Sonny Gray’s strong season draws ‘savant’ admission

The Boston Red Sox took a chance on Sonny Gray last offseason, acquiring the veteran in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals. Boston believed there was still some juice in his arm. And to this point, he has proven the Red Sox front office correct at every turn.

Red Sox pitching coach Andrew Bailey appeared on MLB Network Radio on Wednesday when Gray was brought up. Bailey, a former MLB pitcher in his own right, had massive praise for his veteran hurler as he navigates an incredible season.

“The communication between innings… He’s a savant. He retains information very well. And he knows exactly what pitch he threw to each guy in the first, second, and third at bat. He can just tap into that at any point in time,” Bailey said on Wednesday.

It’s certainly hard to argue with the results. Gray has a record of 16-3 with a 2.79 ERA on the year this season. He has earned the win in three of his last four starts, as well. The veteran doesn’t strike out many hitters, fanning just 123 batters to this point. But he limits runs and gives his offense a chance to take control of the game.

The Red Sox have benefited from his performance in a big way. Boston entered play on Wednesday with a record of 73-59. They own the second Wild Card spot in the American League. And they have the best run differential in the AL with a plus-105 margin.

Gray has played a pivotal role in getting Boston into playoff contention. If can continue this into October, the Red Sox could be a very tough team to beat.