But when he’s on the mound, deGrom is nearly unbeatable. He went 82-57 in his nine years with the Mets, a record that would have been higher were it not for the team’s uncanny lack of offensive support when deGrom pitched. But his career average of 2.52 in 209 starts ranks fourth among expansion-era pitchers with at least 200 starts behind great Dodgers ace Sandy Koufax (2.19) and Clayton Kershaw (2.48). His 43.8 career wins are fourth on the Mets roster.
A former college shortstop with a penchant for hitting, deGrom was selected by the Mets in the ninth round of the 2010 draft when Omar Minaya was the team’s general manager. It’s an inspiring pick, as deGrom emerges as the Mets’ second-best pitcher ever, behind Seaver. He flourished quickly after four years in the minors, one of which (2011) was lost when he underwent Tommy John surgery.
After winning Rookie of the Year and helping the Mets to the 2015 World Series, deGrom won Cy Young Awards in 2018 and 2019 and led the league in strikeouts twice. The Mets had hoped that pairing deGrom and Max Scherzer in their rotation could lead the team to its first World Series title since 1986. But when the team is in the playoffs. DeGrom earned his start in Game 2 against the Padres.
With deGrom and the Mets, 2021 will still be a possible corner case. He had a career-best 1.08 ERA before being suspended after 15 starts. Once he’s able to return for the second half of the 2022 season, he’s been efficient, striking out 14.3 per nine innings, but has had a mixed record by his standards, going 5-4 with a 3.08 ERA.
In spring training, when deGrom said he would finish his contract and test for free agency, it raised the possibility that he might leave New York. DeGrom grew up in De Leon Springs, Florida, an avid Atlanta Braves fan, and there has been speculation he might sign there. Instead, it’s Rangers.
In Texas, he’ll be asked to pitch steadily for a team that spent heavily last offseason, plowing $500 million into infielders Corey Seager and Marcus Semien, but ended up finishing 68-94, which is in the immediate future. Thanks in large part to the team’s starting mix with a 4.63 ERA
benjamin hoffman and Scott Miller Contribution report.