Left-hander Ray has potential to win 20 games, Hale believes
Only four pitchers in Diamondbacks history have ever recorded a 20-win season. They are Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling, who each did it twice, along with Brandon Webb and Ian Kennedy.
A fifth name is talented enough to join that exclusive list, according to manager Chip Hale, and that’s left-hander Robbie Ray. Yes, Ray, the same pitcher who barely cracked the starting rotation this year as the No. 5 guy.
“Oh, in seasons like this where the wins have not been where we want them to be, you start looking for other things that were successful and Robbie is the guy,” Hale said Sunday before the Diamondbacks’ series-winning, 11-2 rout of the Reds at Chase Field. “Robbie has become the stalwart of our rotation. At one point as you said, he was the last guy to find out he made our team as the fifth starter.
“And at one point during the year, he was the only starter of the five left in the rotation and he’s anchored it the whole year. We know every time we give him the ball he’s going to give us 100, 115 pitches. We hope it’s seven innings — sometimes it’s five — but he gives us a
chance to win every time out.”
Ray, who’s on his third organization in four seasons following trades from the Nationals to the Tigers and from the Tigers to the Diamondbacks, is happy to know people are paying attention. And why shouldn’t they? He’s logged more innings (145) and has the best ERA (4.28) among any of the four starters who’ve made at least 20 starts, and he leads the team with 181 strikeouts.
“Yeah, I mean it’s been a good year with my consistency,” he said. “I’m just looking to build on that every day and working hard to get better every day. It’s good to finally see some of the fruits of my labor.”
It almost feels like Ray’s surging season, which was made possible because he’s finally corralled his fastball command, has been lost in the shuffle due to all the negativity 2016 has brought the Diamondbacks.
With so much attention having been focused on losses, the inability to win at Chase Field, injuries, and the job security of Hale, Chief Baseball Officer Tony La Russa and General Manager Dave Stewart, Ray’s probably not getting the credit he deserves.
“I think people see it,” he said. “I think finally winning National League Pitcher of the Week helped a lot, too. People see that and they can see the kind of season I’ve had. I don’t think it’s lost. It’s just tough when we’ve had the injuries and other things we’ve had.
“I mean we lost Zack (Greinke) for a month and we lose A.J. (Pollock) until just a few days ago and with David (Peralta) being out, we’ve had a lot off key players out and it’s tough. We’re trying to keep our spirits up, but yeah, it’s tough when you lose guys like that.”
Ray, however, looks like “a completely different pitcher now,” says Welington Castillo. The Diamondbacks catcher said he can see improvements in all of the lefty’s pitches, particularly the fastball, and that Ray has more confidence in himself that he did a year ago in his first full season in the majors.
“He’s way better than he was last year,” Castillo said. “Way, way better.”
Hale mentioned a conversation he had with team trainers early Sunday morning about Ray. Everyone agreed, the manager noted, that Ray’s work ethic, preparation and workout regimen keeps improving. Hale said pitching coach Mike Butcher has been “a real influence” on Ray this season.
“All these things,” Hale said. “... The fastball command is one of the things that has made him more successful this year than last. But his breaking-ball command and his change-up command are the two things that will make him become a guy that can win 20 games.”
Ray’s slider and change-up are fooling hitters more often, Castillo said, because Ray is spotting his fastball almost wherever and whenever he wants.
“He’s a power pitcher with a power fastball,” Castillo said, “and that’s what’s going to make his off-speed stuff way better because he can throw his fastball for strikes now.’’
It didn’t happen overnight, Hale said. Ray may have an electric arm, but it’s been a series of progressive development that’s helped to harness the pitcher’s accuracy.
“Yeah, that’s been the biggest thing,” Ray agreed. “When I’m able to go deeper into games and get guys out, I mean if you look at it, a lot of my strikeouts are on fastballs. I think by commanding my fastball, it turns into four pitches. It’s in, it’s out, it’s up, it’s down. When I’m able to do that, I’m at my best.’’