ROBBIE RAY: I'm not an aimer.

I'm more of a hard-nose, in-your-face kind of pitcher.

INTERVIEWER: At first glance, he's a flame thrower.

Arizona Diamondbacks' Robbie Ray is an emergent talent,

putting an unusual bite into his pitch.

I'm coming at you with my best stuff all the time.

I'm not a guy that's going to nibble on corners.

I'm not looking to trick you.

I'm coming at you with what I've got, and that's it.

INTERVIEWER: More than enough to entrench

Robbie as the left-handed power option

in the Diamondbacks' rotation, where the 25-year-old settles

into his third summer playing in Phoenix.

Scorpions, snakes, cactus, how has that

been an adjustment for a Tennessee guy?

It's been different.

Actually, two years ago when I got traded over here

was the first time I'd ever seen a cactus.

I haven't seen any rattlesnakes.

Scorpions, we had a teammate that caught like 10 or 12

of them in like a little jar.

And that was pretty cool to see those.

But you know, I know they're out there.

INTERVIEWER: It comes with the territory.

Fitting for a Diamondback, who adapts to Arizona's hot desert

temperatures.

July heat.

How's that going to go?

ROBBIE RAY: It gets really hot.

But I guess what people don't really understand

is there's no humidity out here.

So it's-- you don't really sweat a whole lot unless you get

going a lot.

INTERVIEWER: Robbie throws a lot.

Last season, leading his team in innings pitched,

while finishing with the fourth most strikeouts

in the National League, as the fastball specialist

brings his own heat.

How do you generate your velocity?

I just kind of listen to what my body is telling me.

Like, this is where my arm should be.

And then I really drive down the mound.

I think that's the biggest key.

And arm speed.

I have probably a higher than average arm speed.

And that creates that whip to get the velocity

through the zone.

Is that by you're doing, or is that a gift?

That's a gift from God for sure.

I mean, I don't think you can teach arm speed.

And you can't train arm speed.

It's just something that you're given.

INTERVIEWER: Robbie is in rare historic company,

joining just 12 other Major League pitchers all time,

averaging over 11 strikeouts during nine

innings in a season.

When you see a stat like that, what does that tell you?

I feel like it tells me that I'm capable of more, honestly.

You know, I feel like I've got a pretty good ground floor

of where I'm at right now.

Last year, I felt like there were starts where I could just

go out there, and I could tell the guy,

hey, this is what's coming, and he still

wasn't going to hit it.

I have that feeling now of knowing where that edge is.

So it's something that I can get to pretty quickly.

And it's all about just harnessing that

and being able to maintain that throughout the whole season.

INTERVIEWER: He's learned to juggle the balance of tenacity

and game pacing in every pitch.

ROBBIE RAY: I have that feeling now

of knowing where that edge is.

It's something that I can get to pretty quickly.

INTERVIEWER: An edge that also gives him

a balanced view of the conditional rewards

in his profession with the unconditional grace

of his faith.

As a Christ follower, what does that do for your perspective?

I think it's just, you know, trusting in him daily.

What really put it into perspective

for me was when I had my first son.

And I realize, you know, the relationship

that I have with my Heavenly Father

is a lot similar to that.

I mean, he can disobey me, but I could still love him.

And so I know that every time I mess up,

every time I do something wrong, that God still loves me.

INTERVIEWER: Strikeout artist Robbie Ray,

who grips both the ball and things eternal,

delivers on a different inside pitch.

I feel like, you know, it's just going out

there every single game.

It kind of gives me an opportunity

to provide-- because people see me, and they know who I am,

and they know, you know, that I'm a Christ follower.

And so it's just me putting what God has given me

on display for people.

So I think we have the ultimate stage

to just go out there and speak of his glory every day

by just doing what we do.