There are not many new ways to describe what Jacob DeGrom is doing for the Mets. “DeGrominant” has become a standard and not just a play to his name when he is rolling.
He set a high bar on Friday night in New York with a two-hit, 15-strikeout, no-walkout at nationals. This is a reasonable assumption, with a 0.31 ERA and 50 strikes in 29 innings to start the 2021 season each time he runs out of the mound.
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Fans can also hope that Degrom will make history. The 50K holds an MLB record for a pitcher in his first four matches of the season. DeGrom passed Nolan Ryan and Shane Bieber with their 14th punchout on Friday. Set the number 15 individual single-game mark.
Degrom had 14 strikes in each of his last two games, which means that his 15 on Friday put him in this select group: He, Pedro Martinez and Gerrit Cole are the only pitchers with 14 or more in three consecutive starts.
“I knew 14 was the most I had, so when I looked there and I saw 12 (after six innings), I was like, ‘Well, you’ve got to know how to strike three guys,'” And I was lucky that I was able to do that because in the last two innings I could not get anyone out, ” he told.
His pitching was so intriguing that his two hits and an RBI at the plate became a fun footnote.
What is behind the unprecedented count of Degrom? These three basic statistics can help us answer:
His average speed of 98.9 mph on his four-seam fastball
This is the primary reason for 50 Ks. According to the Stadcast, Degrom’s four-seamers ranged from 97-101 mph on Friday.
Of course, everything DeGrom throws is fast. His slider and changeup average is 91–92 mph.
He told reporters that he was having a scorching heat before the game, which he was concerned about.
“Tonight, I saw that my luggage was really good in the bullpen and I’ve started where my stuff has been really good in the bullpen and you go there and you almost focus a little bit. So I’m really thinking Was, “Hey, you want to maintain that focus throughout the game,” he said.
Needless to say, Degrom remained focused.
73.0 strike percentage
Degrom is boosting the strike zone at a career-best rate, and why shouldn’t he be with his belongings? He bounced back on average Friday by throwing 84 of his 109 pitches for strikes.
“He commanded the entire game,” said Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo, Per ESPN.com.
DeGrom’s command puts him on track to record the most efficient season of his career. He is averaging a career-high 13.1 pitches per innings after four starts. His lowest average for a full season in 2018 is 14.8, the year he won back-to-back NL Cy Young awards.
And fewer pitches can mean more innings. Degrom made just 95 pitches, 76 for strikes, to save the Marlins from loss on 10 April.
.000 opponents batting average with RISP
Degrom has had to raise his competition level to the highest level thanks to a notorious lack of run support due to a Mets hitter. So far this year, no one has hit him with the runners in scoring position. The batsmen have 0 for 7 runs, four strikeouts and a sacrifice fly in those situations.
Just one national batsman reached second base on Friday: Andrew Stevenson doubled in the third inning with two outs. DeGrom retired the next hitter, Josh Harrison, on a ground ball to shortstop Francisco Lindor, and then went on to set the next 18 nuts to close the game.
“It’s fun (to strike out hitters), but at the same time… The goal is still to keep the void. There was also a bit of tension that people were trying to go out and try to zero in.”
He handled the tension properly in 2021, now zeroing in 27 of his 29 innings.
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