Author Topic: Gray - The Next Episode - 2023  (Read 2861 times)

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Offline imref

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Gray - The Next Episode - 2023
« Topic Start: March 01, 2023, 12:31:27 PM »

Offline nobleisthyname

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Re: Gray - The Next Episode - 2023
« Reply #1: March 01, 2023, 12:58:04 PM »
Interesting point about the side-by-side comparison of his delivery motion not looking much different so far.

Offline JCA-CrystalCity

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Re: Gray - The Next Episode - 2023
« Reply #2: March 01, 2023, 02:59:05 PM »
Interesting point about the side-by-side comparison of his delivery motion not looking much different so far.
take a look at it again.  To me, his former delivery is more side to side.  Look at where his arm ends up.  The side to side arm action is supposed to be linked to his hip problem.

Offline nobleisthyname

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Re: Gray - The Next Episode - 2023
« Reply #3: March 01, 2023, 03:05:50 PM »
You're right, I was focusing on the foot landing spot like the author, but the follow through for his arm is definitely different.

Offline JCA-CrystalCity

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Re: Gray - The Next Episode - 2023
« Reply #4: March 01, 2023, 03:47:20 PM »
reposting the link to the Post (Golden) article on what they are changing on his delivery:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/02/19/josiah-gray-nationals-corrections/

Quote
But to those who watched, there was a slight change.

Gray was more in line with the catcher when he finished his delivery, an intentional correction that he focused on during the offseason. At times last season, Gray would miss his location significantly east and west of the plate because he wasn’t consistent with his mechanics.

“He really took it to heart to work on his flexibility and his hips,” Manager Dave Martinez said. “That helped him out a lot. He says he feels a lot more mobile and agile so he doesn’t have to get so rotational. His direction is way better.”

Offline Slateman

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Re: Gray - The Next Episode - 2023
« Reply #5: March 01, 2023, 06:03:12 PM »
So, just so Im clear, going into the off-season, the two things that Gray needed to work on/fix was pointing his toe at the plate and making his fastball not one of the worst in basebalk.

And, at least so far, he still points his toe to the side and he's trying to learn a new pitch but still has the same (terrible) fastball.

Offline JCA-CrystalCity

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Re: Gray - The Next Episode - 2023
« Reply #6: March 01, 2023, 07:20:09 PM »
I am not sure they trying to change how his foot points. Golden's article points it out but that wasn't the focus of what they thought he needs to do to get more command. The right side of his torso is less rigid.

Offline Slateman

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Re: Gray - The Next Episode - 2023
« Reply #7: March 01, 2023, 07:23:03 PM »
I am not sure they want him to change how his foot points. Golden's article points it out but that wasn't the focus of what they thought he needs to do to get more command. The right side of his torso is less rigid.
They were talking about changing where his foot points last season, on various MASN broadcasts.

His delivery is exactly the same. So basically the big plan to fix the 5+ ERA starting pitcher is for him to learn a new pitch in ST. Awesome.

Offline JCA-CrystalCity

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Re: Gray - The Next Episode - 2023
« Reply #8: March 01, 2023, 07:25:53 PM »
More in linewith the catcher, less east to west
 That's what the article said they were working on. Take a look at the side by side video in the FG article. It's obvious.

Offline Slateman

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Re: Gray - The Next Episode - 2023
« Reply #9: March 01, 2023, 07:44:20 PM »
More in linewith the catcher, less east to west
 That's what the article said they were working on. Take a look at the side by side video in the FG article. It's obvious.

From the article
Quote
Maybe you’ll see something that I didn’t, but to my eyes Gray’s delivery is still much more rotational than it is downhill, and he still lands with his foot pointed off to the left.

Its the same. He has the same issue.

Offline Senatorswin

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Re: Gray - The Next Episode - 2023
« Reply #10: March 01, 2023, 07:50:52 PM »
I too remember the talk last year they were going to fix his foot pointing to the side. Isn't this something the Dodgers farm system should of fixed when he was being developed in the minors?

Offline Slateman

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Re: Gray - The Next Episode - 2023
« Reply #11: March 01, 2023, 08:03:18 PM »
I too remember the talk last year they were going to fix his foot pointing to the side. Isn't this something the Dodgers farm system should of fixed when he was being developed in the minors?

I think the Dodgers have much more efficient and effective ways of fixing poor spin, low extension fastballs

Offline JCA-CrystalCity

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Re: Gray - The Next Episode - 2023
« Reply #12: March 01, 2023, 08:19:53 PM »
The FG writer missed the change, but the comments caught it.

Offline Natsinpwc

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Re: Gray - The Next Episode - 2023
« Reply #13: March 01, 2023, 09:14:47 PM »
Well I would like to see him pitch some before drawing conclusions. Teams always have these types of we fixed this guy stories. Did anyone see him pitch the other day?  Results seemed fine for one inning. 9 pitches. 7 strikes.

Offline Senatorswin

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Re: Gray - The Next Episode - 2023
« Reply #14: March 01, 2023, 10:46:00 PM »
I think the Dodgers have much more efficient and effective ways of fixing poor spin, low extension fastballs

If what the problem is what they say it is, it would seem the Dodgers didn't fix this one.

Offline JCA-CrystalCity

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Re: Gray - The Next Episode - 2023
« Reply #15: March 02, 2023, 08:25:16 AM »
If what the problem is what they say it is, it would seem the Dodgers didn't fix this one.
what the Golden story pointed out is that the Dodgers spotted the foot landing, linked it to his hips, but were OK with it because he was finishing more square to the catcher in the minors when he had a good fastball.  It's exactly what the Nats are trying to do.  Elvir is going to love what I say, but the FG piece kind of missed what they were working on by just focusing on the awkward stride.

Offline Mattionals

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Re: Gray - The Next Episode - 2023
« Reply #16: March 02, 2023, 09:42:06 AM »
what the Golden story pointed out is that the Dodgers spotted the foot landing, linked it to his hips, but were OK with it because he was finishing more square to the catcher in the minors when he had a good fastball.  It's exactly what the Nats are trying to do.  Elvir is going to love what I say, but the FG piece kind of missed what they were working on by just focusing on the awkward stride.


Yea the Fangraphs piece missed it entirely, which is hilarious how they spend a good portion of that article going over his hips to just miss the point. The author even opens it up to the chat to see if they missed anything, and clearly, chat picked up on it right away.

Offline imref

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Re: Gray - The Next Episode - 2023
« Reply #17: March 21, 2023, 03:15:22 PM »
:az:

6IP, 4H, 0BB, 5Ks, 0ER, spring ERA down to 0.73

Offline JCA-CrystalCity

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Re: Gray - The Next Episode - 2023
« Reply #18: March 22, 2023, 09:13:52 AM »
discusses how he is featuring the cutter this spring. New pitch to allow him to throw fewer 4 seam fastballs, which was pummeled last year.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/03/22/sean-doolittle-nationals-rehab/
Quote
Josiah Gray’s cutter appears here to stay. Against the Cardinals on Tuesday, Gray threw 28 cutters, 27 sliders, 22 four-seam fastballs, five curveballs and three change-ups. The cutter is a new pitch, so it was at one point fair to wonder whether he would take it into his second full season.

But after blanking the Cardinals for six innings — granted, a St. Louis lineup without Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado or Lars Nootbaar, among others — Gray was high on the pitch, saying he feels he can throw it in any count. Last season, opponents pummeled Gray’s four-seamer, finishing with a .738 slugging percentage against it. A hard pitch that moved more was at the top of his winter to-do list. This cutter, averaging 89.7 mph Wednesday, is the result.

Offline Slateman

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Re: Gray - The Next Episode - 2023
« Reply #19: March 22, 2023, 10:50:30 AM »
Bustin Loose did an interview with him on his pitch development

Offline nobleisthyname

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Re: Gray - The Next Episode - 2023
« Reply #20: March 29, 2023, 10:59:57 AM »
Dan Szymborski has Gray as one of his SP breakout candidates of 2023. I thought this bit was interesting:

Quote
Gray was hit sporadically hard rather than consistently hard, combining a high barrel late with a low hard-hit rate. This suggests to me that the problem isn’t his stuff generally, but the mistakes

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/szymborskis-2023-breakout-candidates-pitchers/

Offline zimm_da_kid

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Re: Gray - The Next Episode - 2023
« Reply #21: March 29, 2023, 01:05:51 PM »
Dan Szymborski has Gray as one of his SP breakout candidates of 2023. I thought this bit was interesting:

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/szymborskis-2023-breakout-candidates-pitchers/

Encouraging.  I suppose it’s realistic to think a young pitcher will make mistakes (especially one relatively new to pitching).  Very encouraging though that when he’s not making mistakes he’s good.  Some pitchers are just categorically bad all the time

Offline rileyn

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Re: Gray - The Next Episode - 2023
« Reply #22: April 02, 2023, 08:20:38 AM »
Welp.

Offline Slateman

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Re: Gray - The Next Episode - 2023
« Reply #23: April 02, 2023, 09:56:07 AM »
.500 batting average against his new cutter.

Can only go up from here, right?

Offline JCA-CrystalCity

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Re: Gray - The Next Episode - 2023
« Reply #24: April 02, 2023, 10:11:17 AM »
.500 batting average against his new cutter.

Can only go up from here, right?
hard to believe it's that bad. It looked good in the spring.  I may chalk yesterday up to enough wind to make his command so bad his stuff was crushable.