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Mets Legend Picked for Comeback Season After Devastating Injury

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jake Elman | Last updated Mar 14, 2025 1:23 PM ET

Texas Rangers pitcher Jacob deGrom is a long way removed from his elite New York Mets tenure.

At least one MLB analyst nonetheless believes deGrom is primed for a historic comeback season.

MLB.com recently ranked the top Cy Young contenders in both leagues. David Adler listed deGrom, who won the NL Cy Young in 2018 and 2019, third behind Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal and Kansas City Royals rising star Cole Ragans in the American League.

Skubal won last year’s Cy Young and the AL pitching Triple Crown. Ragans, who briefly pitched alongside deGrom on the 2023 Rangers, finished fourth.

So, why is Adler that bullish on deGrom, who has pitched only 35 games since 2021?

“DeGrom is a Cy Young favorite in any season he starts healthy,” Adler wrote. “That’s because a healthy deGrom is the most dominant pitcher on the planet.”

A healthy deGrom is dangerous, though picking an injury-prone 36-year-old as the “most dominant pitcher on the planet” is a curious take. Skubal and Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes would certainly disagree with Adler.

DeGrom briefly flashed greatness after returning from Tommy John surgery, striking out 14 and allowing two earned runs across three starts last September. Whether or not those impressive 10.2 innings are a sign of things to come, especially given deGrom’s injury history, is undetermined.

Atlanta Braves star Chris Sale proved unexpected comeback seasons are definitely possible. Sale tallied 2.6 bWAR and struggled over his final three Boston Red Sox campaigns before turning in an 18-win, 2.38 ERA, and 6.2 bWAR campaign last year.

Sale earned his first career Cy Young and likely erased any doubts about him eventually earning a Hall of Fame plaque. We’ll see if deGrom can do the same this summer, but we’re understandably skeptical.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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