SAN FRANCISCO — Robbie Ray should be expecting a text message from Tarik Skubal.
“Maybe a middle finger emoji,” the Detroit Tigers ace and 2024 American League Cy Young winner joked from his locker in the visitor’s clubhouse at Oracle Park on Monday afternoon. Later that evening, Ray mostly mowed through the Tigers’ lineup in a 6-4 exhibition win — while wielding Skubal’s own weapon.
The two left-handers share more than similar arm slots and company in the exclusive club of Cy Young winners.
The changeup Ray added to his arsenal this spring is a product of a text message the 33-year-old veteran sent to the Hayward native this offseason. So enamored with Skubal’s go-to offspeed offering, Ray acquired his contact info from a mutual teammate and shot off an introduction out of the blue.
Hey, this is Robbie Ray …
“I was like, no it’s not. What?” Skubal, 28, said. “But it was a cool interaction. Really cool. For a guy of that status to reach out to me, at that point in my career, I think that’s really cool.”
The brief back-and-forth spawned a mutually beneficial relationship, albeit one that has yet to transcend beyond the digital realm.
Partly out of his sense of admiration and partly sensing opportunity, Skubal provided Ray what the Giants’ left-hander later described as the “kitchen sink.” He didn’t merely share the grip he used, but every aspect that made the pitch one of the game’s most effective last season. Cues, tools — even video feedback.
“I know he has a really good slider and it’s something I wanted. I felt like there was a good opportunity for a one-for-one trade there,” Skubal said. “I kind of gave him everything I do because we’re both kind of high-slot lefties and we’re both not good at pronating. I asked him how he throws his slider and he gave me basically everything that I gave him right back to me.”
While Skubal is keeping the slider in his back pocket, Ray has moved full steam ahead with the changeup.
The pitch hadn’t been a regular part of his repertoire since the early stage of his career. But after returning from Tommy John surgery last summer, Ray had a full, healthy offseason in front of him and wanted to find a new weapon to get right-handed hitters out.
“I just wanted to make sure I was ready to go this year,” Ray said. “I know it’s an important year. It’s kind of a bounceback year. And I’m obviously working on a new pitch, so I just wanted to make sure everything was crisp coming into this year.”
Using 73 pitches to complete five-plus innings Monday evening, Ray looked crisp enough in his final tuneup before the regular season. He issued his first free pass of the spring and surrendered back-to-back home runs — including a 439-foot splash hit — but otherwise navigated the Detroit order without issue.
Seven of the pitches he threw were changeups, and he attempted to scan the first-base dugout for Skubal. “I was looking for him over there,” Ray said. “But it’s tough when you have the pitch clock. You can’t really just go down the line and stare.”
The two still haven’t met in real life, though one can figure they will make that happen Tuesday, when neither is scheduled to pitch.
Skubal has been keeping tabs from a distance, though.
“It’s funny because in the spring I saw him throw one and he punched someone out on it. I was like, ‘That’s not a slider.’ It went down,” Skubal said. “So I sent him the link and I was like, ‘Is this what I think it is?’ And he said, ‘Yeah’ and sent me some metrics on it. It’s a really good pitch.”
The no-doubter into McCovey Cove came off the bat of Riley Greene — and a changeup. Ray said it was his first time unveiling it against a left-handed hitter.
Whoops, apparently Skubal didn’t mention not to leave it up.
“You can’t do that to good hitters,” Ray said. “Probably gonna just make sure it’s down when I’m facing a lefty.”
Heliot Ramos knocked in three runs on three separate hits, including a solo shot to lead off the bottom of the first, and the warm weather — 75 degrees at first pitch — wasn’t the only thing the Giants brought with them from Arizona. They secured their 20th win of the spring after already having clinched the Cactus League title.
Ray, who is lined up to start the finale of their opening series in Cincinnati, finished the spring with a 1.52 ERA (4 ER, 23.2 IP), 29 strikeouts and two walks over six starts, including one simulated outing at the Giants’ minor-league complex.
“Felt good to be back in San Francisco,” he said. “Kind of a weird night as far as the weather. A little warm. A little muggy. But I felt like everything was working kind of how I wanted it to. Obviously I don’t like the walk. First walk all spring. Not ideal. But overall I feel like it’s been a really good spring and that I’m in a really good spot right now.”