The Mets returned two-time Cy Young champion Jacob DeGrom to the rotation last week after a more than a year absence, and he was back on the hills at Citi Field on Sunday. He didn’t lose a single step. Not far.
In fact, DeGrom showed over five innings that he still has the raw materials to be the best pitcher on the planet. The basic, final scoreline doesn’t do justice to what DeGrom did in front of Mets loyalists on Sunday. The line itself is also pretty awesome.
DeGrom actually retired the top 17 hitters he faced. Yes, he had a perfect game for 5 2/3 innings, then gave up a walk, then gave up a two-run homer to Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson. The last two batsmen really make one of the dirtiest shows we’ve seen in 2022 ugly.
deGrom made everything work right from the start. His four-seam fastball averaged 99.1 mph, and he went over 100 mph on more than one pitch. His top speed reading? Cool 101.6. Of his 33 sliders, 20 were induced swings, while a whopping 18 were swings and turnovers. For those who don’t know, it’s unheard of to have a 90 percent sniff rate on any court at the major league level. League leaders are generally close to 70%.
Here’s a great example of how deGrom has the Warriors hitters looking for most of the day:
If there is any What’s entirely concerning in this outing is that DeGrom only lasted 76 pitches, and the Warriors got him in the last eight or so games. Let’s keep it right here, though, that deGrom is 34 years old after missing more than a year with elbow and shoulder injuries.
That said, the Mets are handling deGrom very carefully right now, and they should too.them Entering Sunday with a 5 1/2 game division lead, so all eyes are on finishing the regular season and then getting a full-blown deGrom ready for October. That means the most important aspect of Sunday is keeping DeGrom going. He threw 59 pitches in his first game, and this time he’s in the mid-’70s.
Simply put: Jacob deGrom’s return from the injured list has been great so far.
