Even though he never managed the right-hander in Queens, Carlos Mendoza understands the significance and impact that Jacob deGrom has in Mets lore.
So, before the former Met returns to the mound at Citi Field for the first time since leaving New York in free agency after the 2022 season, the skipper was asked what deGrom, who made 209 starts in the orange and blue, means to the Mets.
"He represented a lot and meant a lot to this organization," Mendoza said. "You’re talking about a homegrown player and what he was able to do while he was up here — he was an ace.
"You felt good about your chances every time he took the baseball. It was a show. This is a guy that people came to the ballpark to watch him pitch. Special."
For most of his nine-year stint in New York, deGrom was the best pitcher in the game. From the moment he made his debut in 2014, a season that ended with him winning Rookie of the Year, the Mets knew they had something special.
Despite his selection in the ninth round out of Stetson University where he played shortstop, it didn't take long for the right-hander to come into his own. After a few great seasons following his rookie campaign, deGrom turned otherworldly and dominated the league unlike any other pitcher of his time.
From 2018 to 2019, deGrom made 64 starts and won the Cy Young award in back-to-back seasons after pitching to a 1.70 ERA in '18 and a 2.43 ERA in '19 and totaling 524 strikeouts in 421 IP.
Shockingly, his record was 21-17 during that stretch with the Mets consistently unable to give him any run support — making his numbers even more impressive with how stressful the innings were.
Overall, deGrom went 82-57 in New York and pitched to a 2.52 ERA (0.99 WHIP) with 1,835 strikeouts in 1522.2 IP. He was also a four-time All-Star and regularly finished in the top 10 for the Cy Young award as well as two top 10 finishes for MVP.
Injuries towards the end of his time with the Mets, including making just 11 regular season starts in 2022, his final season in New York, concerned and precluded the club from offering him the massive deal he was hoping for and eventually got with the Texas Rangers, signaling the end of his career as a Met.
New York was proven right in the short-term with deGrom only making nine starts for Texas in his first two seasons with the Rangers due to injury.
However, in his age-37 season, deGrom has been healthy all year for the first time since 2019 and continues to dominate like he did for the Mets for so many years with "electric stuff" and his "ability to command the baseball."
"You’re still looking at 98, 99 (mph) with the fastball," Mendoza said.
And with New York struggling mightily and having lost six straight games, it now has to contend with its former ace to try and get back on track and stabilize what has been a worrisome free fall.
"He meant a lot to the fanbase and organization, but here we are today (hoping to) find a way to beat him," Mendoza said. "… It's a tough matchup."
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