New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom talked to reporters on Monday afternoon about safety protocols, winning awards, and how sharp his teammate Steven Matz looked earlier in the day.
DeGrom, 32, had a 2.43 ERA, 2.67 FIP, 0.97 WHIP, and a league leading 255 strikeouts in 204 innings during the 2019 season with the Mets.
The reigning back-to-back National League Cy Young Award winner was hesitant to say that winning again in 2020 would feel the same, “I don’t think it would feel the same. But it’s definitely still a goal.”
Jacob noted the possibly of starting only 12 starts instead of 32 or 33 being a key factor in why he felt that way. DeGrom felt differently about celebrating a World Championship like a normal season, “That’s a team coming together under these circumstances and figuring out a way to win.”
DeGrom threw two shutout innings during a simulated game on Monday and said he aims to ramp up to 85 pitches before the regular season starts. He threw twice a week during the delay with fellow Stetson alum Patrick Mazeika.
The right-hander was very encouraged by what he saw from Matz on Monday, “He looked really good today. That was very impressive to watch. Maybe the best I’ve seen in a long time. Everything was right where he wanted it. It was exploding out of his hand. Fun to watch.”
