Sonny Gray has been tremendous during his first season with the Boston Red Sox. The fact that he wasn't named an All-Star was ridiculous at the time, and it hasn't taken long for the Tennessee native to make MLB look even sillier.
Through his first 17 starts before the All-Star break, Gray had an 11-1 record with a 2.54 ERA in 95.2 innings. This includes a game against the New York Yankees on Jun. 28, when he had a no-hitter going into the eighth inning (he gave up just one hit and one walk while recording nine strikeouts in 7.1 innings against his former team).
And in his first start after the All-Star break, he went six innings and gave up just five hits, one run, and four walks in a 6-1 victory against the Tampa Bay Rays on Jul. 19.
(Plus, on top of all of that, Gray's 12 wins is the most by any pitcher in the majors.)
Sonny Gray should've been named an All-Star this year
Sure, individual accolades and honors don't matter if your team is winning (and somehow, someway, Gray's team is winning a lot all of a sudden), but that doesn't change the fact that this was just an objectively insane snub.
The 36-year-old is in the midst of arguably his best season in the majors, and he might have been Boston's best pitcher all season long to this point (which is actually saying something).
Maybe it would have been tough for MLB to justify giving the Red Sox so many All-Stars considering how bad they were to start the season -- Aroldis Chapman, Ranger Suarez (who missed the game anyway due to a groin injury), Willson Contreras, and Ceddanne Rafaela all earned All-Star nods this season. But that doesn't change the fact that Gray has been one of the best pitchers in the AL all season long.
Sonny Gray should be in Boston for the rest of the season
Around this time last month, there were a ton of people who thought the Red Sox should be sellers (this may or may not have included me), and Gray would have been one of the easiest players for the team to trade. His value was sky-high, and the Red Sox already had his replacement in the organization in Jake Bennett.
But now, things are different. The Red Sox are fun, and they're winning games. Are they actually World Series contenders? It's tough to say right now, but you can't ignore a 14-game winning streak.
Arguably Boston's biggest appeal is its pitching staff. Even during the team's struggles to begin the season, their pitching was never in question. And if they're going to make any type of noise in October, they will need this to continue.
He may have been one before, but Gray shouldn't be a trade candidate anymore. As it stands, he is way too important to Boston's success, and he deserves to see the season through with the team.
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