MLB Manager Survey: Give Rangers Ace Jacob deGrom Ball With Season on Line
At least one current Major League skipper is willing to hand the baseball to the Texas Rangers’ new ace when the season is on the line.
ESPN.com surveyed Major League managers on a variety of topics at the recent Winter Meetings in San Diego. One was which pitcher they would hand the ball to for one game with the season on the line.
The only parameter was that the manager could not pick a pitcher from his team.
Two of the names were usual suspects — Justin Verlander, who just signed with the New York Mets and Max Scherzer, his new teammate. One manager said new San Diego Padres starter Chris Bassitt, who was with the Mets last season.
The skipper who selected new Rangers ace Jacob deGrom? Well, that would be Atlanta manager Brian Snitker, who led Atlanta to the 2021 World Series and had to face deGrom quite a bit while deGrom was with the Mets.
“Probably the guy the Rangers just signed, Jacob deGrom,” Snitker said. “One of my favorites. Everything, it's the competitiveness. His personality, especially as I've gotten to know him. He's as good as there is in the game.”
The Rangers signed deGrom to a five-year, $185 million contract right before the Winter Meetings. He was considered the top pitcher on the free-agent market.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, deGrom was one of the more durable pitchers in the game, winning two straight Cy Young awards in 2018 and 2019. He led the National League in ERA at 1.70 in 2018 and led the NL in strikeouts with 2055 in 2019 and 104 in 2020. He was also the 2014 NL Rookie of the Year.
deGrom has made 15 starts or fewer in each of the three seasons — 12 in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, 15 in 2021 and 11 in 2022. He was still an All-Star in 2021. Elbow inflammation ended his 2021 shortly after the All-Star Break, while a stress reaction in his right scapula delayed his 2022 debut to August. He ended up going 5-4 with a 3.08 ERA.
The Rangers are counting on him being the pitcher he was before the pandemic, and he’s publicly stated his goal is to take the ball at least 30 times next season.
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