New York Mets: Jacob deGrom doesn’t get the credit he deserves

Jacob deGrom has clearly established himself as the New York Mets ace. So, why isn’t he getting the credit he deserves?

When it comes to aces, the New York Mets have been through quite a lot in recent years. At one point, it looked like this team had five potential number one starters in its rotation. It’s now 2018 and only two of them have ace stuff.

Opening Day starter Noah Syndergaard is certainly a star pitcher with ace qualities. However, it’s Jacob deGrom who is this team’s true number one.

For whatever reason, deGrom doesn’t get the number one starter praise that Syndergaard does or Matt Harvey did in his best days. deGrom rose to the MLB without much hype only to blow all of our minds in the process. He’s been as consistent as they come since, finishing in the top ten of the Cy Young voting both teams he made over 25 starts.

It’s not Mets fans who are disregarding deGrom’s talents. Nationally, deGrom falls behind others on this roster. He doesn’t have the larger than life persona Harvey had. deGrom also lacks the marketability Syndergaard has with his Thor persona.

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Instead, deGrom’s best qualities are all mound-related. This means fewer distractions and a better chance at helping the Mets win every fifth day.

Since blooming late and debuting for the Mets in 2014, deGrom has been tremendous. Last year’s 3.53 ERA was his highest, but let’s dig deeper before calling it a failure. After all, ERA means nothing with so many other wonderful statistics to harp on.

deGrom struck out nearly 11 batters per nine last season and won 15 games for a bad Mets squad. He reached 200 innings for the first time in his career and put his 2016 injuries behind him. Although this wasn’t enough to earn him an All-Star nod, it was enough for deGrom to finish eighth in the Cy Young voting.

When the average baseball fan thinks of the Mets, I doubt the first image that comes to mind is deGrom.

Unlike many other big-name pitchers, deGrom is humble. Maybe it’s the lower case letter at the beginning of his last name. He doesn’t stand out like other aces and that could work to his advantage. Fewer distractions mean more focus on the diamond.

Next: Matt Harvey alienating his fans

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As long as Mets fans appreciate him, deGrom can rest easy.