Josiah Gray facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Josiah Gray |
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Gray with the Washington Nationals in 2022
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| Washington Nationals – No. 40 | |||
| Pitcher | |||
| Born: December 21, 1997 New Rochelle, New York, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| July 20, 2021, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |||
| MLB statistics (through 2024 season) |
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| Win–loss record | 17–27 | ||
| Earned run average | 4.84 | ||
| Strikeouts | 382 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Josiah Gray (born December 21, 1997) is a talented American professional baseball pitcher. He plays for the Washington Nationals in Major League Baseball (MLB). Before joining the Nationals, he also played for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Josiah was first chosen by the Cincinnati Reds in the 2018 MLB draft.
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Early Baseball Days
Josiah Gray grew up in New Rochelle, New York. He was not heavily recruited by colleges for baseball. However, he received one scholarship offer. He accepted it to play college baseball for the Le Moyne Dolphins. This team is located in Syracuse, New York.
Playing for Le Moyne
During his first two years at Le Moyne, Josiah played two positions. He was both a shortstop and a pitcher. Later, he decided to focus only on pitching. As a freshman, his batting average was .265. His earned run average (ERA) was 8.31. The ERA shows how many runs a pitcher allows per nine innings.
In his second year, he became the team's full-time closer. A closer is a pitcher who finishes games. His ERA improved greatly to 0.63. In 2017, he played summer baseball. He joined the Chatham Anglers in the Cape Cod Baseball League. As a junior in 2018, he had an amazing season. He won 11 games and lost none. His ERA was a very low 1.25 in 13 starts.
Professional Baseball Journey
Starting with the Reds
The Cincinnati Reds picked Josiah Gray in the 2018 MLB draft. He was the 72nd player chosen overall. He signed with the Reds and began his professional career. His first team was the Greeneville Reds. He had a record of 2 wins and 2 losses. His ERA was 2.58 in 12 starts.
Moving to the Dodgers
On December 21, 2018, Josiah was traded. The Reds sent him to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Two other players, Jeter Downs and Homer Bailey, were also part of the trade. In return, the Reds received several players and cash.
In 2019, Josiah started with the Single-A Great Lakes Loons. He was promoted to the High-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes in May. By July, he moved up again to the Double-A Tulsa Drillers. That year, he made 25 starts and one relief appearance. He had a great record of 11 wins and 2 losses. His ERA was 2.70, and he struck out 147 batters. The Dodgers named him their Minor League Pitcher of the Year.
Josiah did not play in 2020. This was because the minor league season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, he started with the Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers. He was the opening day pitcher. However, he then missed two months with a shoulder injury. He returned and pitched in three more games. He struck out 22 batters and walked only two.
MLB Debut
On July 20, 2021, Josiah Gray was called up to the major leagues. He made his MLB debut on the same day. He pitched four innings for the Dodgers. He allowed four runs and struck out seven batters. His first MLB strikeout was against Wilmer Flores. He made his first MLB start on July 25. He pitched four innings, striking out six.
Joining the Nationals
On July 30, 2021, Josiah was traded again. He went to the Washington Nationals. This trade also included Keibert Ruiz, Donovan Casey, and Gerardo Carrillo. In exchange, the Dodgers received star players Max Scherzer and Trea Turner.
Josiah debuted for the Nationals on August 2, 2021. He pitched five innings against the Philadelphia Phillies. He allowed only one run. On September 22, 2021, Josiah earned his first Major League win. He pitched six innings against the Miami Marlins. He allowed two runs and had eight strikeouts.
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In 2022, Josiah had a record of 7 wins and 10 losses. His ERA was 5.02. He pitched 148.2 innings. He allowed 38 home runs, which was the most in the major leagues.
In 2023, Josiah had a better season. He went 8 wins and 13 losses. He achieved a career-best ERA of 3.91. He was chosen to play in the 2023 MLB All-Star Game. He was the only player from the Nationals selected. At the All-Star game, Josiah pitched one inning. He did not allow any runners on base. The National League team won the game 3–2.
In 2024, Josiah made only two starts for the Nationals. On April 9, 2024, he was placed on the injured list. He had a flexor strain in his arm. On July 5, he was moved to the 60-day injured list. On July 19, it was announced that Josiah would need surgery. The surgery was to repair a partial tear in his ulnar collateral ligament. This meant he would miss the rest of the 2024 season.
Personal Life
Josiah Gray's stepfather taught him how to pitch. He coached and raised Josiah. Sadly, his stepfather passed away from cancer. This happened a month after Josiah was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds. His stepfather had been sick for a long time. He was not able to see Josiah pitch often during his last season in college.
