Javan Shouey
Robbie Ray is having a strong start to his season and enters Saturday’s contest with the Miami Marlins in very sharp form. I expect another dazzling performance from the San Francisco Giant’s left-handed starter once again. Let’s dive in and discuss why he has had such a strong start to the season.
Robbie Ray (SFG) under 2.5 earned runs allowed (-150)
Odds available at DraftKings sportsbook at time of publishing. Playable to -160 odds.
Robbie Ray is a former Cy Young winner that has unfortunately had to deal with injuries in recent seasons. The veteran southpaw did have a healthy offseason, however, and he was able to add a new pitch to his repertoire with the help of Tarik Skubal. Skubal and Ray had conversations about Skubal’s changeup grip, and Ray has added that pitch to his arsenal this season with some decent usage. He has kept it as a weapon solely for right-handed batters, using it 15.7% of the time against righties overall. That offering has generated a 39.3% whiff rate and opposing batters have a .301 wOBA against it. Adding another secondary pitch makes it harder for opposing lineups to hone in on his slider or fastball, and the results have been strong so far in 2025.
Ray has posted a 2.56 ERA through his 63.1 innings so far this season while allowing 2 or fewer earned runs in 8 of his 11 starts. His 2.99 xERA, 3.21 FIP, and 3.75 SIERA are all strong marks as well, and the left-hander has a .209 xBA against him. He is a strong strikeout pitcher that should be able to overcome a Marlins lineup that has been somewhat strikeout averse against lefties of late. They still haven’t been productive against southpaw pitching, however, posting the league’s 3rd lowest wOBA and a wRC+ of 54 across 204 plate appearances in the month of May. The young Marlins have a lack of familiarity with Ray, as Jesus Sanchez is the only active hitter to have faced him before. While not in his pitcher friendly home ballpark, Ray still benefits from a pitcher friendly park in Miami today. I expect a strong effort from Ray as he looks to continue his resurgent season for the Giants.
