Nationals pitcher, New Rochelle's Josiah Gray, enjoys full-circle moment at Yankee Stadium

There were many Division I scouts that wrote off Josiah Gray in high school.

The New Rochelle native had other plans though.

His senior year as a Huguenot was hardly the final chapter of his baseball journey, but the beginning stages of his rise, which has spawned a few thrilling sequels since his days donning the Huguenot purple.

On Tuesday night, the Washington Nationals pitcher got a new story that he'll get to tell for a long time. Gray was back in New York and pitching for the first time in Yankee Stadium. He grew up a Yankee fan that idolized Derek Jeter and the rest of the pinstriped players throughout the years.

"For me, it's definitely top five," Gray said of taking the mound at Yankee Stadium. "Just to be able to go out there before the game and walk around Monument Park. I remember sitting in the 400-level thinking the big leaguers were so cool. I looked up to all of them. I always had that feeling like I don't know if I'll ever be close to those guys or talk to those guys, but here I am now as a big leaguer. It's one of those things that you really appreciate.

"It makes you appreciate how far you've gone. I dreamed of doing this as a kid. Now, here I am at Yankee Stadium pitching. Can't really put it into words. It was really awesome to be out there and fulfill a childhood dream, honestly."

Like many Yankee fans, the memory of Aaron Boone's walk-off home run against the Boston Red Sox in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS persists all these years later. He can rattle off the names of 2000s and early-2010s Yankee stars that he admired.

As a professional player though, he's put that fandom behind him. In the series-opener, he was tough on the mound. While he had been struggling in recent outings, Gray was able to take a step towards returning to all-star form.

He stayed composed through challenging moments, got some nice defensive plays behind him from his teammates and ultimately left with the game tied at 1-1 entering the bottom of the seventh inning.

Gray allowed just one hit and run off Ben Rortvedt's solo home run, while striking out four batters and walking five over six innings of work.

Although he was credited with a no-decision, he played a key role in the close 2-1 victory for the Nationals.

"We talk all the time that he's got to clean some things up, but he competes and gives you everything he has," Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. "He was awesome today. He really was, and he kept his composure. I know this was a big day for him. He was a big fan of the Yankees when he was a kid. To pitch on this mound was big for him, and he did well."

Gray's status and ability was unquestioned in Section 1. While college scouts may have doubted him, he proved to be special. He took his lone scholarship offer to Division II LeMoyne and became a standout there, earning conference pitcher of the year and All-American honors in his final collegiate season.

"Surprised isn't really the word more so than disappointed, I knew he had a pretty high ceiling and he was nowhere near that yet," said current New Rochelle baseball coach Claude Balliet, who had known Gray since he was 12, of Gray's recruiting interests in high school. "Recruiting worked a little differently back then, even though it wasn't that long ago. The summer after his senior year, he played for me and Rye assistant coach Chad Charney. Team was loaded with talent going to Division I programs, including George Kirby, and he clearly fit in and excelled in that atmosphere. Who knows though? Maybe it forced him to play with a chip on his shoulder and work that much harder."

A 2015 graduate of New Rochelle High School, Gray was a second round pick in the 2018 MLB Draft. He became a first-time MLB All-Star this year in his second full season with the Nationals. He currently holds a 7-10 record and 3.85 ERA, with 118 strikeouts over 135.2 innings.

He hit a rough patch earlier this month and struggled to reach the fifth inning in each of his three previous starts, but he and his teammates are hoping that he'll be able to stay the course and build off of his solid outing.

"To be completely honest, my command was scattered, but I was able to limit the damage," Gray said. "It's an outing I know when I come back to the ballpark tomorrow, I really got to get to work and work on my lower half, make sure that I'm not opening up too soon and those kinds of things. I'll take the good outing, but I think this is one of those outings that keeps you grounded. Gotta get back to work tomorrow and get ready for the next one."

Regardless of what happens next, though, you can count on the New Rochelle community to still watch closely and root for him loudly.

Several Huguenots made their way down to the Bronx to see him in action.

"He's stayed involved the whole time," said Pete Annunziata, who coached Gray in high school. "He's always been in contact. He's communicated directly with some of the players to give them encouragement. He's communicated in our group messages. He bought the seniors cleats one year, bags for our Florida trip. He's always been contributing all along, it's like he's still one of the New Rochelle guys."

Even if you're not from New Rochelle, there's a lot to learn and take away from Gray's journey from being an unheralded recruit with one scholarship offer to MLB All-Star and a pivotal piece in paving the way to a close victory at Yankee Stadium.

"There's so many different things I could say, but I think number one is making sure you're using all your resources out there," said Gray of his advice to young ballplayers with big league aspirations or aiming to get better. "There are so many avenues of free information that can take your game to the next level, with social media and anything -- there's tons of people out there willing to help guys. For me, I've benefited just from making sure I was using every avenue to try and make myself better. For younger players, in this area especially, there's so many people out there that are willing to help you. It's just a matter of how bad do you want to get better and make a name for yourself?"

Follow Eugene Rapay on Twitter at @erapay5 and on Instagram at @byeugenerapay. 

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Nationals pitcher Josiah Gray has full-circle moment in win vs Yankees