Sonny Gray Rips Into All-Star Snub After Winning 10th Game to Lead the American League
Sonny Gray was not going to pretend to be happy about it. The Boston Red Sox veteran got snubbed from the American League All-Star roster despite pitching like one of the best starters in baseball, and he said the quiet part out loud.
“I mean, sure, I was disappointed for sure,” Gray told reporters after Boston’s 8-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday, per Mass Live’s Sean McAdam. “Just being honest. Y’all know me well enough by now. I’m just me. I was disappointed for sure. Happy for Ranger and Aroldis. Very well deserving for both of those guys. But a little selfishly, I was disappointed.”
He earned the right to feel that way. Gray took the mound Saturday and shredded the Angels, allowing just one earned run on four hits over the outing. That performance made him the first American League pitcher to reach 10 wins this season. He now sits at a 2.69 ERA and 1.12 WHIP through 15 starts. Nobody in the AL rotation pool has been more consistent.
The problem for Gray is timing and roster math. Red Sox teammates Aroldis Chapman and Ranger Suarez both made the team, and MLB tends to spread All-Star selections across as many rosters as possible. Boston getting two spots in the same rotation and bullpen conversation likely closed the door on a third.
The other problem is that the All-Star selection process still rewards flashy strikeout numbers and marquee names over efficient run prevention. Gray is 36 years old and does not have the highlight reel fastball anymore. What he has is precision, sequencing, and results. The Red Sox have gone 11-4 in his 15 starts and 10-1 when he factors into the decision. His 90.1 win percentage leads the American League.
Twenty years ago, Gray would have been an automatic pick. Wins used to carry more weight than they do now. The pendulum has swung so far the other way that even a dominant run prevention profile plus a league leading win total was not enough to break through.
The bigger question this brings up is what the All-Star Game is even for anymore. If a three time All-Star having his best year at 36 cannot get an invite, the exhibition is basically just a popularity contest for the top prospects and the loudest fanbases. That is not necessarily a knock. It just should be called what it is.
For the Red Sox, the snub might actually work in their favor. Gray gets a full week off, no cross country travel, no media crush, and no risk of a soft tissue tweak throwing a warmup pitch in Philadelphia. He can rest that arm and come back for the second half fully loaded.
For Gray himself, the ASG snub becomes fuel. He said it plainly. He was disappointed. He does not have to be. Ten wins is ten wins, and Boston knows exactly what they have in him. The rest of the American League is going to find out again the next time he takes the mound.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
