Rangers Ace Jacob deGrom Replaced on AL All-Star Team by Royals Reliever

Coming into the 2025 MLB regular season, there was a good amount of pressure on Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jacob deGrom.

Since signing a massive five-year, $185 million deal ahead of the 2023 campaign, he had managed to make only nine starts with the Rangers -- six in 2023 before undergoing Tommy John surgery and three in 2024 as he completed his rehab.

That was not the kind of return on investment Texas was hoping for, but they knew the risks when they agreed to that deal.

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deGrom, for all his greatness, hadn’t made more than 15 starts in a campaign since 2019 with the New York Mets.

That is until this year, with the two-time National League Cy Young Award winner returning to form despite a change in his approach on the mound.

Trying to stay as healthy as possible, deGrom isn’t looking to max out his velocity on every pitch. He has dialed things back a little bit and the results have been fantastic.

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He has been able to take the ball every time through the rotation, making 18 starts and dominating in typical deGrom fashion despite his velocity being lower.

In 106.1 innings, he has a stellar 2.29 ERA with 105 strikeouts. He continues to do an excellent job of limiting base runners with a 0.912 WHIP.

Despite his walk rate and strikeout rates being amongst the worst of his career, he is still getting the job done.

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That level of performance earned him a much-deserved spot on the American League All-Star team, the fifth time he was selected to take part in the Midsummer Classic.

Alas, he has decided not to participate in the 2025 MLB All-Star game, citing a desire to prioritize his health and manage his workload for the second half of the season.

The Rangers certainly need him to stay healthy with their playoff odds hanging on by a thread and their starting pitching being a driving factor behind the team staying afloat.

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Taking deGrom’s place on the AL All-Star roster is Kansas City Royals closer Carlos Estevez.

He has been everything the Royals could have hoped for when they signed him to a two-year, $22 million deal in free agency this past winter.

He leads the AL with 25 saves and has an impressive 1.98 ERA in 41 innings with 35 strikeouts.

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