Robbie Ray at 100

Cutting Corners

As a high school freshman, Robbie Ray dominated a doubleheader against a rival — pitching a complete game and hitting a three-run homer in the first contest, then catching the second. The opposing coach invited him to join a stronger travel squad that night, which launched his time playing alongside Mookie Betts and Tony Kemp in Tennessee, where Ray was regarded as the best hitter.

At Brentwood High School, he went 7-1 with a 0.50 ERA his senior year, struck out 95, walked 13, and threw three no-hitters, one a perfect game. He de-committed from Vanderbilt and committed to Arkansas, but the Washington Nationals took him in the 12th round of the 2010 draft, and he signed for $799,000.

Two years later, he was struggling in high-A when teammate Steven Souza Jr. told him, during a clubhouse argument over a card game, that he was always cutting corners. The confrontation prompted deep self-reflection that offseason. Ray embraced Christianity, reshaped his approach to the game, and became a better teammate.

The Road

Detroit called him up in 2014. Arizona kept him for six seasons and an All-Star selection in 2017. In Toronto he won the 2021 Cy Young. Seattle had him for two years, San Francisco for three — and a second All-Star nod in 2025 — and the Padres added the left-hander in 2026. Thirteen seasons, 289 starts, 1,866 strikeouts, a 3.90 ERA. On September 11, Ray recorded his 100th career win. The losses stand at 89.

The Switch

Coaches have described Ray as a determined worker with an on-off switch for fun and hard work that made him stand out as a teen. His eldest son Asher showed off his own version by making faces at the camera during Ray's live Cy Young acceptance interview in 2021. Ray and his wife Taylor have four children. He is 34, still starting for San Diego, and often takes his sons to the lake.

Reporting: San Francisco Chronicle, Sportsnet, MLB.com, San Diego Union-Tribune, Wikipedia. Career and biographical data: MLB StatsAPI, via the Fever engine.