Jon Gray has had plenty of ups and downs during his Texas Rangers tenure, but he still played a key role in Rangers history. His signing was a part of a franchise-altering offseason and he was an unsung hero in the 2023 World Series for the Rangers.
Here’s 10 things to know about Rangers pitcher Jon Gray.
1. The basics
Name: Jonathan Charles Gray
Birthday: November 5, 1991
Ht./Wt.: 6-4, 225 pounds
Hometown: Shawnee, Oklahoma
Position: Pitcher
2. Part of a spending spree
The 2021-22 offseason was a busy one and a franchise-altering one for the Rangers.
Jon Gray was a part of that.
In a 24-hour span, Texas signed Marcus Semien to a seven-year, $175 million deal, Corey Seager to a 10-year, $325 million deal and Jon Gray to a four-year, $56 million deal. It was a MLB record (that has since been broken) for team free agent spending in one winter. Gray had spent the first portion of his career with the Rockies.
While the huge spending didn’t amount to much in the 2022 season, the Rangers certainly reaped the rewards of their spending in 2023.
3. A persistent injury bug
Gray has been a contributor for the Rangers, but his attendance track record isn’t great. In three seasons with Texas, Gray has made a grand total of seven trips to the injured list.
In 2022, he went to the injured list three times. In order, he dealt with a blister on his pitching hand, a left knee sprain and an oblique strain. In 2023, he dealt with right forearm tightness but returned for the ALCS.
In 2024, Gray went to the injured list three more times, dealing with two separate groin strains and a right foot neuroma.
Here’s to a healthier 2025 season for him!
4. Team player
When he returned from his forearm injury in the 2023 ALCS, has role changed significantly. He was no longer a starting pitcher and was to come out of the bullpen.
Even in a reduced role, he was a team player and made three appearances out of the bullpen, including a tremendous outing in Game 3 of the World Series. In that game, Gray earned the win and threw three shutout innings. He allowed just one hit and struck out three Diamondbacks.
His Game 3 outing was especially helpful because Max Scherzer pitched the first three innings but had to come out due to injury. In emergency duty out of the bullpen, Gray stepped up big-time in the Rangers’ 3-1 win.
He also provided 1.2 scoreless innings in Game 1 of the World Series, which included legendary home runs by Corey Seager and Adolis García.
In his three appearances out of the bullpen during the 2023 playoffs, Gray had a 1.59 ERA in 5.2 innings, striking out eight and walking just one.
5. A prized prospect
Not only was Gray drafted, but he was drafted three times!
The Kansas City Royals selected Gray in the 13th round of the 2010 MLB draft, but he did not sign. Then, the Yankees selected him in the 10th round of the 2011 MLB draft and offered Gray $500,000 to sign. He passed on that chance too.
He bet on himself and won, as three years later he was selected third overall by the Colorado Rockies in the 2013 MLB draft. Colorado gave him a $4.8 million signing bonus.
6. Middle school sweetheart
He is married to his middle school sweetheart, Jacklyn.
The two spend a lot of time giving back to the community and did the same in Colorado as well. Gray hosts an annual holiday toy drive in partnership with Mission Arlington and Mission Metroplex at Globe Life Field.
He and his wife also host military families at Rangers games, an initiative called #MissionGrayWolf22.
“Just seeing the smiles, and you’re seeing everybody go about their day, it lets you know you’re really making a difference,” Gray said at the toy drive with Jacklyn at his side. “That’s kind of the thing we’ve been seeing all year long with all the stuff we’ve been doing.”
Said Jacklyn, an equally-ambitious partner of Gray’s community work: “It’s very important for us to give back to the community, because they give so much to us. They’re the reason we are here.”
7. Man’s best friend
The Gray family are also big-time dog people. Gray donates $100 per strikeout to The Pawerful Rescue in Royse City, a nonprofit shelter.
The Gray family also spearheaded the Texas Rangers Pet Calendar that ran from July 2023 to December 2024. It featured Rangers players and manager Bruce Bochy posing with their pets and pets rescued from The Pawerful Rescue.
He and his wife Jacklyn have four Yorkshire Terrier rescue dogs, as well as three cats.
His four dogs are named Lilly, Bandit, Sophie and Trunks.
8. Recognized for his philanthrophy
The last couple years have been busy for Gray in his community work. In 2024, he was named the Players Trust Most Valuable Philanthropist of the season.
In 2023, he was the Rangers’ nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award and won the 2023 Bob Feller Act of Valor Award.
“It’s also something to kind put a different focus on things,” Gray said. “There’s some other things going on that are really great too, besides what our team is doing. It’s a lot to be proud of.”
Besides the previously mentioned charity work, he also donates $500 for each of his wins to the Adaptive Training Foundation, a Carrollton-based non-profit that serves wounded and injured military veterans, and hosts The Birthday Party Project, in which children experiencing homelessness are invited to Rangers games.
9. Boomer!
Gray is one of the best pitchers to ever put on an Oklahoma Sooners uniform.
Oklahoma coach Sunny Golloway encouraged Gray to go pitch at a junior college named Eastern Oklahoma State College to gain experience as a starting pitcher. After a 2.89 ERA at Eastern Oklahoma, he transferred to Oklahoma.
As a sophomore, he had a 3.16 ERA with 104 strikeouts in 102.2 innings. Then things took off his junior year.
He had a 10-3 record, a 1.64 ERA and 147 strikeouts in 126.1 innings. Gray was named a first-team All-American, was unanimously named to the All-Big 12 team, was named Most Outstanding Player of the 2013 Big 12 tournament and won National Pitcher of the Year.
10. Comes from a family of athletes
While his father did play baseball in high school, he ultimately spent his career in the military.
But Gray’s brother Jack played football at Northeastern State University and his sister Brooke played softball for Barton Community College.
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