Jacob deGrom

Mets Game Preview (4/5/21): 7:05 p.m. @ Philadelphia Phillies (3-0)

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The New York Mets finally get to start their season after their opening series matchup against the Washington Nationals was canceled due to COVID-19 protocols. It will not be an easy matchup as they take on a red hot Philadelphia Phillies team who swept the Atlanta Braves over the weekend.

Thankfully Mets fans will get the illustrious SNY booth for their opener instead of the cringefest that ESPN brings to their broadcast team. During their time off in our nation’s capital, the Mets continued working out and keeping themselves ready for their eventual trip to Philadelphia.

On the other hand, the Phillies were rolling on all cylinders as they made sure they were not forgotten in the chase for the NL East crown. Their pitching led the way by holding the strong Braves offense to just three runs in the series. The starting pitching was tremendous, but their revamped bullpen was dominant to make sure their starter’s efforts were not thrown away. Jose Alvarado had led the way with five strikeouts in his two scoreless innings.

Despite the strong pitching, the bats provided the Phillies just enough to win. Andrew Knapp provided the lone home run of the weekend, and it was one of six extra-base hits. Despite the lack of power, the important hitters have started strong for the Phils. Bryce Harper is 3-for-10 (.300) with three walks, and J.T. Realmuto is 4-for-9 (.444) with two doubles.

Pitching Matchups

Jacob deGrom can finally make his Opening Day start, and it comes in a ballpark he has found plenty of success in. Over eight starts at Citizens Bank Park, he has a 2.95 ERA, two complete games (one shutout), and only allowed four home runs in 42.2 innings pitched. deGrom has continued to climb his way up the radar gun over the last two seasons, and we will see if the long layoff has any effect on his velocity.

Matt Moore is back in the states after a successful tour in Japan, where he posted a 2.65 ERA in 15 outings. Moore last pitched in the majors during the 2019 season, where he pitched 10 scoreless innings for the Detroit Tigers. In the two seasons prior, he had an ERA just under six in 71 outings. Moore is a left-handed pitcher who features a 4-seam fastball, cutter, curveball, and changeup. With the lefty on the mound, we will get our first glimpse of Brandon Nimmo’s status against them. Lefties have always done better against Moore, so we should expect Nimmo to play.

Matchups To Lookout For 

Jacob deGrom vs. Rhys Hoskins: 3-for-16 (.188), Double, 4 Walks, 6 Strikeouts

Jacob deGrom vs. J.T. Realmuto: 4-for-25 (.160), Double, 9 Strikeouts

Jacob deGrom vs. Didi Gregorious: 3-for-19 (.158), 4 Strikeouts

Matt Moore vs. Francisco Lindor: 8-for-13 (.615), Home Run

Matt Moore vs. Kevin Pillar: 1-for-11 (.091), 2 Strikeouts

 

Canceling The Mets Opening Series Could Open Up The Starting Rotation

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New York Mets, Jacob deGrom

The last 24 hours leading to Opening Day were a complete whirlwind for the New York Mets. At 11 p.m. on Wednesday, they announced the Francisco Lindor extension, which set the momentum going towards the following night’s game. 12 hours later, the disappointment of a postponed game quickly calmed down the positive vibes heading into the day.

The Mets knew there was at least one positive COVID case on Wednesday, but the announcement of two more on Thursday forced a postponement of game one. While the three positives do not affect the Mets roster, there could still be more lingering throughout the Nats clubhouse. The players in close contact also quarantine for a limited time. Even with a taxi squad, the Nats will need to make more roster moves to field a 26-man roster for their first game. They faced this same issue at the beginning of 2020 when Juan Soto missed time with a positive test.

Rotation Strength

For the Mets, we still know that Jacob deGrom will pitch the first game of the season, no matter when they play. At this point, it seems that they will open their season on Monday, April 5, in Philadelphia against the Phillies. It still allows Luis Rojas to set his 4-man rotation as he planned before the postponements. deGrom will be followed by Marcus Stroman, David Peterson, and Taijuan Walker before their off-day on Friday.

The Mets ace can return to the mound Saturday, and they can go all the way to April 14 without using a fifth starter. This would be one of two games in April where the Mets would need a fifth starter. After Joey Lucchesi‘s start on the 14th, they have the following two Mondays off. This allows deGrom to get his usual rest and sneak in an extra start out of it. The Mets also get the final Thursday in April off, which allows them to get back to the 4-man rotation for another week.

Not only does this help the current roster, but it helps the Mets on the shelf. Carlos Carrasco‘s absence will not feel as Lucchesi only has two April starts. The same could be said for Seth Lugo as they get an extra arm in the bullpen when Lucchesi goes more than his regular rest without making a start. Of course, we all want the Mets season to get started, but this is the best way to bring light to a dark situation.

New York Mets Club Three Home Runs in 8-3 Win Over Astros

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The New York Mets put all of their valuable assets on display against the Houston Astros. Jacob deGrom had another dominant outing, and the offense pushed across eight runs in an 8-3 victory.

deGrom pitched four innings, allowed one run, and struck out six. His fastball did not quite reach 102 again, but he sat in the 100-101 range. deGrom also showed his best slider of the spring, which resulted in plenty of swings and misses. The one run allowed came on a high home run from Jeremy Pena, which bounced off the top of the left-field fence.

Jeurys Familia struggled with his control again but worked out of a bases-loaded jam to complete a scoreless outing. Dellin Betances was the victim of an unlucky bloop double with two outs that resulted in two runs. It should have resulted in an out, but Brandon Nimmo played Taylor Jones like Hank Aaron. The weak double ballooned Betances spring ERA to 13.50.

Trevor May bounced back from a couple of rough outings to strike out three in his one inning of work. Miguel Castro and Sam McWilliams finished off the eighth and ninth to give the Mets a win.

Hit Parade

It was all hands on deck for the Mets offense as five different hitters. Dominic Smith‘s three-run home run put the Mets on the board in the third inning. The homer was another example of his unique ability to wait back on the breaking ball. In the fifth, Pete Alonso took a high fastball and drove it into the left-field picnic area.

The third Mets homer came from Francisco Lindor. His no-doubter was his first homer as a Met and second hit of the day. Brandon Nimmo’s single and Jeff McNeil‘s double drove in the other two Mets runs.

On Wednesday, Joey Lucchesi (0-0, 0.00 ERA) makes his first start of the spring against Sandy Alcantara (0-0, 0.00 ERA) and the Miami Marlins. The road game for the Mets begins at 1:05 p.m. ET from Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.

 

Mets’ Jacob deGrom is “aging like fine wine”

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Another night, another impressive outing by New York Mets’ ace Jacob deGrom. During Thursday night’s start against the Houston Astros, the right-hander casually dropped 100 mph heaters, and even reached 102 mph at one point. He is such an ageless wonder that it is becoming customary.

When he wasn’t pumping fastballs by Astros’ hitters, he was freezing them with 94 mph changeups. Lots of major league pitchers would dream to have a heater as fast as deGrom’s changeup.

The 32-year-old Mets’ ace has found a way to increase velocity almost every single year of his career. When he broke into the league in 2014, the fastball averaged 94 miles per hour. The yearly increase began in 2018, with 96 mph, and it reached 97 on average in 2019. Last season, it usually hovered around 98.6 mph, but hit 102.2 during his final outing.

This time, he is already at 102 in spring training.

“He’s aging like fine wine,” Mets first baseman Pete Alonso said to MLB.com. “It’s so fun to watch, because every year, he just keeps getting better and better.”

The Mets’ ace totally dominated the Astros

During last night’s start, deGrom struck out seven of the nine hitters he faced, mostly Astros’ minor leaguers and bench players. His three innings on the mound were scoreless, and that didn’t surprise anyone in attendance.

“Totally dominated,” said a scout in attendance.

“He looked like a Hall of Famer out there,” added Alonso. If he looked like one, it’s probably because he is well on his way to be elected one day.

“He knows his routine,” Mets’ manager Luis Rojas said. “He’s gone through Spring Training before and these Opening Days now. … He knows what to do out there.”

Unsurprisingly, the Mets announced deGrom as their Opening Day starter, and the pitcher himself has said that winning his third Cy Young award is a personal goal of his. Watch out.

deGrom Lights Up Radar Gun, Alonso Homers Mets 1-0 Victory

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New York Mets, Jacob deGrom

The New York Mets played an untelevised game against the Houston Astros as Jacob deGrom faced Zack Greinke for the second straight outing. deGrom was as good as advertised and hit 102 mph on the radar gun as he continues to dazzle baseball.

deGrom faced nine batters and struck out seven of them in three innings pitched. He faced a lineup filled with backups and minor leaguers while the Mets put out a close to Opening Day lineup. Even with the lack of competition, deGrom did exactly what should be done when facing weaker competition. There may be a concern with deGrom throwing hard early on, but there is no reason not to trust the two-time Cy Young winner.

Pete Alonso provided the only run with his solo homer in the sixth inning. Despite also striking out twice, Alonso is hitting .313 this spring and has no issues hitting for power. Brandon Nimmo continued his hot spring with two more hits and pushed his average to .467.

Mets pitchers allowed just one hit and struck out 17 Astros. Mike Montgomery followed with two scoreless innings and four strikeouts. Jacob Barnes (1), Stephen Tarpley (2), and Daniel Zamora (1) combined for the final four innings.

The Mets are back on television for Friday’s matchup against the Miami Marlins. Marcus Stroman (1-0, 3.60 ERA) makes his third start of the spring against Pablo Lopez (0-0, 0.00). The first pitch from Clover Park is at 1:10 p.m ET.

New York Mets: deGrom Dominant in Rain-Shortened 6-1 Win

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New York Mets, Jacob deGrom

The New York Mets only played six innings on Saturday, but there were plenty of positives in their 6-1 over the Houston Astros. Jacob deGrom and Edwin Diaz made their spring debuts while Pete Alonso remained hot at the plate.

Before the game, deGrom was unsurprisingly named the Opening Day starter for the third consecutive season by Manager Luis Rojas. The only surprise from deGrom’s start was the two hitters who found their way on base. deGrom struck out three batters over two innings and needed just 29 pitches to get through his outing. As usual, he lit up the radar gun with a couple of 99 mph fastballs.

Diaz was even better in his one inning of relief. He needed seven pitches to record one strikeout and had help from Francisco Lindor behind him. Miguel Castro worked around a walk in one scoreless inning after Diaz left the game.

Coming Out Swinging

It was an all-around effort for the Mets offense that featured a different look without Brandon Nimmo. Jeff McNeil took over as the leadoff man, with Lindor batting second. Another line drive to the opposite field from Alonso resulted in an RBI double to get the Mets started in the first. Michael Conforto showed off his underrated speed by scoring all the way from first on the play.

Albert Almora and Kevin Pillar both received starts and made the most of their chances. Both recorded RBI singles as the eighth and ninth place hitters. Dominic Smith recorded his first home run of the spring with a majestic shot to right field.

The young blood of Ronny Mauricio and Pete Crow-Armstrong took over in the sixth. Crow-Armstrong led off the inning with a triple, his first hit in professional baseball. Mauricio drove him in with a single, giving Mets fans a sneak peek of a potential combination in the future.

The Mets are back on SNY on Sunday when they face the Miami Marlins. Marcus Stroman (1-0, 0.00) makes his second start of the season against Pablo Lopez (0-0, 0.00). The first pitch is at 1:10 p.m. from Clover Park.

The obvious choice: Mets’ manager confirms Jacob deGrom as the Opening Day starter

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New York Mets, Jacob deGrom

In the New York Mets’ history, few pitchers have been as dominant as peak Jacob deGrom. The right-hander has managed to join a select group of hurlers that have achieved excellence from the mound while wearing the blue and orange.

That’s why, unsurprisingly, deGrom was confirmed by Mets’ manager Luis Rojas as the team’s Opening Day starter when the 2021 MLB season kicks off in April against the division rivals Washington Nationals.

“That’s where it’s lined up,” Rojas said. “He’s our No. 1 guy, if you want to call him that, so we’re setting him up to be the Opening Day starter.”

“The Mets are lining up Jacob deGrom to be the Opening Day starter, the third time in his career and the third year in a row he will draw that honor,” Newsday’s Tim Healey wrote in his official Twitter account.

Healey notes that deGrom is in excellent company, as “the most recent Mets pitcher to start three consecutive Opening Day games: Johan Santana (2008-10).”

The Mets’ deGrom belongs in the elite

For years, deGrom has not only been the best and most consistent starter in the New York Mets’ roster, but there is also a very good argument to be made that he is the best pitcher in the planet.

DeGrom won the National League Cy Young award in 2018 and 2019, and had a very good case to lift it last year as well. However, Trevor Bauer took home the honors.

“Everyone knows that’s where he falls into place,” Rojas said per SNY. “The rest of the pitchers here look up to him, not only for his abilities on the field, but the way he carries himself. He’s one of the first people the clubhouse every day. He’s always early, working hard and has a plan with everything he does. Plus what he’s done in recent years from earning the Rookie of the Year to Cy Young Awards. You can call it an easy decision but everyone’s expecting him to be the guy on Opening Day.”

Mets have top pitching prospect Matt Allan learning everything he can from Jacob deGrom

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New York Mets, Jacob deGrom

The New York Mets’ spring training is underway. Everybody from the team’s biggest stars to the invited rookies just getting their feet wet and having their first direct contact with a major league camp is getting ready for a new, exciting season.

One of those rookies is pitching prospect Matt Allan. He survived the Mets’ flurry of trades and transactions, as they worked hard to improve their roster and, in some cases, that implied getting rid of talented young players.

Since last summer, Allan has been trying to follow Mets’ ace Jacob deGrom and pick his brain. Thanks to a contact made by catcher Patrick Mazeika, Allan was able to watch deGrom pitch and work alongside the two-time Cy Young winner.

Now, the Mets have paired deGrom and Allan as they look for the latter to learn everything he can from the former. It’s not a bad idea at all, as Allan is one of the best, if not the best, pitching prospect in the organization.

“We think it’s a great experience,” manager Luis Rojas said per MLB.com. “Why not? We have a group of kids here — I call them kids, but … out there on the field, when they’re showing their abilities, they don’t look like kids. They’re like sponges. They’re absorbing. And Allan’s one example with Jake.”

Allan is already impressing the Mets

So far, in the early stages of the Mets’ camp, Allan has impressed with his raw arm talent and determination. It’s easy to forget that the organization built their entire 2019 draft strategy around the right-hander.

“His poise, his maturity has been impressive,” Rojas said. “Nineteen? He definitely behaves like an older person.”

Between deGrom and Allan, the ice had been already broken last summer when the two worked together. Now, the latter prepared a long list of questions to ask deGrom.

“One of the big things that he told me was not to overcomplicate things,” Allan said. “He said the game became easier for him when he stopped overcomplicating things. … It started to become easier when he just focused on, ‘How am I going to attack this guy, and how am I going to get him out?’ I think that was a huge conversation.”

“I’ve asked him an array of questions, and he’s always been so good to give me an honest answer and then give me an explanation,” Allan said of deGrom. “Not just say, like, ‘This is what I do.’ He’s been really good about saying, ‘This is what I do, and this is why I do it.’”

New York Mets: Can Jacob deGrom Somehow Get Better?

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New York Mets, Jacob deGrom

On Tuesday, Jacob deGrom threw to live hitters for the first time, and he looked dominant as ever. New York Mets manager Luis Rojas was in awe of how his two-time Cy Young winner looked.

“He’s showing up today, he’s throwing 99 [mph] and just easy having fun out there and the rest of his pitches like he was in midseason form,” Rojas said. “It’s like you just know what you are seeing, and it’s just a version of Jacob deGrom getting better.”

He is the pitcher’s version of Mike Trout, a guarantee to finish in the top-3 for the Cy Young award. deGrom may have even considered 2020 a disappointing season after winning consecutive Cy Young awards. He is already throwing 99 mph in camp after a season where he set a career-high in average fastball velocity (98.6 mph).

Is There Another Level?

It is hard to think deGrom can still, but there is always room to improve from last year. deGrom recorded his worst exit velocity (88.2 mph), hard-hit rate (33.6%), and barrel rate (9.6%). Everything else was per usual for the Mets ace. His career-high 13.8 K/9 and whiff rate in the 98th percentile still allowed him to have a 2.38 ERA.

It is remarkable that deGrom has not thrown a no-hitter within the last three years but do not be surprised if he hurls one in 2021. deGrom gets a full spring training to get ready and has mastered the art of pitching. He is turning 33 this season and still has not reached the 1,500 professional innings plateau. To put that number in perspective, Clayton Kershaw turns 33 this season and is already over 2,500 innings.

deGrom will continue to be successful because he can throw all three pitches at any point with pinpoint accuracy. Even when the velocity goes back to 93-95 in a couple of years, he will still succeed. When deGrom first came to the big leagues, he was known more as a contact pitcher. For 2021, beware of what deGrom can do with an average defense behind him for the first time.

Jacob deGrom says it would be “cool” to spend the rest of his career with the Mets

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New York Mets, Jacob deGrom

Nowadays, it’s not easy to find ballplayers who are drafted, developed, and spend their entire careers with just one team. New York Mets’ ace Jacob deGrom has a chance of being one of them, and he recently said that would be something he would consider “cool.”

The ace, who was initially an infielder, was taken in the ninth round of the 2010 June Amateur Draft by the New York Mets. He made his major league debut in 2014, and has never had an ERA above 3.53 in a single season.

DeGrom has two Cy Young awards and is arguably the best pitcher in Major League Baseball. He will turn 33 in June, and with an opt-out option in his contract after the 2022 season, he has some thinking to do.

He said to Newsday’s Tim Healey that he hasn’t thought about that too much, instead focusing on adding a third Cy Young and winning a World Series with the Mets.

DeGrom loves the Mets, and the feeling is mutual

DeGrom loves the Mets and said he was around during the end of David Wright’s career, and witnessed how emotional his farewell was. It “definitely had an impact” on him, he confessed.

“One thing I think is really, really cool is when anybody spends their entire career with one team,” he said. “You don’t see it happen a whole lot anymore. So it’s definitely something that I’ve thought about and I guess we just have to see when that time comes.

“Seeing how well [Wright] was treated by Mets fans and being a Met for life and what that was [like] was definitely cool and special. Being there for the last time he took the field, that was really cool. So that definitely weighs on your mind. That’s a decision that will be made when the time comes.”

He has choices. He can opt out of his five-year, $137.5 million deal after 2022, or until his pact ends in 2023. The Mets have a $32.5 million option for the 2024 campaign.

“I’ve definitely enjoyed my time here and signed long term here,” he said. “Haven’t really thought too much about the opt-out.”