This story was excerpted from Jessica Camerato’s Nationals Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
It had been years since Josiah Gray returned to the Little League field in his hometown of New Rochelle, N.Y. This month, he made a special visit as an All-Star Major League pitcher as part of MLB’s Play Ball initiative.
“I think it was definitely a full-circle moment,” the 26-year-old Gray said.
The Nationals' right-hander hosted a day of activities that included a giveaway of cleats, photographs and autograph signings.
“He was very kind and [said] there’s always a way to get to the goal that I want to have,” said one participant.
Gray appreciates and understands the impact of childhood sporting events -- he is an alumnus of the MLB Develops and Breakthrough Series programs.
After reaching the Majors in 2021, Gray was named the Nationals' player ambassador to the Youth Baseball Academy in September 2022. Last offseason, he hosted a Play Ball event at the Boys & Girls Club of New Rochelle.
“To see all the kids, have some fun and have some pure joy of just playing baseball, it really brought me to my younger days,” Gray said. “I’m looking forward to these kids creating new memories on this field. Hopefully, this was an important one for them.”
Gray welcomed the aspiring athletes with a friendly Q&A, ranging from asking his best pitch (Gray, who has many, picked his slider) to noting, “My mom used to work with your mom.”
And with the event being held in New York, it’s no surprise one specific name came up.
“I struck out Aaron Judge,” Gray told a participant wearing a Yankees hat.
“You struck out Aaron Judge?!” the child exclaimed.
“We got to get you a Nationals hat, though,” Gray laughed.
Gray, who is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, has made 73 starts and pitched nearly 400 innings in the Majors. He hopes these experiences will lead to more players from his hometown area joining him on the big league level.
“That’s what the core of it all was: They can be the next Major Leaguers from New Rochelle,” Gray said. “I’m just trying to inspire them to keep playing baseball.”