Rangers Spring Training Preview: Jacob deGrom

Jacob deGrom signed for $185 million to be the ace of the Texas Rangers staff for the next five seasons.

InsidetheRangers.com previews every player on the Texas Rangers 40-man roster heading into Spring Training in Surprise, Arizona.

P Jacob deGrom

In 2022: deGrom was 5-4 with a 3.08 ERA in 11 starts with the New York Mets. He struck out 102 and walked eight, a 14.3 strikeout rate per nine innings, one of the best in the Majors despite the fact that he only played for two months due to injury.

Before 2022, deGrom had played truncated seasons in both 2020 and 2021. The 2020 season was due to the COVID-19 pandemic and MLB’s 60 games season. In 2021 it was because deGrom spent the back half of the season on the 60-day injured list due to elbow inflammation. Despite that he went 7-2 with a 1.08 ERA, earned an All-Star Game berth and was ninth in Cy Young voting.

Before that, deGrom was highly durable. He made 30 or more starts in four of his first six seasons in the Majors, with his 2018 and 2019 seasons both leading to National League Cy Young awards. In 2018 he led the Majors with a 1.70 ERA, followed by a a 2.43 ERA in 2019.

deGrom’s Career at a Glance: deGrom has a career record of 82-57 with a 2.52 ERA. He played his entire nine-year career with the New York Mets before he signed with the Rangers. He led the NL in strikeouts in both 2019 (255) and 2020 (104).

Contract Status: deGrom and the Rangers agreed to a five-year, $185 million deal in the offseason. It’s the largest contract the Rangers have given to a pitcher. It’s also the first time the Rangers have signed a former Cy Young award winner in free agency.

In Surprise: deGrom is the ace, the expected Opening Day starter and the guy the Rangers hope brings balance to a rotation that, outside of Martin Perez, wasn’t all that good last season. When deGrom is on, he’s one of the best pitchers in baseball. He’s highly efficient with a terrific strikeout rate and the ability to avoid giving up walks. That’s the rub, of course. deGrom is 35 and has missed at least two months each of the past two seasons due to injury. As long as he’s healthy, he should be worth every penny the Rangers paid this offseason.

2023 Texas Rangers 40-Man Spring Training Previews:

Joe Barlow | John King | Dane Dunning | Brett Martin | Jake Odorizzi | Yerry Rodriguez | Owen White | Cole Ragans | Andrew Heaney | Glenn Otto | Josh Sborz | Ricky Vanasco | Cole Winn | Nathan Eovaldi | Jon Gray | Jonathan Hernández | Spencer Howard | José Leclerc | Martín Pérez | Brock Burke |

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