NY Mets: 1 non-statistical factor that will benefit Jacob deGrom in his Hall of Fame case

Jacob deGrom has a few more years before he’ll get any chance at making a Cooperstown speech. The current ace of the New York Mets certainly seems to have a case for enshrinement after he retires. A few more years of being the best pitcher in baseball and maybe some at the tail-end where he’s just putting together some awesome statistics could seal the deal.

There are plenty of numbers to cite in making a case for deGrom. One non-statistical factor could also play a role.

Jacob deGrom can only help his Hall of Fame case by staying with the Mets for his entire career

Am I being sneaky here to try and convince deGrom that staying with the Mets through his opt-out will help get him into Cooperstown? Absolutely not. I don’t wield that kind of power. I don’t think deGrom ever Googles himself. Rising Apple what? Is this some kind of off-brand Steve Jobs company?

I have this theory that borderline Hall of Fame players are often hurt by the number of teams they play for. Moving from city to city is far more common these days and there’s zero chance of deGrom becoming a journeyman. If our nightmare does come true and he leaves the Mets, there won’t be enough seasons left at the end for him to become Octavio Dotel.

A case Mets fans are familiar with is Billy Wagner. What began as a Hall of Fame-worthy career with the Houston Astros soon became one which he brought to several other cities. I’m not sure baseball fans think of Wagner in any one particular uniform. For Hall of Fame players, I think it helps for us to associate him with a particular city.

It would have been interesting to see how voters felt about Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander if they hadn’t already locked up space in the Hall of Fame already. Both former Detroit Tigers, they have been even better at times with their current squads.

With all of the respect in the world to deGrom, he hasn’t accomplished quite what they have because he started his major league career so late. Add in a shortened season in 2020, his career numbers probably won’t come close to matching theirs. This leaves his Hall of Fame case a little more up in the air. However, I do think he eventually gets in regardless of whether or not he only wears one team cap.

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However, I do think only images of deGrom in orange and blue (and any other ugly player’s week uniforms) will give him a little extra boost. deGrom is Mets baseball. A few years from now, when voters from any city or background see his name on the ballot, there will be a little extra immediate association. He wasn’t a well-traveled pitcher whose numbers, in the opinion of some, came up short. He was the ace for a lone franchise and worthy of the highest accolades an individual in the sport can receive.