SF Giants observations: Ray progressing with delivery, Bericoto keeps impressing

SCOTTSDALE, Arizona — Robbie Ray has spent the last three-ish years on a search for a feeling.

Since undergoing Tommy John surgery on May 3, 2023, Ray has been trying to find his delivery. His arm feels great. His body feels great. But something just hasn’t been right.

Re-discovering that old feeling hasn’t been a prerequisite to success. In 2025, Ray’s first full season post-surgery, the left-hander earned his second All-Star appearance and threw the third-most innings of his career. Still, his mechanics have felt off. Ray’s hunt remains in progress, but his outing on Friday against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Scottsdale Stadium represented progress.

“I won my first nine starts (in 2025), but I feel like I told you guys I was fighting it even though it may not look it. … I’ve been fighting it for a while, and today I feel like I made a pretty big step in the right direction,” Ray said after allowing one run over two innings with one strikeout.

Ray said that he, pitching coach Justin Meccage and assistant pitching coach Christian Wonders have been “losing sleep” trying to figure out what’s missing. The biggest issue, through their video research, appears to be that Ray is dipping his back hip. That dip forces Ray’s arm to hike up, robbing him of his ability to keep his shoulders square.

“It kind of counteracts everything that I do because it actually lowers my release point,” Ray said. “My pitch shapes are bad when I do that. My bullpens have been terrible. The last game, the triple play saved the day, but I walked two guys and gave up a base hit.”

After his last bullpen, Ray told Meccage and Wonders that he felt off. Ray didn’t know what was wrong, but he felt “stuck.” He wasn’t getting full extension, feeling as if he was recoiling. Meccage recently pulled up video from Ray’s 2021 season and overlaid it with Ray’s last start.

“It was glaring,” Ray said. “Today, I feel like I did a better job. I felt like I was actually getting out over my front side and driving the ball to the plate. My pitch shapes were a lot better today, so I was really happy with it.”

“He’s got good stuff, but I would label him as a fighter before a pitcher,” said manager Tony Vitello. “I’d say that before I got the job having seen him from afar. It shows you how important it is to compete and how competitive he is in nature.”

Bericoto continues impressing

One notable inclusion in Friday’s lineup was 24-year-old Victor Bericoto, who entered the day 3-for-5 during Cactus League play with one home run and three RBIs. Bericoto made the most of his opportunity, hitting a no-doubt grand slam in the bottom of the fifth inning off Christian Romero.

“You can tell he’s got a passion for being out there,” Vitello said. “I see little innuendos in the dugout. He’s always ready to go and he’s taking it very serious, but he also looks like he’s having fun out there when he’s between the lines. I would have had more fun too if I had a swing like that. He’s got the ability.”

Bericoto signed with the Giants for $25,000 as an international free agent in 2018 out of Venezuela. He reached Triple-A Sacramento for the first time last year but spent most of the season with Double-A Richmond, hitting .267 with 12 homers over 93 games.

“He’s looked good when he’s been in there,” Vitello said pregame. “I’ve really liked the looseness to his swing. I think the baserunning and defense is something that, I don’t want to say I undervalued it, but it’s been a pleasant surprise to me that he’s a well-rounded player.”

Arraez leaves for World Baseball Classic

Second baseman Luis Arraez became the latest Giant to leave camp for the upcoming World Baseball Classic after going 1-for-2 with a walk. Arraez and right-handed reliever José Buttó will play for Team Venezuela, which will travel to Miami for pool play.

“I’m going to miss my teammates, but I have something to do for my city,” Arraez said. “I’m really excited. I feel good, I feel healthy. I can’t wait to get to Miami and see my family, too.”

Vitello discusses Scherzer’s decision to return to Toronto

When Vitello became the Giants’ 40th manager in franchise history back in October, Max Scherzer emerged as a potential fit for San Francisco’s rotation because of his and Vitello’s relationship at Missouri. Instead, Scherzer headed back to the Toronto Blue Jays on an incentive-laden one-year, $13 million deal.

Vitello, who coached Scherzer at Mizzou, said he wasn’t surprised by the future Hall of Famer’s decision to stay above the border.

“A heavy East Coast presence with family and other things,” Vitello said on Thursday. “I think there was an obligation — I don’t mean to speak for either because we keep it business off to the side for the most part — but a little bit of an obligation from both sides. I think they really appreciated his leadership and his presence during that run, and felt like he had something to do with it. Not just on the mound but off. I think he was appreciative of how family was handled and some other things. So, a good relationship there and we’ll see what happens in the future.”