[4] During his senior year of high school, Ray posted a 7–1 win–loss record and a 0.50 earned run average (ERA), striking out 95 batters while walking only 13.

[5] After de-committing from Vanderbilt University, Ray had planned to play college baseball for the Arkansas Razorbacks when he was selected by the Washington Nationals in the 12th round of the 2010 MLB Draft.

[8] After spending five weeks at extended spring training Ray's first professional baseball start came on May 10, 2011, when he pitched five innings for the Class A Hagerstown Suns, striking out six and walking none.

[11] By turning his hip mid-pitch and lifting his arm slot, Ray was able to isolate the strike zone, and increase his confidence as a pitcher.

[14] He recorded a complete game shutout in only his second Double-A start, allowing just three singles and striking out 11 in a victory over the Erie SeaWolves.

[17] Ray received an invitation to join the Tigers for spring training, with the stipulation that he would only be considered for the major league starting rotation if Justin Verlander was not yet ready to return from core muscle surgery.

[19] When Aníbal Sánchez was placed on the disabled list with a middle finger laceration, Ray, who had gone 3–2 with a 1.59 ERA in five starts for Toledo, was called up to fill his spot in the rotation.

[23] Ray struggled during this second call-up, which was extended after Sánchez's strained pectoral muscle turned out to be a more severe injury than anticipated.

[16] After the regular season ended, Ray showed signs of improvement in the Arizona Fall League, where he allowed only one run and struck out 12 in his first two starts for the Glendale Desert Dogs.

[28] When Archie Bradley was hit in the face with a line drive, Ray was called up for a spot start in the second game of a doubleheader against the Colorado Rockies on May 6.

[31] With a 5–12 record and 3.52 ERA, Arizona Chief Baseball Officer Tony La Russa was confident in Ray's development over the course of the 2015 season, with his increased command leading to 108 strikeouts in 117+1⁄3 innings.

At that point, Randy Johnson, who was serving as a special assistant to the Diamondbacks' president, spoke with Ray and told him, "You better figure this out, because you never know what your last pitch is going to be.

2 starter behind Zack Greinke, Ray finished the first half of the season with eight wins and a 2.97 ERA, leading to his first All-Star Game selection.

[41] Ray's season was interrupted on July 28, when he was hit in the head with a 108 mph (174 km/h) line drive from Luke Voit of the St. Louis Cardinals.

[43] Ray made his first postseason appearance with 2+1⁄3 innings of relief in the 2017 National League Wild Card Game against the Colorado Rockies.

[53] On August 31, 2020, the Diamondbacks traded Ray along with cash considerations to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for Travis Bergen.

[60] On November 30, 2021, the Seattle Mariners signed Ray to a five-year contract worth $115 million, with an opt-out after three years and a no-trade clause.

[62][63] On October 11, 2022, in the first game of the ALDS against the Houston Astros, Ray gave up a walk-off three-run home run to Yordan Alvarez, with two outs in the bottom of the 9th inning.

[66] On January 5, 2024, Ray was traded to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for Mitch Haniger, Anthony DeSclafani, and cash considerations.