Watch CBS News

DeGrom Becoming A Dominant Force In Mets' Impressive Rotation

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- With all the talk of Zack Wheeler, phenom-in-waiting Noah Syndergaard, Rafael Montero, and, of course, injured Matt Harvey, the Mets may be getting more currently from rookie Jacob deGrom than any other young arm they have.

Could he end up being the NL Rookie of the Year?

Count Mets manager Terry Collins as a believer.

"He's always flown under the radar. Still is," Collins said following the Mets' 3-1 win in Seattle on Tuesday night. "This guy has numbers to match up against any rookie in the league. And you never hear his name mentioned."

DeGrom allowed one run, five hits and struck out seven over seven innings on Tuesday night, continuing his recent run of stellar pitching. The 26-year-old right-hander has arguably been the Mets' best pitcher this season. Over his last six starts, deGrom is 4-1 with a 1.58 ERA. He has issued 11 walks and struck out 45 over 39 2/3 innings.

"He's been dominant," teammate Lucas Duda said.

DeGrom throws in the mid-90s with a nasty slider and a 12-to-6 curveball. However, he attributes his recent brilliance to his most deceiving pitch.

"Warming up, it (changeup) was really good. With a lot of lefties in the lineup, it was a good night to have my changeup being really good," deGrom said after the win Tuesday.

Overall, deGrom is just 4-5, but his other statistics speak to the reality that the Mets just don't give him a lot of run support, plating 45 in his 13 starts. For the season, deGrom has a 3.01 ERA, with 79 strikeouts and 29 walks in 80 2/3 innings. Maybe his most telling stat is having not allowed a home run in his last eight starts.

The Mets, who are currently six games below .500 as the season fast approaches the trade deadline, may ask even more of deGrom going forward should they move veteran Bartolo Colon, who is reportedly drawing some interest.

"I'm telling you, this guy, he's going to figure it out and he's going to be a tough guy to deal with," Collins said.

You May Also Be Interested In These Stories

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.