MLB 21st century face of the franchise — New York Mets: Jacob deGrom
One can make a perfectly credible argument for David Wright as the franchise face of the Mets. Over a 14-season career, he played in 1,586 games, batted .296, held down third base for as long as his body would permit, and slugged 242 home runs.
One could even argue for Pete Alonso, although that case may be better stated a few years from now.
Max Scherzer or Francisco Lindor? Too much identity with other franchises.
Although he left for free agency and Texas at the end of 2022, Jacob deGrom remains, at least for the time being, the 21st Century franchise face. The simplest explanation is that the Mets have historically been a pitching-dominated team, and deGrom was a pitcher in the mold of Tom Seaver and Dwight Gooden.
Breaking in to the rotation as Rookie of the Year in 2014, deGrom rose to the pinnacle of National League pitchers. He had a career 2.52 ERA – that’s Kershaw territory – and he averaged 261 strikeouts per 162 games while allowing barely more than one baserunner per inning.
Beyond that are the awards. DeGrom can claim the 2018 and 2019 Cy Youngs in addition to his 2014 Rookie of the Year honor. He was a four-time All Star with the Mets.
In the wings: Give Alonso a few seasons and check back. In his first four seasons, he’s displayed a rare combination of power and personality. Alonso led the National League with 131 RBI in 2022. He hasn’t reached deGrom levels of respect yet, but he could.