Jacob’s de only Met
Ace to stand alone with NL Stars
The one consistently positive aspect of the Mets’ season thus far has been a guarantee once every turn through the rotation that Jacob deGrom gives them a chance to win.
Of course, the team has only won seven times across his 18 starts, but his exploits unsurprisingly resulted in the 30year-old righthander being selected Sunday as the Mets’ lone representative for the 2018 All-Star Game in Washington next week. No Mets are included in the final-five fan voting for the last roster spot.
“It’s definitely an honor. Just like last time I was very excited to be able to represent the Mets in the All-Star Game,” deGrom said.
It is deGrom’s second AllStar selection; he made it in his sophomore season in 2015 and struck out the side in the sixth inning.
“I’m looking forward to getting in the game again. Last time I was fortunate enough to get to pitch and hopefully this time I do too,” deGrom said.
DeGrom has one last scheduled start before the All-Star break, Wednesday against the Phillies, meaning he’d be on five days’ rest heading into next Tuesday’s Midsummer Classic.
Because of the Mets’ ineptitude, deGrom has just a 5-4 record so far but he leads the majors with a 1.79 ERA and has 142 strikeouts in 115.1 innings. The Nationals’ Max Scherzer, the reigning two-time NL Cy Young winner, is the likely candidate to start with the game being in his home ballpark, but deGrom would appreciate the assignment if given to him.
“It’d be awesome,” he said. “That’s I think the highest honor of being a pitcher in the All-Star Game is to be able to start it, so we’ll just see what happens.”
If the Mets take the bold measure of trading their ace before the July 31 deadline, the All-Star Game could be his last significant appearance in a Met uniform. John Ricco said Friday the club would have to be “overwhelmed” to part ways with deGrom or Noah Syndergaard, but such a deal is something the new interim GM trio of Ricco, J.P. Ricciardi and Omar Minaya has to at least consider as it ponders ways to improve the franchise long-term.
Whether he stays or goes, deGrom’s journey from unheralded prospect to two-time All-Star and Cy Young candidate will continue as he seems to continue to improve. A former shortstop, deGrom didn’t begin pitching until halfway through his collegiate career at Stetson University. He endured injuries while in the minors, missing all of 2011 after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
He made his MLB debut on May 15, 2014, about a month before his 26th birthday, filling in for injured starter Dillon Gee after it was thought deGrom would fill a bullpen role. DeGrom went on to win Rookie of the Year, and his career took off from there.