Scouting Report

Scouting grades: Fastball: 65 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 40 | Overall: 40

Gray chose baseball over the chance to be a Division I quarterback, thinking he had more of a future on the mound. Raw but electric, the athletic right-hander excited scouts with what he could potentially become once he left the gridiron behind. The Angels' scouting department was definitely in that camp, giving him third-round money -- a bonus of $1.25 million -- to sign the North Carolina high schooler as a fifth-rounder in the 2025 Draft.

With tremendous arm speed, Gray can light up radar guns with his fastball up to 98 mph, sitting in the 92-96 range with sink. He featured an upper-70s sweeper of a slider in high school, often having trouble harnessing it, and leading some to think his power profile would be better suited for a tighter, harder slide piece in the future. Surprisingly, he has some feel for an 80 mph changeup with some fade.

Gray’s athleticism helps him drive down the mound, but his mechanics are rarely in sync and he has trouble repeating his delivery, leading to poor control and command. This is a bit of a lottery ticket that might take extra time to cash in, but the payout could be huge eventually.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 65 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 40 | Overall: 40

Though Gray drew scholarship offers to play quarterback from mid-major college programs, he preferred playing baseball and his future was brighter on the mound. One of the more athletic and electric pitchers in the 2025 high school class, he also had one of the biggest gaps between his ceiling and floor. Extremely raw, but generating excitement about how much progress he could make once he focuses on baseball, Gray got $1.25 million -- third-round money -- from the Angels in the fifth round of the 2025 Draft.

Gray has a lightning-quick arm that produces fastballs that peak at 98 mph and park at 92-96 with power sink. His sweeping upper-70s slider lacks consistency and he'll probably be better off with a tighter, harder version in the long run. Given his inexperience, he shows some surprising aptitude for throwing a fading changeup that sits around 80 mph.

Gray is a quality athlete who explodes down the mound but struggles to repeat his delivery. His release point wanders and he currently has below-average control and worse command. He'll need plenty of polish and time to get it, but he could emerge as a young starting pitching prospect in the Angels system.

Video scouting report »

Scouting grades: Fastball: 65 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 40 | Overall: 40

Though Gray drew scholarship offers to play quarterback from mid-major college programs, he prefers playing baseball and his future is brighter on the mound. He's one of the more athletic and electric pitchers in the 2025 high school class, though he also has one of the biggest gaps between his ceiling and floor. He's extremely raw, but scouts are excited about how much progress he could make once he focuses on baseball.

Gray has a lightning-quick arm that produces fastballs that peak at 98 mph and park at 92-96 with power sink. His sweeping upper-70s slider lacks consistency and he'll probably be better off with a tighter, harder version in the long run. Given his inexperience, he shows some surprising aptitude for throwing a fading changeup that sits around 80 mph.

Gray is a quality athlete who explodes down the mound but struggles to repeat his delivery. His release point wanders and he currently has below-average control and worse command. He'll need plenty of polish and time to get it, but he could command a seven-figure bonus to give up his commitment to North Carolina State.

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	03/05/2026	RHP CJ Gray assigned to Los Angeles Angels Prospects.
	08/04/2025	ACL Angels activated RHP CJ Gray.
	08/04/2025	ACL Angels activated RHP CJ Gray.
	07/23/2025	RHP CJ Gray assigned to ACL Angels.
	07/22/2025	Los Angeles Angels signed RHP CJ Gray.
	05/26/2025	College Workout activated RHP C.J. Gray.