SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Jon Gray was a whisper last year that grew into a battle cry, the name in any discussion about the Rockies’ future. But he was a number on a minor-league page that showed up every five days from central Oklahoma.
By Monday, after the Rockies ripped off the Band-Aid of Jhoulys Chacin, Gray finally was in sight.
Colorado’s prized pitching prospect, a 6-foot-4, 235-pound flamethrowing right-hander, threw four Cactus League innings so quickly, he needed another bullpen session to keep his arm busy.
Gray — finally and suddenly, at age 23 — might be ready to take over a spot in the Rockies’ starting rotation.
“You look around and see. How many options are really there?” Gray said. “It could come faster than I expected.”
Four pitchers are vying for one available spot in the Rockies’ rotation. There are two possibilities:
• The Rockies can play it safe and go with 27-year-old David Hale, who threw a full rookie season with Atlanta last year before a trade to Colorado, or Christian Bergman, 26, who tasted the major leagues in a rookie call-up from Colorado Springs. Both are big-league tested.
• Or they can take a risk and jump to the future by calling up Gray or Eddie Butler, 24 — fellow first-round draft picks so far linked as “Butler and Gray.”
“It’s obvious,” Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. “They can do the math alone and say there’s more opportunity now than 24 hours ago.”
Sunday, the Rockies released Chacin after his six years with the club. He had been penciled into their starting rotation since signing a one-year, $5.5 million contract in January. He left behind a glaring hole in Colorado’s chances for success this season.
He also left an opportunity.
“It’s down to four people for one spot,” said Butler, who made his big-league debut last season before falling back in Double-A. “It’s going to be a fight. All the guys are throwing hard. That’s a good thing.
“You’re going to put three guys throwing really well into the minor leagues. That rotation (at Triple-A Albuquerque) is going to be sick too.”
The prospects are not the only players. Hale, a newcomer, and Bergman said they can judge the landscape for themselves.
“It really does feel encouraging,” Hale said. “I’m starting to get a feel. But when it comes to where I’m in line for that spot, it’s tough to say.”
Gray, though, stands out. In 2014, in his first full pro year, he wore down in Double-A and never made it up. This spring, he sprang from tired minor-leaguer to big-league ready.
“I want everything to happen at the right time,” Gray said. “I wouldn’t like to be the guy who gets rushed up and does bad and gets sent down. I’m really close to being ready. And maybe these last couple outings can decide if I’m ready.”
Monday, he mowed down Milwaukee. Against Scooter Gennett and Ryan Braun in the first inning, Gray threw six pitches. All fastballs. All strikes. He allowed two hits in four innings. He faced one more batter than the minimum. He threw a 16-pitch bullpen session afterward to keep his arm from getting bored.
Weiss, though, isn’t looking for talent. He’s looking for emotional IQ. The pressure of spring expectations is nothing compared with the third deck at Coors Field staring down.
“We’re always going to have a relatively young staff here. That’s just how it works,” Weiss said. “That’s why I’m so locked into their maturity level. That’s neck-up stuff — what’s in their heart, what’s in their soul.”
The Rockies will use the next two weeks to sort through their rotation options. But at Salt River Fields, Gray might be pitching too well to ignore.
“It’s exciting,” he said. “But then again, I don’t want to think about it too much. I just want to take care of now.”
Nick Groke: ngroke@denverpost.com or
Gray data
Jon Gray, the Rockies’ prized pitching prospect, might be on the cusp of his major-league debut. How did he get here?
Age: 23.
Height: 6-foot-4.
Weight: 235 pounds.
Drafted: First round (third overall) in 2013.
College: Oklahoma. All-American in 2013.
In 2013: 4-0, 0.75 ERA in 24 innings with Single-A Modesto.
In 2014: 10-5, 3.91 ERA in 124 ⅓ innings with Double-A Tulsa.
Strength: Upper-90s fastball, with a put-away slider.
Weakness: Just one full pro year; hasn’t pitched above Double-A.
Rotation situation
The Rockies will look to younger arms to fill the final spot in their starting rotation. A breakdown of who’s who:
Who’s in:
1. Jorge De La Rosa, 33, LHP
2. Kyle Kendrick, 30, RHP
3. Tyler Matzek, 24, LHP
4. Jordan Lyles, 24, RHP
The competition:
David Hale, 27, RHP
Jon Gray, 23, RHP
Eddie Butler, 24, RHP
Christian Bergman, 26, RHP
