NY Mets: A look at the Jacob deGrom scouting report and repertoire analysis

The New York Mets employ arguably the hardest throwing starting pitcher in Major League Baseball to this day; right-hander, Jacob deGrom.  What does deGrom hold for the Mets?

Jacob deGrom, a 2010 9th round draft pick for the Mets is one to keep a continuous eye on.  He made his debut with the big club on May 15th, 2014, and currently in his 8th season with the club.  He’s a 2-time Rookie of the Month, 1-time Rookie of the Year, and a 3-time MLB All-star.   Here in 2021. the Florida-born north-paw is without a doubt the Mets top arm with 7 years of experience.  In 2020, Jacob deGrom finished with a record of 4-2 with a 2.38 ERA, striking out 104 sticks while only walking 18 over 68 innings.  He’s a strikeout machine with a go-getter demeanor.  Jacob along with arms such as Marcus Stroman, Taijuan Walker, and David Peterson is a solid set up for the Mets rotation.

Despite slating the “L”, deGrom showed out in his previous outing on April 10th, 2021.  The Miami Marlins put up 3 runs against the New York Mets; only 1 of those runs were allowed by deGrom.  The impressive part of this start was the 14 strikeouts over 8 innings, only allowing 5 hits; however, Mets offense was absent in this match.  The right-hander looked strong, zoned in, and well prepared.

New York Mets, Jacob deGrom analysis and evaluation

His start against the Marlins was a solid sign of what the future 2021 Mets season may hold.  This is always going to be a game-1 playoff series starter, as well as a game-7 go-to pitcher.  14 strikeouts over 8 innings; what was impressive about this?  Each strikeout did not end on the same pitch; deGrom utilized 3 different pitches effectively to sit 14 bats.  He used the entire strike zone and worked counts.  His velocity has been maintained, starting the season at a flaming 102mph fastball.  We’ve seen a 4.4 mph increase on his fastball from 2018 until now.

Grade Scale

Fastball: 80 (99-100mph, 102 max)

Slider: 60 (91-92mph, 92 max)

Changeup: 55 (89-91mph, 91max)

Curveball: 50 (81-82mph, 84 max)

Control: 70          Movement:  65

Synopsis

Jacob deGrom, a right-handed pitcher for the New York Mets stands 6’4” at 180 lean-athletic pounds.  He stands with above-average height and trim limbs, with strength show from the entire body.  His delivery is clean, consistent with A+ mechanics which are repeated over and over.  His 3-quarter leg quickly synchronizes with hand separation following by a long big step, downhill towards his catcher, practically delivering the ball to the glove.  This stride is a factor resulting in his high-flying velocity.

As mentioned before, we’ve seen dramatic progression in deGrom’s repertoire with regards to velocity.  His 2014 numbers would only grab a grade of 50-55 on fastball velocity; keep in mind, this was his draft year; now we’re talking a maximum 80-grade scale.  Let’s begin with his most reputable weapon; his 4-seam fastball.  This fastball flies at a maximum of 102mph, sitting consistently at 99-100mph.  In a game where 97mph is the new 92, deGrom stays elite above most arms in the game today.  His fastball has increased 4.4mph from 2018 to 2021.

The fastball is commanded very well, painting corners and working shelves; this is his primary out pitch.  His slider is his second strongest weapon, sitting 91-92, with an approximate 4.28mph increase since 2014.  The slider works in the zone majority of the time, in a quick 12-6 motion, taking a dip with deception.  The changeup is self-explanatory, de-escalating to 91mph after pumping 101-102mph; this works low in and out the zone and typically finds itself mid-count. Jacob’s curveball has good spin and can start off an at-bat to throw hitters off.

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The Mets have benefitted over the years with regards to deGrom’s numbers.  He’s provided the New York Mets with 71 wins, 53 losses over 200 games career-wide.  This includes 1,380 punchouts, only 296 walks, and an overall 2.59 career ERA over 1183.2 innings.  He’s projected to have 206+ strikeouts in 2021.   This is an arm that the Mets want in big-game situations; this includes save situations in playoff action.