprising when he wasn’t. Teammate Ranger Suárez, who has had a great year in his own right (4-3, 3.15 ERA) got the nod instead. With all due respect to Suárez, it was a bit of a head-scratcher. Which part wasn’t good enough, the 10-1 record or the 2.61 ERA?
“I was disappointed, a little bummed, for sure,” Gray told reporters. “I’m just being honest, you know? I’m happy for Ranger and I’m happy for [Aroldis Chapman], for sure. They’re very well deserving. But a little selfishly, yeah, I was disappointed.”
It’s very possible Gray will be added to the roster in the end, but it’s worth noting that he should have been on the team from the start. What else does the guy have to do?
He’s someone who isn’t afraid to tell you how he feels. Boston sports fans root for people who play with passion and heart, and Gray does exactly that. He’s 5 feet, 10 inches, on a good day, and beats you with his brain, location, and arsenal of pitches.
I apologize in advance for the jinx if he gives up five runs in three innings Friday. But if he does, I guarantee you he’ll learn from it and be better the next time. As someone who’s been there from almost the start of his Major League journey, trust me when I tell you…
This guy really, really, really cares.
Trevor Hass is a sports producer for Boston.com, where he writes and edits stories about Boston’s professional teams, among other tasks.
Get the latest Boston sports news
Receive updates on your favorite Boston teams, straight from our newsroom to your inbox.
