The San Francisco Giants are off to a hot start. They’re 31-22, only 1 1/2 games behind the juggernaut defending champ Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West, and the strength of their starting pitching has been part of it. Many experts didn’t predict the Giants to start the season so hot, and those who did probably expected it to be behind the efforts of franchise face Logan Webb or Hall of Famer Justin Verlander, not veteran journeyman Robbie Ray. But Ray is leading the Giants toward the division lead.
Robbie Ray Starts Season 7-0
Ray’s Journey to the Bay
Ray is not a Giants lifer. He has bounced around the league, which is unusual for a pitcher as good as him. Ray has had both an All-Star year and a Cy Young year. He has finished top 10 in Cy Young voting twice (2017 and 2021, when he won). However, his lack of consistency has consistently discouraged teams from keeping him around. Ray followed up his 163 ERA+ in his All-Star year of 2017 with a mediocre 107 ERA+ in 2018. He followed up his Cy Young, 157 ERA+, 248 strikeout season in 2021 with a mediocre 100 ERA+ season. He has been able to capture lightning in a bottle multiple times, but the bottom has fallen out every time. This has led the Arizona Diamondbacks, Toronto Blue Jays, and Seattle Mariners to all send him away despite his obvious talent.
Following his Tommy John surgery in 2023, many thought his career might even be over after 10 years in the game. While he was recovering, Seattle traded him to San Francisco, who gambled that he might return to his old form. In Robbie Ray’s first year back after recovery from TJ, he seems to be even better and many are talking about All-Star consideration for this year, and if he catches fire, maybe even Cy Young consideration
Season Stats
Robbie Ray: 6.0 IP | 3 H | 1 R | 1 BB | 7 Ks
He moves to 7-0 on the season
pic.twitter.com/ChZpVP0Msl
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) May 25, 2025
Including his win on Sunday, Ray has started the season with a 2.56 ERA and a 145 ERA+ in 11 games. He has accumulated 1.6 WAR in 63 1/3 innings, currently putting him in the lead among Giants pitchers, and 3rd on the roster, behind only Jung-Hoo Lee (1.8 WAR) and Matt Chapman (2.1 WAR). He has struck out 69 batters with a WHIP of 1.221.
All of his marks are surpassing his career averages. He has averaged a 3.93 ERA in his career with an ERA+ of 109. He has bested both of those marks this year. A quarter of the way into the season, he’s on pace for more than 6 WAR and 240+ strikeouts. Furthermore, don’t look now, but he’s even besting his 2.84 ERA from his Cy Young season in 2021. All of this is especially impressive for a 12-year veteran still recovering from Tommy John surgery. Can Ray keep this up?
The Last Word on Robbie Ray
Ray is attempting to catch lightning in a bottle one more time, maybe for the last time. He’s chasing a second All-Star nod and perhaps a second Cy Young. He’s also looking for a place to be remembered. Ray has bounced around the league, but 12 years into his career, the journeyman wants to find the franchise that he can end his career with and have his name remembered with. This year is doing some heavy lifting there, but if he can keep it up, the Bay might just be the place he was searching for.
Photo Credit: © Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
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