For the first time since July 7, 2021, Jacob deGrom takes the mound for the Mets in a major league game. He looks exactly like the deGrom we saw last season, which is aesthetically pleasing, really.
After all, when he’s healthy, deGrom is still arguably the best pitcher in baseball. Considering his 2021 season ended prematurely with an elbow problem and he injured his shoulder in spring training, seeing DeGrom look like his old self isn’t going to be a foregone conclusion by any means. He did, though, even in the Mets’ loss. (We’ll figure it out.)
In five innings, deGrom allowed just one run on three hits. He hit six and no one walked. He only needed 59 pitches to get through those five innings. His fastball averages 99.7 mph and tops out at 101.6 mph. Of the 21 sliders he threw, he had seven swings and turnovers.
As I said – except for the abbreviated pitch number – this is the same old Jacob de Grom.
Unfortunately for deGrom and his teammates, the rest of the game also unfolded in some familiar fashion. The unfortunate Nationals lost 5-1 to just traded two of their best offensive players, including a generational talent in Juan Soto. The only time the Mets played was a single home run from Francisco Lindo. They only succeeded five times. The bullpen had four runs in both innings after DeGrom was eliminated.
I can’t help but think back to 2018 and 2019.
Remember those two seasons of DeGrom? Remember how the Mets couldn’t win at a consistent pace despite how amazingly dominant he was? It’s amazing, it’s ridiculous.
- In 2018, deGrom had an ERA of 1.70. The Phillies’ Aaron Nola ranks second in the NL with a 2.37, while Max Scherzer’s 2.53. No one else in the league can match deGrom. It’s not a small amount of work either, as deGrom’s 217 innings is only 2/3 behind Scherzer’s 220. However, the Mets went 14-18 in DeGrom’s starting record that year. They lost two games in which he played at least seven innings and allowed zero runs. Eighteen times he gave up zero or one, and they lost eight of them.
- In 2019, deGrom did not quite Just as good. He has a 2.43 ERA (169 ERA+) in 204 innings and a NL-best 255. Coincidentally, the Mets went 14-18 in his start. Seven times he played seven innings without a run, and the Mets still lost twice. When he gave up a game, they lost twice, and when he gave up twice, they lost six times.
2020 and 2021 have gotten better on this front, and we know it’s been a quirky coincidence. No one should believe this will continue. This is not a predictive event.
The Mets’ biggest takeaway on Tuesday should be that DeGrom looked great, giving them the best 1-2 punch in baseball with Sherzer. They also still came out on top. It’s a little too familiar to see the rest of the team doing so badly when DeGrom returns.
