The Los Angeles Dodgers are in the midst of a series against the New York Mets, and on Wednesday, the Dodgers had to deal with Mets superstar Jacob deGrom.
deGrom did his job, as he tossed seven stellar innings against an outstanding Dodgers lineup.
Over those seven frames, the veteran struck out nine and allowed just one run, with that lone run coming on a Mookie Betts home run in the sixth inning.
Although Betts was able to take deGrom deep, he has nothing but respect for the superstar pitcher, and he made that abundantly clear after the game.
Mookie on deGrom: “He’s pretty much the best, maybe the best to ever pitch”
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) September 1, 2022
For Betts to call deGrom “maybe the best to ever pitch” is a massive compliment, and it speaks volumes about the way today’s hitters feel about having to face the two-time Cy Young award winner.
A Generational Talent
Players like deGrom don’t come along very often.
Since the start of the 2018 season, the 34-year-old has posted a ridiculous 1.94 ERA, 205 ERA+, 2.10 FIP, and 0.86 WHIP.
Throughout that same span, he has averaged 12.1 strikeouts per nine innings.
Over the past two seasons, he has been even more dominant, but he has unfortunately dealt with availability issues along the way.
Still, it’s impossible to overlook the fact that he has a 1.33 ERA and 301 ERA+ (that’s 201 percent better than league average) over 21 starts since the beginning of the 2021 season.
7 INNINGS OF ONE-RUN BALL FOR JACOB deGROM. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/U10glQIvsT
— SNY (@SNYtv) September 1, 2022
When it comes to deGrom potentially being the best pitcher ever, there are definitely a handful of other all-time greats that belong in that conversation.
But the four-time All-Star is certainly leaving his mark on the game, and he still has time to add to his legacy in the years ahead.
High Praise From One Superstar To Another
While it’s awesome to see Betts show love to deGrom, the Dodgers superstar deserves his respect as well.
Betts is having another impressive season, which has become the norm for the former MVP.
So far in 2022, he’s slashing .281/.352/.565 (.917 OPS) with 32 home runs, 29 doubles, and two triples.
His value statistics are fantastic as well, highlighted by a 5.9 bWAR.
The 29-year-old already has two World Series rings to his name, but with the way the Dodgers are playing this season, he may very well get his third before the year ends.
L.A. currently boasts a ridiculous 90-39 record, putting the team on pace for 113 wins before the season ends.
It’s probably safe to assume that nobody wants to face the Dodgers in the postseason.
But deGrom’s Mets can’t be counted out either, as they are having a great season themselves.
New York is 83-48 and has a three-game lead in the NL East over the Atlanta Braves.
Although nothing is set in stone, the Dodgers and Mets may very well end up facing each other in this year’s playoffs, which would be an electric series to watch.
The two clubs haven’t met in the postseason since 2015, when the Mets eliminated the Dodgers in the NLDS.
If a playoff clash between the two teams happens this year, Betts will get another crack at a pitcher who he believes is perhaps the best hurler ever.
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