Texas Rangers Superstar Ace Still Billed as 'Must Watch' Despite Injuries

Keep an eye on this Texas Rangers ace who is looking to get back on track in 2025 after suffering a second major elbow surgery.

Sep 13, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Texas Rangers starter Jacob deGrom (48) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. | Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

Ahead of the 2023 MLB season, the Texas Rangers made a huge splash signing ace starting pitcher Jacob deGrom away from the New York Mets.

The two sides agreed to a five-year, $185 million deal, which was one of the largest contracts in baseball history for a pitcher. Based on his track record, it was certainly a deal that the star pitcher had earned.

The National League Rookie of the Year in 2014, his resume was as strong as anyone’s from this era. He was a four-time All-Star, two-time Cy Young Award winner and for a majority of the time was unhittable.

There is no doubt about the talent that deGrom possessed. His statistics with the Mets were something straight out of a video game.

In 209 starts, across 1,326 innings, he recorded a stellar 2.52 ERA with 1,607 strikeouts. Plagued by an inconsistent offense, his record was 82-57 but he racked up 41.2 WAR as one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball.

However, there was one glaring concern that made him such a risky acquisition for the Rangers — his health.

In his final three years with the Mets, which includes the COVID-19 shortened 2020 campaign, deGrom made only 38 starts.

Unfortunately, that lack of health has followed him to Texas.

He has made only nine starts in the first two years of his tenure with the franchise, undergoing Tommy John surgery in June 2023. It was the second time he underwent the surgery, as he suffered a similar injury his first year in the minor leagues.

His return to the mound near the end of the 2024 campaign was a huge hurdle to overcome as it enabled him to have a normal offseason program ahead of the 2025 season without having to focus solely on rehab.

Despite the lengthy time away from the mound, his stuff has seemingly not slipped and his production was as elite in those nine starts as during his tenure with the Mets.

As a result, David Adler of MLB.com believes deGrom is one of the 12 must watch pitchers to watch in spring training.

“deGrom is entering the 2025 season healthy, and a healthy deGrom is someone every fan should want to watch. Because a healthy deGrom tends to be the most dominant pitcher in the world,” he wrote.

There is a lot of hope and excitement surrounding the Rangers entering camp as they look poised to bounce back from an underwhelming 2024 campaign.

deGrom is a major part of those plans and if he can remain healthy, he will anchor a deep and talented rotation.

As long as he can stay healthy, he will produce at an elite level. Last September in his return to the mound his fastball was touchnig 97 mph and his devastating slider was hitting 90 on the radar gun.

Even at 36 years old, his stuff was as electric as ever.