Robbie Ray (left) answers questions with Jeremy Hellickson and Alan Webster at Diamondbacks Fan Fest.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- When Detroit right-hander Anibal Sanchez went on the disabled list last May, left-hander Robbie Ray was summoned to the majors. It was not exactly the Tigers' plan, inasmuch as they did not want to rush a 22-year old onto a contending team.
Once there, however, Ray demonstrated not only why he was promoted but also why the Diamondbacks identified him as the pitcher they needed in the three-team trade that sent Didi Gregorius to the New York Yankees. Ray won his first start and got a "hold" in his third appearance, his first in relief. He admitted to tearing up as he left the mound in the sixth inning of his debut, an 11-4 victory over Houston in which he gave up one run.
"He's got good stuff and a good head on his shoulders," Tigers catcher Alex Avila said at the time.
The D-backs have seen that, too, which is among the reasons Ray is one of the handful candidates for what appear to be three open spots in the starting rotation behind Josh Collmenter and Jeremy Hellickson.
"It's a great opportunity," said Ray, 6-foot-2 and 195. "Being traded over from Detroit, there are a whole lot of superstars in that rotation. It's going to be hard to crack. But you come over here, there are two guys who have a pretty set spots in the rotation, but other than that it is wide open. It is a really a good opportunity. I'm going to do what I can. I feel like I have a good arsenal. I feel like I have a good shot, but I'm not the one who is making the decision."
Ray made nine appearances with the Tigers, six starts, going 1-4 with an 8.16 ERA. While the numbers are hard to look at, they were skewed by a pair of starts in which he gave up seven runs in 3 1/3 innings and six in 1 1/3 innings.
The D-backs believe the rough outings are part of the learning curve and see the same type of major league indicators that Detroit saw when it traded Doug Fister to Washington for Ray and two others after the 2013 season.
"He has the ability to get some swing and misses, but I would call him more the kind of guy that wants to conserve pitches," D-backs general manager Dave Stewart said. "If he can get you out in one or two pitches, he's going to go for that. He has a swing-and-miss changeup. The ball does have a little sink to it. It should play. We just had really, really good reports on him."
Ray said his time in Detroit was well spent, learning as he did from former Cy Young winners Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander. Scherzer pitched eight shutout innings in a victory over Houston the night before Ray made his debut.
"Max Scherzer taught me, it is a relaxed effort," Ray said.
"You're giving 100 percent, but at the same time you relax. Max and I would sit down when we weren't starting and kind of go over pitching philosophy and different stuff. He taught me a little about his game what he does. It was big to be able to learn from him."
Ray signed out of Brentwood (Tenn.) High school in the 12th round, but that, too, is a bit deceiving. He won a gold medal on Team USA's under-18 national team in the Pan American Games in 2009 and had already packed for his trip to attend the University of Arkansas before the Nationals came in with a $799,000 signing bonus, basically second-round money. He had a breakout minor league season in 2013, going 11-5 with a 3.36 ERA in 21 starts between Class A and Double A before yo-yoing back and forth between Triple-A Toledo and the Tigers last season.
Ray throws two fastballs, including a four-seamer in the low-90 mph range, and he complements them with a curve, slider and changeup. During his progression through the minors, he has learned a lot about himself, too. It is all about control.
"I don't try to go out of my limitations," Ray said. " I'm not going to try to throw 98, because that's when I start losing my command. That's the main thing, when I try to reach back with a little extra, I get a little command issue. That's something I've been really trying to work on, stay within myself."
The Detroit experience helped Ray see what the majors are about.
"Last year was a learning experience. It taught me a lot about who I was and about the game, " Ray said. "You are pitching in front of forty thousand fans every night instead of maybe five thousand. You have to learn how to control those emotions, slow the game down and control your adrenaline."
The D-backs could be the prime beneficiary.
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