NY Mets: What Jacob deGrom means to me and fellow Mets fans

Never in my wildest dreams as a New York Mets fan would I think that I would ever experience a Met produce one of, if not the greatest season recorded by a pitcher in MLB history. Jacob deGrom right now is pitching better than anyone I’ve ever seen and probably will ever see. The numbers are truly off the charts.

deGrom is 7-2 with a 0.50 ERA in 12 starts, striking out 117 batters in 70 innings pitched, 14.6 K/9. Every single start he paints 100 mph fastballs on the outside corner followed by razor-sharp sliders that nobody can touch. He has allowed four earned runs in 12 starts. He has driven in two more runs than he has allowed.

He has a 777 ERA+. To put that into perspective, the Major League record for a full season for a starting pitcher was set in 2000 by Pedro Martinez at 291. In his first Cy Young Award season in 2018, deGrom had a 218 ERA+.

It truly is remarkable what the Mets ace is doing

I don’t even think I appreciate how good he has been because I expect it at this point. Every time he gives up a run I’m shocked. In 195 career starts, deGrom has allowed one run or less in 96 of them. That is 49.2% of his starts.

It feels like he’s toying with the league as he doesn’t even throw his curveball anymore, a pitch that pitching coach Jeremy Hefner said was one of the best curves in the game.

For me personally, deGrom is my favorite player. He’s been dominant pretty much since he came up back in 2014 and has committed long-term to this franchise. He was willing to commit to this franchise even when they weren’t a World Series contender. That says a lot about who he is and his loyalty to the Mets.

Every fifth day for the last seven years I’ve gotten to feel the excitement of watching this man pitch. I’ve been fortunate enough to attend games this year and join in on MVP chants from the crowd. Those MVP chants tell you all you need to know about how Mets fans feel about him.

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deGrom is the most beloved player on this team and it’s not close. I can’t wait to see deGrom touch 104 mph with his fastball next season and I can’t wait to be in Cooperstown when he gets elected into the Hall of Fame with a Mets cap on his plaque.