Texas Rangers High-End Right-Hander Ranks Among Top 10 in Key Pitching Metric
![Texas Rangers pitcher Jacob deGrom throws a pitch against the Seattle Mariners in the first inning at Globe Life Field. Texas Rangers pitcher Jacob deGrom throws a pitch against the Seattle Mariners in the first inning at Globe Life Field.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_2958,h_1663,x_0,y_195/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/inside_the_rangers/01jjq9cm03j76sgg66vp.jpg)
Jacob deGrom has had a tough couple of seasons, despite spectacular performances when on the field he has had a litany of injuries that have kept him off the field both for the New York Mets and now the Texas Rangers.
These injuries have held him back from completing some truly exceptional seasons, but have also stopped them in their tracks before they even began in some cases.
2024 was one such case where deGrom would miss almost the entire season due to recovery from Tommy John surgery. He missed all but three games that he pitched near the end of the season. In those matchups, however, he was absolutely outstanding, posting 10.2 innings pitched with a 1.69 ERA, 14 strikeouts to one walk, a 1.125 WHIP and only one home run allowed.
While many of the advanced statistics in baseball heavily factor in playing time as one of the crucial elements to their formula, there is one in particular that exclusively measures the physical aspects of the pitch thrown and nothing else. This metric is "Stuff+".
Stuff+ is a metric that looks at the physical components of each pitch type thrown, such as release point, velocity, break, and spin rate, and then compares it against the average run value of each pitch type.
It is not an all-encompassing statistic by any means, but it is intended to be able to factor in pitchers with smaller sample sizes and show whether or not their production was still on point with the physical portions of their pitches.
When it comes down to some of the best pitchers in this category across the 2024 season, Jacob deGrom was one of those amongst the top 10 in all of the league, coming in sixth position behind some really high-quality pitchers. The top five consist of Calvin Faucher, Ryan Helsley, Emmanuel Clase, Tanner Scott and Mason Miller.
deGrom ended up with a 143 grade on the Stuff+ scale, only five points away from the top of the list and two points away from a top-five finish. Again, while this metric does not include playing time in any capacity, it really produces the picture of how well he performed in those three matchups. This is an extremely positive sign for the recovery of deGrom, and his future with the Rangers, as it seems he still has some of his best pitch mechanics on tap.
With a full offseason to get ready and his health where it needs to be, deGrom could be in for a monster season in 2025 as he looks to return to the Cy Young form he had earlier in his career.