Oct 8, 2022; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Jacob deGrom (48) reacts in the second inning during game two of the Wild Card series against the San Diego Padres for the 2022 MLB Playoffs at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
MLB: San Diego Padres at New York Mets
(Queens, NY) – The New York Mets are on the outside looking in as the MLB playoffs continue.
And despite the fact he signed with the Texas Rangers this past offseason – who are on their way to winning the AL pennant – Jacob deGrom is also unable to participate, having undergone the second Tommy John surgery earlier this year.
When his old squad the Mets became sellers at the trade deadline, deGrom admitted he was surprised while speaking to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
Sherman pressed deGrom on whether it was true that he’d become more “withdrawn” during the end of his tenure with the Mets, and that the righthander was in a rush to “escape New York.” DeGrom says that’s not an accurate representation of the situation he faced when entering free agency. “I don’t like it when people say that because that’s not true. You (Sherman) know me pretty well — I like to pitch and that’s about it. I understand the other stuff that comes with it, but what I want to do is take the field, play and then get ready for the next time I play. I felt like I did that in New York.”
That said, deGrom told Sherman that – as a Florida native who routinely warmed up on the Citi Field mound while Neil Young’s “Simple Man” played – the speed and lifestyle the prevails in Texas is more in line with his personality.
As for next year and when deGrom eventually completes his rehab and gets back on the mound, at 35-years-old – the former Cy Young winner admits he may have to switch up his strategy. Despite dominating in recent years with 95 MPH sliders and a fastball that routinely hits 100, deGrom may take the foot off the gas in order to preserve his right arm’s health. “I am getting a little bit older,” deGrom told Sherman.
“I believe I can pitch at a lower velocity and reach back and get something else when needed. That is something I have to look into. But when I talked to [his surgeon] Dr. [Keith] Meister he says, ‘You guys are all wired the same, someone steps in the box and you do what you do.’ I have to think about it, but I know if I give up a homer at 94 [mph] and I know I could have ripped it, that would be tough for me. When you are out there, you want to go 100 percent.”
Mets fans know that if deGrom can build just a bit more on his already-impressive resume, he’s got a good shot of ending up in Cooperstown some day. Perhaps his bronze plaque – if he gets there – will feature a smiling deGrom wearing a hat with the Mets’ interlocking NY logo.
