Jacob deGrom recently opted out of the last year of his contract with the New York Mets and will now test free agency.
The 34-year-old star is arguably the best pitcher in the world when healthy.
Two Cy Youngs, the NL Rookie of the Year award in 2014, and some of the filthiest stuff you will see are his calling cards.
Speaking of his NL ROY award, today is the eighth anniversary of it.
Mets insider Michael Mayer posted a video of one of his very first starts in MLB that year.
“8 years ago today, Jacob deGrom was named the National League Rookie of the Year. He posted a 2.69 and 3.6 fWAR in 22 starts for the Mets during his rookie season,” he tweeted.
8 years ago today, Jacob deGrom was named the National League Rookie of the Year.
He posted a 2.69 and 3.6 fWAR in 22 starts for the Mets during his rookie season.
— Michael Mayer (@mikemayer22) November 10, 2022
deGrom Is A Freak Of Nature
Those were some impressive numbers, but not as impressive as deGrom’s long hair back then.
He kept that look for several more years, but it brings us back to those days.
He was truly dominant in that debut season, but the best was definitely yet to come.
A la Benjamin Button, deGrom started adding fastball velocity with each passing year due to his obsession with mechanics.
In the clip posted by Mayer, he is seen boasting a 94-95 fastball, but can now dial it up at 101 if he wants, eight years later.
It’s impressive: it may have actually cost him in the health department in the last couple of years, but it’s impressive nonetheless.
Mets fans are hoping the team can retain deGrom, who posted a 3.08 ERA in 2022 and a 1.08 mark in 2021.
He will likely push for a multi-year pact worth more than $35 million per season, so it won’t be easy.
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