Noteworthy Prospect Scouting Report: Josiah Gray
Right-handed pitcher Josiah Gray has aspirations. High ones too. He aspires to be a starter on what is arguably one of the strongest rotations already in baseball. One that includes Clayton Kershaw, Walker Buehler, and Trevor Bauer. Not to mention other guys fighting for fourth and fifth rotational spots including Dustin May, Tony Gonsolin, and Julio Urias. Yet Gray would fit right in. But this is only if he’s able to perform the way he’s done throughout the Minor Leagues. Only time will tell.
Statistics
As stated above, Josiah Gray has accomplished the mastery of pitching in every Minor League Level. The Cincinnati Reds actually drafted him in the second round of the 2018 draft. The Reds then traded him to the Dodgers organization in the blockbuster deal for Matt Kemp and Yasiel Puig. The Dodgers absolutely won that trade. Kemp and Puig are out of baseball as of right now as unsigned free agents, and Gray continues to put up unbelievable numbers in MiLB play. Between single-A, single-A advanced, and double-A in 2019, Gray went 11-2 with a 2.26 earned run average and 147 strikeouts over 130 innings. For his achievements, the right-hander took home the Dodgers Minor League Pitcher of the Year Award.
Report
Scouts see Josiah as a flamethrower with a fastball topping out at 97 miles per hour. Hitters have a hard time catching up to it due to its rising nature and late movement. He comes off the fastball with a sharp slider in the mid-eighties. These two pitches of his could propel him to be an elite Major League Starter. He also has a curveball in the upper seventies and is working on a changeup. Gray features a lot of athleticism which isn’t as seen as much for pitchers in baseball. This comes from his time as a shortstop in college. This will help him consistently repeat his delivery, and get off the mound quickly to field ground balls.
Overall
Gray currently sits at number 58 on MLB’s top 100 prospect list. The Los Angeles Dodgers have a genuine middle-of-the-rotation guy almost at the ready. With Minor League Baseball actually taking place this year, I projected Gray will be at the triple-A level until he’s apart of the September call-ups. He will continue to refine his pitches and athleticism to join an already stacked rotation.
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