Rangers Ace Jacob deGrom Hits Personal Milestone in Return to New York

A return to New York for Jacob deGrom was special in more ways than one.

Not only did the Texas Rangers ace return to the city where he enjoyed the most personal success in his career, but he’s looking more and more like the pitcher who starred in the Big Apple for years.

For the first time since suiting up for the Rangers in 2023, deGrom threw more than 100 pitches in a game. That’s significant for the two-time NL Cy Young Award winner who’s spent most of his two seasons with Texas on the injured list.

It happened Wednesday against the New York Yankees, as deGrom totaled 103 pitches while going seven innings and allowing just two runs. He struck out nine and issued a walk, leaving the game with a 3-2 lead.

Jacob deGrom Threw His Most Pitches in Over Four Years

That's the most pitches thrown by deGrom since racking up 109 on April 23, 2021 against the Washington Nationals.

“Honestly, I haven’t even thought about it,” deGrom said of the century pitch mark, according to MLB.com. “I was trying to go out there and prevent them from scoring runs. At some point I knew I would be able to get over the 100-pitch mark. I was building into it. Everything felt good. I felt like everything was still working.”

That kind of outing was routine when deGrom starred across town for the New York Mets. He hadn’t started a game in New York since his Mets finale on Oct. 8, 2022 and hadn’t pitched in the Bronx since 2018.

The 36-year-old right-hander spent the first nine seasons of his career with the Mets before signing a five-year contract with Texas worth $185 million after the 2022 season. It marked the largest deal ever for a Rangers pitcher.

Coming back to a familiar city, albeit a different ballpark, was special for deGrom. But the quality outing meant more, even if Texas lost 4-3 after the bullpen couldn’t hold the lead.

“You miss that much time, it’s good to pitch anywhere,” deGrom said. “Having spent most of my career in New York and getting back to New York, it was fun.”

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