Cubs Prospect Profile: Drew Gray |
As we continue to make our way through the Cubs' top 30 prospects, we check in at No. 26, as this is the first of several pitchers on this list. What was once an organization that struggled to develop pitching is now an organization with an influx of arms eager to continue to prove they deserve a shot at some point.
Today, it is all about 21-year-old left-hander Drew Gray, who had an interesting 2024 season, to say the least. Drafted in the third round of the 2021 MLB draft out of IMG Academy in Florida, Gray was part of the massive influx of arms over a three-year stretch and was teammates with former Cubs farmhand Jackson Ferris, who is now in Los Angeles. Known as a two-way player during his time in Illinois, Gray made the move to pitcher only once he transferred to IMG, and that is where the overall looks started to fall into play. It took him a while to settle in as a full-time pitcher, as Gray went through some arm issues along with bad command, and that is a massive reason why his stock fell as far as it did. Still, the Cubs liked enough of what they saw out of him to sign him for 900K, which is well above his slotted slot value. Gray made a lasting impression in both a good way and a bad way during his debut, as he walked one and struck out nine across four innings later that summer. However, he blew out his elbow the following February, thus setting him back a year. It wasn't until 2023 that Gray returned to the mound, and as expected, it took him a little bit to settle in. That season, he went 0-3 with a 4.50 ERA across 14 games. Then came this season, where the overall results weren't great, but you saw significant improvement as the year went on. Across his 22 starts this season, Gray only threw 80 innings, but that will increase this season. From a record standpoint, Gray went 1-6, which isn't great, but his 4.39 ERA isn't as bad as the record indicated, as his command issues did plague him this season. Despite striking out 97 batters in 80 innings and holding them to a .197 average, Gray also walked 72, which is far too many. That is something he needs to get under control, but to his credit he had it under control over his final five starts and the results showed. As a left-hander, there is a lot to like about Gray, and that all starts with his 6-3 190-pound frame. He is the perfect size for a pitcher and will continue to grow into his frame. Initially a finesse pitcher who lived around 90 MPH when he was drafted, Gray has seen a massive uptick in his fastball. He averaged 94 MPH last season and can reach 96. To go with that heater, he has a pair of breaking balls. He attacks left-handers with an 82 MPH sweeping curveball while the righties see a 78 MPH curve. Gray started to mix in his 85 MPH change much more last season, but that pitch is still a work in progress. That will be the next thing he needs to work on as part of his development. Although Gray isn't as highly rated as he once was when he was a top-10 guy, that doesn't mean he doesn't have a future with this team. He has the stuff to make a significant climb up the prospect ladder. For that to happen, he needs to focus on throwing strikes, as that has been the biggest issue thus far. When he walks batters and gets in trouble, you see elevated pitch counts leading to short outings on the mound and lots of runs allowed. However, when he was in the season's final month, Gray could shut any offense down while limiting the overall contact they put up against him. Coming off an early Tommy John surgery, the Cubs have been very cautious with his development, as he has yet to top 80 innings in a season. That will have to happen for the Cubs to take him seriously, and you could see a massive innings uptick this year if the command allows it.
