Sonny Gray Yankees Matchup: Key Batter Stats for Game 2

The New York Yankees will look to finish off the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday night when the two American League rivals meet in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series.

New York enters the game with plenty of confidence after taking Game 1 by a commanding 9-0 score. A victory in Game 2 would send the Yankees through to the next round and end Boston’s season.

Standing in their way is a familiar name.

Sonny Gray will take the mound for the Red Sox, giving Boston an experienced starting pitcher with a long history against several players in the Yankees lineup.

Gray has enjoyed an outstanding season, posting an 18-5 record with a 2.72 ERA. At 36 years old, he remains one of the more effective pitchers in baseball, and Boston will be counting on him to keep the season alive.

For New York, the challenge is finding the hitters who have had success against him in the past.

The Yankees’ current roster has combined for 37 hits in 161 at-bats against Gray, which works out to a .230 batting average. Their combined OPS against him is .642.

Those numbers suggest that Gray has generally had the upper hand, but the individual matchups tell a more interesting story.

Yankees Have Mixed Results Against Sonny Gray

When looking at the overall numbers, the Yankees have not exactly dominated Gray.

A .230 average across 161 at-bats is not particularly impressive, and a .642 OPS gives Boston another reason to feel comfortable handing the ball to Gray in an elimination situation.

But baseball is rarely decided by an entire roster’s historical numbers.

Individual matchups can matter.

Several Yankees hitters have produced solid results against Gray, while others have struggled considerably.

That creates an interesting decision for manager Aaron Boone as he puts together his lineup for Game 2.

Some players have shown that they can make consistent contact against Gray. Others have very little success in the matchup.

One of the most surprising numbers belongs to Paul Goldschmidt.

Paul Goldschmidt Has Struggled Against Gray

Goldschmidt is one of the most accomplished hitters of his generation, but his history against Gray is difficult to ignore.

He is just 1-for-26 against the right-hander.

That represents only one hit in 26 career at-bats, along with a double and eight strikeouts.

For a hitter with Goldschmidt’s track record, the numbers stand out.

Of course, past batter-pitcher statistics do not guarantee what will happen in a single playoff game. A player’s previous results against a pitcher are only one piece of information available to a manager.

Still, an 0-for-25 stretch followed by one hit is a significant sample compared with many of the other matchups on New York’s roster.

It will be interesting to see how Boone approaches Goldschmidt’s spot in the lineup with Gray on the mound.

Trent Grisham Has Had Success Against Gray

Trent Grisham is among the Yankees hitters with the strongest history against Gray.

Grisham has gone 5-for-10 against him, giving him a .500 batting average in the matchup.

He has also recorded a double and a home run while striking out twice.

That is a very different profile from Goldschmidt’s numbers.

A 10-at-bat sample is still relatively small, but Grisham’s results give the Yankees a hitter who has demonstrated an ability to handle Gray.

If Boone is looking for players with previous success against the Red Sox starter, Grisham’s record certainly stands out.

Luis Garcia Jr. Also Has a Strong Track Record

Luis Garcia Jr. has another favorable history against Gray.

Garcia is 4-for-10 in the matchup, with a double, a home run and just one strikeout.

That gives him a .400 batting average against Gray.

The combination of hits, extra-base power and limited strikeouts makes Garcia another intriguing name for the Yankees.

While historical numbers cannot predict a playoff at-bat, they do provide some context when two players have faced one another multiple times.

Garcia has already shown that he can put the ball in play against Gray and produce extra-base hits.

Ben Rice Has Hit Two Home Runs Against Gray

Ben Rice has also had success in this particular matchup.

Rice is 3-for-7 against Gray and has hit two home runs.

That gives him a .429 batting average and a significant amount of power in a small sample.

He has also struck out only once in those seven at-bats.

The home run numbers are especially notable because Gray has generally been difficult for the Yankees’ current roster.

Rice’s previous success could make his at-bats worth watching closely if he faces Gray in Game 2.

A single swing can change a playoff game, and Rice has already shown that he can take Gray deep.

Amed Rosario Has Seven Hits Against Gray

Amed Rosario has collected more hits against Gray than any other Yankees hitter listed in the matchup breakdown.

Rosario is 7-for-24, which gives him a .292 average.

He has also struck out six times.

While his batting average is not as high as Grisham’s, Garcia’s or Rice’s, Rosario’s 24 at-bats give him one of the larger samples among the Yankees hitters.

That experience could be useful in an elimination game.

Rosario has seen enough of Gray to have a reasonable understanding of the pitches and sequences he may face.

Again, that does not guarantee success, but familiarity can be another factor when preparing for a playoff matchup.

Cody Bellinger Has Limited Success

Cody Bellinger has faced Gray 15 times and has three hits.

He is 3-for-15, with one double and four strikeouts.

That works out to a .200 batting average.

The four strikeouts are also notable, especially against a pitcher the Yankees will need to solve early if they want to prevent Boston from controlling the game.

Bellinger has plenty of experience in high-pressure postseason situations, but his historical numbers against Gray do not provide a particularly strong advantage heading into this matchup.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. Has Three Hits

Jazz Chisholm Jr. has also faced Gray multiple times.

He is 3-for-13, with a triple and four strikeouts.

The batting average sits at .231, almost identical to the Yankees’ overall .230 mark against Gray.

The triple does show that Chisholm has managed to find extra-base success against him, although the four strikeouts indicate that Gray has also been able to challenge him effectively.

It could be an interesting matchup if Chisholm gets multiple opportunities during the game.

Other Yankees Hitters Against Gray

The rest of the batter-pitcher numbers provide a mixed picture.

Jose Caballero is 3-for-9 against Gray, while Spencer Jones is 3-for-6 with a double and three strikeouts.

Giancarlo Stanton has gone 2-for-5 with one strikeout.

Ryan McMahon is 1-for-11 with two strikeouts, while Heliot Ramos is 1-for-10 and has struck out five times.

Anthony Volpe is 1-for-8 with four strikeouts.

Austin Wells has not recorded a hit in seven at-bats and has one strikeout.

The numbers show why the matchup is not as simple as saying the Yankees have either succeeded or failed against Gray.

Some hitters have handled him.

Others have struggled badly.

That difference could become important once the game begins.

Sonny Gray Has a History With the Yankees

There is another interesting layer to the matchup.

Gray is not a stranger to the Yankees.

The right-hander previously pitched for New York after being acquired from the Oakland Athletics during the 2017 season.

He made 11 appearances for the Yankees during the second half of the 2017 season and posted a 3.72 ERA.

The following year, Gray appeared in 30 games for New York and finished with a 4.90 ERA.

His time in the Bronx did not last particularly long.

After the 2018 season, Gray moved on and continued his career elsewhere.

He later pitched for the Cincinnati Reds, Minnesota Twins and St. Louis Cardinals before reaching the Red Sox.

His career path makes Wednesday’s matchup even more interesting.

A pitcher who once wore pinstripes will now be trying to eliminate the Yankees from the postseason.

Gray’s Career Took a Different Path After New York

Gray’s time with the Yankees was not the defining portion of his career.

After leaving New York, he continued developing and found success with other organizations.

His performances with the Reds, Twins and Cardinals helped establish him as a reliable and highly effective starting pitcher.

Now, years after his time in the Bronx, he is back in a high-pressure situation against the same franchise.

The difference is that this time he is wearing Boston’s uniform.

And with the Red Sox facing elimination, his performance could determine whether the rivalry continues for another game.

The Yankees Enter With Confidence

The Yankees have one major advantage heading into Game 2.

They already won the opening game of the series 9-0.

That gives New York some breathing room and allows the team to approach the matchup knowing that one more victory would end the series.

Boston has no such luxury.

The Red Sox need to win to force a deciding Game 3.

That makes Gray’s assignment especially important.

If he can keep the Yankees’ lineup quiet, Boston will have a chance to turn the series around.

If New York’s hitters get to him early, the Red Sox could quickly find themselves facing a season-ending defeat.

Which Yankees Hitters Could Matter Most?

The historical numbers point toward several Yankees hitters worth watching.

Grisham has five hits in 10 at-bats against Gray.

Garcia has four hits in 10 at-bats, including a home run.

Rice has three hits in seven at-bats and two home runs.

Rosario has seven hits in 24 at-bats.

Those numbers do not guarantee that any of those players will succeed Wednesday, but they provide some of the more interesting individual matchups on the Yankees roster.

At the other end of the spectrum, Goldschmidt’s 1-for-26 record against Gray is one of the strangest statistics in the matchup.

The contrast between those numbers could make the Yankees’ lineup decisions particularly interesting.

Yankees vs. Sonny Gray Could Decide Game 2

The Yankees have already taken control of the series, but Boston has an experienced pitcher capable of changing the momentum.

Gray’s 18-5 record and 2.72 ERA show why the Red Sox are trusting him with their season on the line.

New York’s hitters, meanwhile, have a combined .230 average against him across 161 at-bats.

That is not an overwhelming record, but the individual numbers tell a different story.

Grisham, Garcia, Rice and Rosario have all recorded notable success against Gray. Other hitters, including Goldschmidt, have struggled considerably.

That contrast makes the Yankees vs. Sonny Gray matchup one of the central storylines heading into Game 2.

The history between Gray and the Yankees adds another layer. He once wore the pinstripes, but now he will be trying to send his former team home.

For Boston, Wednesday night is about survival.

For New York, it is an opportunity to close out the series.

After a 9-0 Game 1, the Yankees have momentum. But with Gray on the mound and the Red Sox fighting to keep their season alive, the second game of the series could offer a very different challenge