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New York Mets: Jacob deGrom’s dominance still showing

By David Hill

Jul 1, 2021; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Jacob deGrom (48) pitches against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 1, 2021; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Jacob deGrom (48) pitches against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jacob deGrom had been the clear frontrunner for both the National League Cy Young award and the MVP at the All Star break. The New York Mets pitcher had dominated on the mound in a manner that had not been seen since the second Dead Ball Era before landing on the Injured List, ruining his chance at history.

However, deGrom is still making an impact on the leaderboard. Despite pitching just 96 innings, he is still ninth in the majors with 5.2 bWAR on the year.

New York Mets’ star Jacob deGrom’s dominance can still be felt

deGrom had easily been the most dominant pitcher in the game despite a myriad of arm issues this season. He had posted a 1.08 ERA and a 0.554 WHiP in those 96 innings, striking out 146 batters with just 11 walks. It took nearly a month before another pitcher aside from Shohei Ohtani was able to pass him on the bWAR rankings.

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It is also not a surprise that the Mets entered a nose dive once deGrom was shelved for more than one outing. While they had struggled to score runs this season, deGrom’s presence atop the rotation gave the Mets the stopper they needed.

There are times when one does not need advanced metrics to know how valuable a player is to a team. It can be seen with their absence, how that confidence is gone when they are not in the lineup or rotation. Such is the case with deGrom as he has made a difference, both in terms of his performance and the intangibles he brings, to the Mets.

That value, no matter how obvious, can be difficult to quantify. But that is not the case here, as deGrom is still amongst the major league leaders in bWAR despite his injury woes and having pitched only 96 innings. It is not an exaggeration to say that his health made a dramatic impact upon the Mets season.

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Jacob deGrom has been one of the best players in the majors this season. The New York Mets ace is still on the bWAR leaderboard for 2021.

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