Who is Josiah Gray? Ex-Reds draft pick to oppose Cincinnati on Opening Day at GABP
The Cincinnati Reds will have Frankie Montas, one of their most significant acquisitions of the offseason, as their starting pitcher on Opening Day at Great American Ball Park on Thursday against the Washington Nationals.
Some Reds fans will recognize the pitcher scheduled to start for the Nats: Right-hander Josiah Gray is a former second-round draft pick of the Reds.
Gray posted a 2.92 ERA in 12 starts for the Greeneville Reds of the Appalachian League in 2018, but never pitched in the majors for Cincinnati before he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers several months after the Reds drafted him.
What to know about the 26-year-old Gray, who is making his first-ever Opening Day start:
Gray was selected by the Reds in the second round of the 2018 draft, 72nd overall.
The two players the Reds drafted ahead of Gray in 2018, infielder Jonathan India and pitcher Lyon Richardson, remain on Cincinnati's 40-man roster. India was selected 5th overall; Richardson 47th.
The Arizona Diamondbacks selected Reds infielder Matt McLain 25th overall in 2018, but he opted to attend UCLA instead. The Reds took him in the first round in 2021, after he played three seasons for the Bruins.
The Reds-Dodgers trade in 2018 was one of two big trades involving Gray.
Gray was traded in December 2018 by the Reds with Homer Bailey and Jeter Downs to the Dodgers for Kyle Farmer, Matt Kemp, Yasiel Puig, Alex Wood and cash. In July 2021, Gray was traded by the Dodgers with Gerardo Carrillo, Donovan Casey and Keibert Ruiz to the Nationals for Max Scherzer and Trea Turner.
Downs, a 2017 first-round pick of the Reds, also played briefly for the Nats last season, but was claimed off waivers by the New York Yankees in December.
Bailey was released by the Dodgers the day after the 2018 trade. In 31 starts between the Kansas City Royals and the A's in 2019, Bailey was 13-9 with a 4.57 ERA. He last pitched in Major League Baseball for the Minnesota Twins in 2020, posting a 3.38 ERA in eight innings over two starts.
Farmer was a fan favorite for the Reds from 2019 to 2022, batting .255 with 39 homers in 1,379 plate appearances over four seasons. He's entering his second season with the Minnesota Twins.
Puig hit .252 with 22 home runs and 61 RBIs in 100 games for the Reds in 2019. Kemp batted .200 with three extra-base hits in 62 PAs before the Reds released him in May 2019. Wood posted a 5.80 ERA in seven starts he made for Cincinnati.
In 2023, Gray posted an 8-13 record and 3.91 ERA.
Gray's 2023 campaign also included his first career All-Star selection.
Gray lost to the Reds on July 5, allowing home runs to Joey Votto and Elly De La Cruz. In five innings of work, Gray allowed three earned runs on eight hits with four walks and six strikeouts.
Gray did a better job in 2023 with limiting home runs. After leading the league in home runs allowed in 2022 with 38 in 148 2/3 innings, he allowed 22 in 159 innings last season.
Gray has faced the Reds one other time, beating Cincinnati in 2022.
In his only start so far at GABP, Gray pitched six innings, allowing one earned run on two hits, with three walks and nine strikeouts in an 8-5 Washington win in June.
Gray gave up a two-run homer to Tommy Pham in the 1st, but settled down to fire five scoreless innings.
The Reds will see other familiar faces in the opposing dugout on Opening Day.
During the offseason, the Nats added three former Reds, infielder Nick Senzel, outfielder Jesse Winker and right-handed pitcher Derek Law.
In the game last July that Gray lost to the Reds, Law, then with the Reds, gave up a double to Jeimer Candelario, now with the Reds.
Nats relievers Dylan Floro and Tanner Rainey also have pitched for Cincinnati.
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This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Who is Josiah Gray? Ex-Reds draft pick to start on Opening Day at GABP
