Jacob deGrom deserves his own thread because ...

[batmagadanleadoff]

Jacob deGrom deserves his own thread because he's my new favorite Met.

Rookie deGrom will stick with starting
July, 13, 2014

By Adam Rubin | ESPNNewYork.com

NEW YORK -- Terry Collins� recent suggestion that Jacob deGrom temporarily might find himself in the bullpen to open the second half to conserve innings was a false alarm. After the Mets entered the All-Star break with a 9-1 win against the Miami Marlins that included seven strong innings from the 26-year-old rookie, Collins confirmed deGrom would remain in the rotation as Jonathon Niese returns from the disabled list. DeGrom will start in Seattle during the second series of the second half, meaning Daisuke Matsuzaka is headed to a bullpen role. DeGrom is 3-1 with a 1.65 ERA over his past five starts. And although the Mets typically are conservative with innings counts for their young pitchers, deGrom logged 147 2/3 last season in the minors. So Sandy Alderson has said he is comfortable with deGrom reaching 185 innings this season. DeGrom is at 112 innings right now between the majors and minors. He would have 13 more starts during the regular season if he took the ball every five games. �We�re not going to take Jacob deGrom out of the rotation,� Collins said postgame Sunday, after deGrom limited Miami to one run on five hits and two walks in seven innings. �I say that now, but we might look up in a month where he is starting to run out of gas a little bit, where we have to make a decision. He�s pitched very, very well. He didn�t even have his best stuff today. He did a great job.� No pitcher feels perfect at this point in the season, but deGrom indicated he has plenty of petrol remaining. �I feel really good,� he said. �I think working on my mechanics and getting back to where I wanted to be with [pitching coach] Dan [Warthen] has helped my arm recover. I haven�t really been sore this year.� DeGrom certainly has earned the respect of teammates. He initially was scripted to have a bullpen role. But Dillon Gee�s side-muscle injury lingered for two months and deGrom outperformed Rafael Montero to solidify a spot in the rotation for the long haul. �He�s one of guys that was a little under the radar,� captain David Wright said. �You heard about the Syndergaards. You heard about the Wheelers. [steven] Matz has been getting a lot of attention. And Montero. But you never really hard too much about deGrom. And he was actually slated to be in the bullpen when he first got called up and something happened and he got a start and really has seized that opportunity. He�s got a live arm and throws strikes. It�s fun to play defense behind those guys.� Wright had some fun with deGrom in recent days. After deGrom nearly smoked a stretching Wright with a foul ball while the pitcher was taking batting practice, Wright cut a lock of deGrom�s floppy hair and affixed it to a poster hanging in the clubhouse between their adjacent lockers. The poster had been created by the Mets� social media team, with a silhouette of the rookie�s mane and the hashtag �#HAIRWEGO.� �I let him do it,� deGrom said about Wright playing barber. �That�s the second one I almost hit him with, too. I guess I kind of deserved it.� DeGrom said he has matured as a pitcher since arriving in the big leagues. An effective sinkerballer, he has learned to elevate four-seam fastballs to get batters to chase upstairs for strikeouts. �And if they don�t swing at it then maybe go to the curveball in the dirt. Just raise their eye level and then try to get them out with something down,� deGrom said. Overall, he is now 3-5 with a 3.18 ERA. The floppy hair he has not cut in six months and his hitting are giving him notoriety, too. DeGrom broke a 1-all tie Sunday with an RBI single after a two-out intentional walk to No. 8 hitter Ruben Tejada in the fourth inning. DeGrom has seven hits in his first 12 major league games. That is tied with Matt Harvey for second-most in franchise history. Rick Aguilera had eight. After the 1-for-3 performance that included his first career RBI, deGrom was asked if he could sustain his current .280 batting average if he were an everyday player. �I have no clue,� deGrom said. �That�s a tough question.�

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/mets/category/_/name/jacob-degrom

[batmagadanleadoff]

DeGrom showing command, composure
June, 5, 2014
Jun 5
11:00
AM ET
By Mark Simon | ESPNNewYork.com


Jacob deGrom has been very tough to hit, particularly down in the strike zone.

As a kid growing up in Florida, Mets starter Jacob deGrom got a lesson in pitch command at an early age. Jacob deGrom Jacob deGrom #48 SP New York Mets 2014 STATS GM4 W0 L2 BB12 K25 ERA2.42 When he would play catch with his father, Tony, his dad would yell at him to hit a target right around the center of his chest. If Jacob�s throws were askew, his dad would make Jacob chase the ball down himself. That was the story that deGrom told ESPN baseball analyst Rick Sutcliffe before his start against the Dodgers a couple of weeks ago, when Sutcliffe asked him where he learned to hit his target as well as he does. DeGrom�s pitch precision is the primary reason he�s been so successful in the first four starts of his major-league career. He�ll be trying for his first win when he starts against the Cubs tonight. The numbers DeGrom is one of five pitchers to open his career with four straight quality starts for the Mets, but only the second (along with Mets broadcaster Ron Darling) to go winless in those four games. Jacob deGrom 1st 2 starts Last 2 starts IP 13 13 Swings-and-Misses 16 30 Hard-Hit Balls 12 1 DeGrom�s 25 strikeouts are one shy of the most by a Mets pitcher in the first four games of his career (Matt Harvey, Dwight Gooden and Dick Selma had 26) and his 1.08 WHIP matches Tom Seaver for second-best among Mets pitchers to throw at least 20 innings in their first four games (Dennis Ribant had an 0.88 WHIP in his first four in 1964). DeGrom struck out 11 Phillies in his fourth start. He�s one of seven pitchers in the past 10 seasons to have an 11-strikeout game that early in his career. That bodes well when you consider that the other six are Felix Hernandez, Stephen Strasburg, Mike Minor, Matt Moore, Matt Harvey and Chris Archer. In other words, no flukes in that group. What�s working? We�ve heard a lot of rave reviews about deGrom�s approach. A couple of long-effective pitchers shared their thoughts. �I thought deGrom was impressive,� said former Met and Yankee David Cone, who broadcast deGrom�s debut on YES. �Plus fastball. Good change. Couple of different breaking balls. He looks like a keeper to me.� Sutcliffe broadcast his second start against the Dodgers, shared the father-son catch story with his viewing audience and said this as deGrom warmed up: �He has a good, clean delivery and a nice arm angle. He looks like Bronson Arroyo to me. For him to be successful, he�s got to live down in the strike zone. The changeup has to be a plus pitch to make his fastball more effective. What impresses me is that he can maintain 94-95 miles per hour when pitching out of the stretch.� Let�s take a closer look at some of the points they brought up. Fastball command The best thing that deGrom has going for him is that he is getting misses on swings against fastballs thrown in the strike zone at a well-above average rate (20 percent). When he throws his fastball within the lower half of the zone, opponents are 4-for-25 against it. And he does that often, as this image shows: �In our system, we try to identify what the low strike is, and we work on it every day,� said Mets pitching coordinator Ron Romanick, who has watched deGrom closely since taking that position in 2012. �He took to it right away.� When deGrom gets a little extra on his pitches, he�s very tough. He�s hit 94 mph or faster with his fastball 95 times, getting 23 outs and allowing one hit at that velocity. Among those who struck out on pitches at that velocity: Brett Gardner, Mark Teixeira, Marlon Byrd and Chase Utley. One last stat: The folks at Sportvision/BAM use video technology to evaluate how close a pitcher comes to hitting a catcher's initial target. DeGrom's fastball, on average, comes within 11 inches of the target, a number that rates among the 10 best in the majors. The average pitcher throws one about 13.5 inches from the target. That's the sort of thing for which the Mets are looking. The changeup The pitch that has been deGrom�s most consistent through four starts is the changeup (in which he uses the grip taught by Johan Santana), one he throws 10 to 12 mph slower than his fastball. Jacob deGrom has located his changeup well too. Opponents have two hits and a walk and have made 21 outs against the 61 he�s thrown. They�ve missed on 17 of the 37 swings they�ve taken against it, a 46 percent rate. Phillies hitters were 0-for-17 with 10 strikeouts against the fastball-changeup combo. �The first contrast pitch we teach is the changeup,� Romanick said. �We prioritize that over the breaking ball. Jake has a swing-and-miss changeup.� Romanick also noted that deGrom doesn�t leave too many hangers. �When he misses, he misses in good spots,� Romanick said. Poise Opponents are 3-for-27 with men on base against deGrom and 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position, with the only hit being Ryan Howard�s three run home run on Saturday. �The composure has been there,� Romanick said. �He�d always had that polish at the minor league level.� Looking ahead DeGrom has a sense of self-awareness. He is still trying to find his ideal breaking ball. The home run by Howard came on a hanging curveball. Lefties are 4-for-4 against his hook so far. The slider has been good sometimes, but not consistently. Remembering Jacob deGrom "I was the athletic director (at his school) and head boys basketball coach. (Jacob) was a kid who I could put on any team because he was such a natural athlete. He has great hand-eye coordination. I hear him doing his post-game interviews and it still sounds like (the kid I knew)." -- Ryan Knernschield �I�ve struggled with my slider a little bit,� deGrom said on Tuesday. �I�m working on that in the bullpen. My curveball has come a long way, but I would say probably fastball, changeup have been the best two for me." The Mets have also stressed that deGrom needs to be aware of his pitching patterns. Romanick thought that Howard knew what was coming based on what he'd seen in previous at-bats. �Those type of hitters make pretty good adjustments,� Romanick said. The other thing to keep in mind is that his abnormally-low BABIP (.206) and the good numbers with men on base and runners in scoring position aren�t going to last forever. Zack Wheeler learned that this season, as his batting average in the latter situations has jumped from .173 as a rookie to .349 in 2014. The various ERA-estimating stats peg deGrom as being someone whose ERA should be one to two runs higher than it currently is. But in fairness, deGrom is still very much a work in progress. His 4.52 FIP (an ERA estimator based on strikeouts, walks and home runs allowed) is skewed a bit by the three homers he allowed to the Dodgers. As such, Romanick is not worried. DeGrom learned pitching relatively late in his scholastic career. He primarily was a shortstop in high school and college, which might explain why he can hit a little bit. There is still upside, even for a 25-year-old first-year big leaguer. "I think he can handle anything thrown his way," Romanick said.

[Zvon]

I move that this belongs in this thread as well, courtesy of seawolf17.
*bangs gavel?

[batmagadanleadoff]

MLB Shootaround (the Horn): The Most Intriguing Second-Half Story Lines

Grantland sez deGrom is intriguiing. Excerpt:

The Glorious Mane (and Aim) of Jacob deGrom

Sean Fennessey: Here�s a brief history of young Mets pitchers I�ve gotten excited about: 1995: Generation K (deceased) 2004: Scott Kazmir (vanished) 2012: Dillon Gee (worst beard of all time) 2013: Matt Harvey (maimed) So that tends to happen. I was 2 years old when Doc Gooden strode upon the bump at Shea Stadium for the first time, eventually striking out a record 276 batters in his rookie year. (Context: It�s been 10 years since a National League pitcher struck out as many as 276, and Doctor K was just a seedling when he did it.) I don�t need to explain how things turned out for Gooden in later years. So it is with grave reluctance and also unfathomable glee that I present this bro: go to link for gif http://grantland.com/the-triangle/mlb-shootaround-intriguing-second-half-story-lines/ That second guy is Jacob deGrom, the 26-year-old rookie who�s holding down the fifth spot in the � surging(!), scrappy(?), solvent($) � Mets rotation. DeGrom, a converted infielder who has already undergone Tommy John surgery, is a bit old at 26, but he�s doing things few rookies have ever done: And while his velocity is strong and his aim is true, deGrom�s hair is his calling card. He�s got good hair, hair worthy of Fidrych, young Lincecum, and Coco Crisp. It�s not easy having head charisma when your skull is covered in New Era. But deGrom�s is catching on. And while the Mets� future is full of promising arms (Thor coming!), deGrom is the least heralded, and therefore the most enjoyable. Considering recent history, he�s also very likely falling into a ditch and breaking both arms right now. But until then, #hairwego.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Zvon wrote: I move that this belongs in this thread as well, courtesy of seawolf17. *bangs gavel?

I was just doing that!

[batmagadanleadoff]

Was that poster a giveaway? I want one of those.

[fimg=444:2h0kqgz3]http://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bp4pmSFCUAAIu_K.jpg:medium[/fimg:2h0kqgz3]

[batmagadanleadoff]

[fimg=444]http://nbchardballtalk.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/screen-shot-2014-07-13-at-6-57-39-pm.png?w=320[/fimg]

[Zvon]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Was that poster a giveaway? I want one of those. [fimg=444]http://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bp4pmSFCUAAIu_K.jpg:medium[/fimg]

I like that poster. I want four.

[Guest themetfairy]

[ashie62]

The pitch location charts above look exactly like the MRI of my shoulder...

[Guest themetfairy]

The kid is awesome!

[MFS62]

He deserves his own thread because he has earned it.

Later

[Centerfield]

deGrom kind of illustrates how little I understand about scouting and labeling prospects.

For instance, Zack Wheeler is as highly touted as they come. They say he has front-of-the rotation potential. Zack throws his fastball around 96, but his secondary pitches are not great, and lack consistency. Wheeler struggles with his control.

deGrom, on the other hand, sits at about 94 with his fastball, but has plus secondary pitches, including a great changeup he can throw even when behind in the count. deGrom has good control and limits his walks. Despite this, he was a fringe prospect. From what I read about him, I expected him to be Pat Strange or Kevin Mulvey.

[Edgy MD]

Makes it fun, though. Forecasts are forecasts.

Besides, people grow in fits and starts. Wheeler may still pass him. Syndergaard may pass 'em both. But that's certainly not where the trend lines are going. Where the hell did David Cone come from?

[Edgy MD]

Also worth noting is that, what prospect watchers didn't know --- and largely couldn't know --- is that deGrom would be learning and eventually mastering a changeup taught to him by Johan Santana. Now a big pitch in his arsenal that helped him a lot last night against a lefty-stacked lineup.

[Ceetar]

NL Rookies, fWAR

Billy Hamilton 3.2
Chris Owings 1.9
Jacob deGrom 1.3
..
d'Aranud 0.7
..
Eric Campbell 0.4
Jeurys Familia 0.4

[Frayed Knot]

Centerfield wrote: deGrom kind of illustrates how little I understand about scouting and labeling prospects. For instance, Zack Wheeler is as highly touted as they come. They say he has front-of-the rotation potential. Zack throws his fastball around 96, but his secondary pitches are not great, and lack consistency. Wheeler struggles with his control. deGrom, on the other hand, sits at about 94 with his fastball, but has plus secondary pitches, including a great changeup he can throw even when behind in the count. deGrom has good control and limits his walks. Despite this, he was a fringe prospect. From what I read about him, I expected him to be Pat Strange or Kevin Mulvey.

Part of that is age - Wheeler is two full years younger so compare, say, where he is now vs where deGrom was two years ago (single-A);
part is the age at which they were drafted - college senior vs HS, meaning that Wheeler has been on the radar longer;
part is small sample size - deGrom being better NOW!!!! doesn't mean he will be for the next 5 or 10 and the long term is what forecasters are trying to project
part is a scouts tendency to drool over readings on the radar gun and other such talents that fall under the general category of 'Stuff'

And, yeah, the scouts and touts who follow this end of the business do also get things wrong more than occasionally.

[TransMonk]

NL Pitcher of the Month for July?

[Edgy MD]

NL Rookie of the Year for 2014?

[batmagadanleadoff]

TransMonk wrote: NL Pitcher of the Month for July?

[Edgy MD]

Strong case for Tyler Ross as well.

[metirish]

Mark Simon
?@msimonespn
Jacob deGrom's final July numbers

4-1
1.39 ERA
1.05 WHIP
38 K, 7 BB
.518 opp OPS
7.4% hard-hit rate #allthosearereallygood

[Ceetar]

Edgy MD wrote: NL Rookie of the Year for 2014?

We might have to get a Billy Hamilton smear campaign going though.

[Edgy MD]

Well, the best way to hurt Hamilton's campaign is to catch and pass his currently tanking team in the standings.

Gotta get deGrom's fraction of an offensive WAR into the arithmetic when we measure him, though.

[Ceetar]

Edgy MD wrote: Well, the best way to hurt his campaign is to catch and pass his currently tanking team in the standings.

ooh, and can we have deGrom pick him off on 9/5 or something?

[smg58]

DeGrom has certainly earned the right to be part of the rookie discussion. Hamilton has a .717 OPS in a pitchers' park, so while his speed and defense are big plusses, I'm not conceding anything to him in July.

[Ceetar]

smg58 wrote: DeGrom has certainly earned the right to be part of the rookie discussion. Hamilton has a .717 OPS in a pitchers' park, so while his speed and defense are big plusses, I'm not conceding anything to him in July.

I was just referencing the fWAR, which he's way ahead in, though clearly that's not how a lot of these guys make their decisions.

[Lefty Specialist]

I'm just waiting for his first Pantene commercial.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Mets rookie pitcher Jacob deGrom named National League player of the week
Mets rookie deGrom went 2-0 last week, posting a 0.68 ERA with 11 strikeouts and just three walks in two starts to share the award with Marlins' closer Steve Cishek.
BY Jason Rubinstein
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Published: Monday, July 28, 2014, 4:17 PM

The accolades are finally coming for Jacob deGrom. Major League Baseball on Monday named the rookie righthander the co-National League Player of the Week along with Marlins closer Steve Cishek. DeGrom has shown no signs of being a rookie of late, limiting opponents to just two runs in his last 271/3 innings pitched over his last four stars. More so, he hasn�t given up a home run in his last 59 innings and is four homerless innings away from matching the Mets� franchise record set by Mark Bomback in 1980. DeGrom has posted a 0.66 ERA in his last four starts, all wins, proving to be one of the Mets� most reliable pitchers. But for Mets fans, seeing deGrom on the mound every five days for the rest of the season is unlikely. Before the Mets� recent road trip, general manager Sandy Alderson said the team would roughly cap deGrom�s innings at 185. To date, including his innings in the minors, deGrom has tossed 125.1. That�s roughly nine more starts before he hits it. And with the Mets (51-55) surging of late, it could be a tough pill to see deGrom shut down. So will Alderson worry about deGrom�s cap later in the season because of how the Mets are playing? �I think that�s one possibility,� Alderson said. �The other possibility is to maybe skip him a start when we find a right spot to do it. So I think we have a couple of different ways of approaching that. Right now, we don�t want to interrupt the flow he has going, the success he�s had.�

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/degrom-wins-nl-honors-article-1.1883102

[batmagadanleadoff]

smg58 wrote: DeGrom has certainly earned the right to be part of the rookie discussion. Hamilton has a .717 OPS in a pitchers' park, so while his speed and defense are big plusses, I'm not conceding anything to him in July.

Agreed. I'd give it to Hamilton right now in a slight edge over deGrom, although I'm sensing that deGrom would pass Hamilton in my book soon enough so long as he maintains his effectiveness. A team imposed pitch limit would hinder deGrom's chances of winning this award.