The New York Mets have been one of baseball’s best teams in 2022 even though Jacob deGrom has missed the entire season. But the two-time National League Cy Young Award winner will soon return to New York’s rotation.
Buck Showalter had previously said that deGrom would return next week. Now, we have a specific date. It was announced on Saturday that deGrom will make his season debut on Tuesday against the Washington Nationals.
Can confirm: the Mets plan to start Jacob deGrom on Tuesday. Will give the Mets a Scherzer-deGrom 1-2 punch to start the series in Washington.
— Mike Puma (@NYPost_Mets) July 30, 2022
When healthy, deGrom is arguably MLB’s best pitcher — and the argument against him may not be that strong. Since 2018, he’s posted a 1.94 ERA, 0.881 WHIP a 12.0 K/9 rate and a 1.8 BB/9 mark. He hasn’t thrown a Major League pitch in over a year. But before getting hurt in 2021, deGrom had a 1.08 ERA, 0.554 WHIP, a 14.3 K/9 rate and a BB/9 ratio of only 1.1.
He’s a stud. News of his return was met with a lot of excitement from the MLB world.
deGrom has that effect on guys pic.twitter.com/twYhF5FJNu
— We Gotta Believe (@GottaBelievePod) July 30, 2022
Worth noting how fortunate the Mets are not to need starters at the deadline. Prices for top SP are always crazy, and maybe more so this year — Seattle just gave up three of its top five prospects for 1.5 years of Luis Castillo.
The returns of Scherzer, deGrom were well-timed.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) July 30, 2022
MLB upon hearing deGrom is making his season debut next week pic.twitter.com/jJtC4mT4sc
— Tim Baysinger (@tim_bays) July 30, 2022
deGrom is BACK! Starts Tuesday for the first time in a year. IF, HUGE IF, he stays healthy and he's really Jacob deGrom, it's over for everybody else. There is no possible trade acquisition equal to a healthy deGrom, none. Like I said, HUGE "if." He's a tough guy to root against.
— Walt Deptula (@deptulahasrage) July 30, 2022
deGrom’s return gives the Mets a starting rotation that opposing hitters won’t be excited to face.
The #Mets rotation ERAs by last 10 MLB starts:
DeGrom: 1.42/1.45 FIP
Scherzer: 1.97/2.46 FIP
Bassitt: 3.77/3.18 FIP
Walker: 2.59/2.94 FIP
Carrasco: 4.14/4.27 FIP— Michael Salfino (@MichaelSalfino) July 30, 2022
Entering Saturday’s game, the Mets sat at 62-37, putting them three games ahead of the Atlanta Braves for the National League East lead. Finally having the 1-2 punch of deGrom and Max Scherzer atop the rotation will make New York hard to catch and probably even harder to defeat in a short postseason series.
