Why healthy Jacob deGrom should make Rangers AL West contenders
Reports of ace Jacob DeGrom looking like the star of old might make his new team the favorite to surprise in 2023.
DeGrom, who signed a five-year, $185 million free-agent deal with Texas in the offseason, made his first start of spring training Sunday. According to the Dallas Morning News, he hit between 97-100 mph on the radar gun. The right-hander had 28 strikes in 34 pitches and pitched three scoreless innings.
His teammates said he could have been better.
“And I think he would tell you it was not his best outing.” catcher Mitch Garver told the Dallas Morning News.
That is a scary thought for the rest of the American League.
DeGrom became a star with the New York Mets. He was a Cy Young candidate every year, winning the award in 2018 and 2019, but injuries have slowed him in recent years. He hasn’t made 30 starts since 2019 and has pitched only 156.1 innings over the past two years.
“You just saw what one of the best pitchers in the game looks like,” first-year Rangers manager Bruce Bochy told the News after DeGrom’s start. “He pounds the strike zone. He doesn’t hold back. I enjoy watching it. He’s an elite pitcher.”
That is what Texas hoped for when it signed him. The Rangers -- who finished 2022 68-94 and fourth in the AL West -- need massive help on the mound.
Last season, Texas' staff ERA was 4.22 -- fourth worst in the AL. The Rangers hope deGrom teams with Martin Perez (2.89 ERA in 2022) for a great 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation.
Texas' 2022 finish cost manager Chris Woodward his job. While the Rangers' record was dismal, advanced stats suggest it could have been better. Their Pythagorean win-loss record was 77-85, meaning Texas ran into some bad luck.
In 2023, Texas needs better seasons from shortstop Corey Seager and infielder Marcus Semien, who did not live up to expectations in their first seasons as Rangers. Each had an OPS below .775. A slight improvement from the 2022 free-agent signees alone should help the offense score more.
The addition of deGrom should put the Rangers in the thick of the AL West race against the dinged-up Astros and a Mariners team that overachieved in 2022.
As long as deGrom stays healthy--and that's a big "if" -- big things could happen for Texas in 2023.
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