Robbie Ray
Age: 35 (10/1/91) B/T: L/L
2026 Traditional Stats: 13-8, 3.59 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 140 SO, 84 BB, 165 2/3 IP, 31 G, 30 GS
2026 Advanced Stats: 113 ERA+, 19.9 K%, 12 BB%, 4.80 xERA, 4.69 FIP, 4.91 xFIP, .260 BABIP, 2.3 bWAR, 0.9 fWAR
Robbie Ray via Padres’ Instagram
Rundown
In his 13th season, pitching for his fifth and sixth teams, Robbie Ray was a bright spot for the disappointing Giants (3.08 ERA, 122 2/3 innings) and then a disappointment for the playoff-bound Padres (5.02 ERA, 43 innings) after he was shipped south at the trade deadline for two minor leaguers. He appeared in two playoff games for San Diego and allowed three earned runs in 3 2/3 innings vs. the Brewers.
Ray won the American League Cy Young award with the Blue Jays in 2021 and then signed a five-year, $115 million contract with the Mariners, a deal that ended after this season. After not meeting expectations in Seattle in 2022 (12-12, 3.71 ERA) he lost virtually all of 2023 to a left flexor tendon injury that required surgery.
He was traded to the Giants in January 2024, and his last two seasons have been good overall, even with the poor finish with the Padres this year. He was an All-Star in 2025 when he pitched to a 3.65 ERA over 182 1/3 innings.
Recommendation: Try to Sign
The Mets were 22nd in innings pitched by starters, averaging a tick under five frames per start. New York was 23rd in starter ERA at 4.47. Ray could help in both areas. He averaged 5.3 innings per start last year. The only Met starter with a better average than Ray last season was Nolan McLean at 5.8. Sign of the times, the MLB leader was Yoshinobu Yamamoto at 6.6.
There are red flags. Starting with his age, plus he led the majors in walks this season with 84 and led the National League in walks in 2025.
At a news conference after the season, the only starter David Stearns would commit a spot in the 2027 rotation to was McLean. Christian Scott, Zac Thornton, Sean Manaea, Kodai Senga and Jonah Tong are all in the mix. If Manaea and Senga aren’t in the rotation, it would be good to have a veteran arm like Ray. Stearns said the Mets will be looking to add a starter or two.
Since Ray was traded midseason, he is not eligible for a qualifying offer so signing him won’t result in any draft pick penalties. A two-year deal in the $20 million per season range would make sense.
