Following the $2.4 billion purchase of the Mets by Steven Cohen, optimism was at an all time high in Queens. Moves to reverse pay cuts to Mets employees, and splashy trades like acquiring 4x All Star shortstop Francisco Lindor (and subsequently signing him to a massive 10 year deal) quickly enamoured Cohen to the New York faithful.
Yet for all the pomp and circumstance off the field, the on field results have sadly fallen well short of expectations. Currently sitting below .500 with a 9-10 record (good for 3rd in the NL East) it’s looking like the “same old Mets” are once again struggling through another MLB season.
The other night saw perennial Cy Young candidate Jacob deGrom twirl a gem against the Red Sox, striking out 9 over six innings of 1 run ball en route to another loss. The outing marks the 33rd time since he debuted in 2014 (and already 3rd time this year) where deGrom allowed 1 run or fewer and failed to collect a win. Not only is deGrom sporting a ridiculous 0.51 ERA and 0.59 WHIP through 5 starts, but he also managed to tie Nolan Ryan’s major league record for most strikeouts through a pitcher’s first five outings with 59 punchouts in the process.
So dominant on the mound is deGrom that opponents are hitting a paltry .136 off him. Even if runners are fortunate to get on base via hit or one of only 4 walks handed out this year by Jacob, nearly every one of them has been stranded thus far (save 3 who scored via Mets errors). He’s managed to strikeout an absurd 48% of the batters he’s faced in 2021. With only 2 earned runs against on the year deGrom is certainly doing his part, however the same can’t be said about the rest of his Mets teammates.
Evidently the Mets’ ace is aware of his team’s inability to score when he toes the rubber, and as a result has taken it upon himself to try to jumpstart the offense at the plate. Through his 5 starts, Jacob is sporting a .462/.538/1.000 slashline with 2RBI’s, 3 runs scored and a double on year. That’s more productive than half the Cubs batting order has been all season.
With only 57 runs scored through 19 games the Mets are dead last in offense across the league. Their per game average of 3 runs per outing is also last in the majors behind even the lowly Tigers. The main difference being that Detroit is spending $110M less this year to be inept at the plate than the Mets are.
To his credit, deGrom has been a consummate pro throughout the struggles (both this year and in the past). Rarely gripping or taking pot shots at teammates in the media, Jacob continues to be as dominant on the field as he is likeable off it. “Everybody’s out there giving 100 percent. Nobody wants to get out,” deGrom said. “Those guys try to put together the best at-bats; I try to throw the ball to the spot for that pitch. They’re competing. Sometimes you just have to tip your cap to the other team, and they did a nice job keeping our guys off balance.”
Miraculously, the Mets sit only a half game back of Philadelphia and Atlanta for the divisional lead. And with Noah Syndergaard and newly acquired hurler Carlos Carrasco beginning to ramp up baseball activities, if the Mets are able to hang around until June, they could field a formidable rotation for homestretch of the season.
Until then, deGrom will continue doing what he does best: making the best baseball players on the planet look silly at the plate. Hopefully the Mets offense can wake up from their hibernation and provide a bit of a spark for Jacob’s next few outings. We’re quickly approaching prime Pedro Martinez territory in terms of his on field production. It would be a shame to let it go to waste.
-Kyle Skinner
Twitter: @dynessports