Mets' Jacob deGrom harder on himself than hitters are in first start
Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom throws during the first inning of a spring training baseball game against the Nationals on Sunday, March 1, 2020, in Port St. Lucie, Fla. Credit: AP/Jeff Roberson
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Jacob deGrom has been pretty close to perfect the last two seasons. So it’s no wonder he’s a bit of a perfectionist.
That could be why he found more to self-criticize than celebrate after his first spring training outing on Sunday.
DeGrom was happy with his fastball command but said some of his two-strike off-speed pitches were “bad.” He said one changeup in particular was “terrible.”
This was after deGrom started the game against the Nationals at Clover Park by throwing 13 consecutive strikes, including a seven-pitch first inning. He finished with three scoreless innings in which he allowed one hit, walked none and struck out two, throwing 26 of his 33 pitches for strikes.
The back-to-back reigning National League Cy Young Award winner didn’t get to be great by accepting anything less than his best. Like an actor who hates watching himself on screen or a chef who tastes the tiniest imperfections in his or her dishes, deGrom is his own toughest critic.
He was after a simulated game against his teammates last week, and he was again on Sunday after a dominant outing against a Nationals lineup that included Trea Turner, Ryan Zimmerman, Starlin Castro and Yan Gomes.
“I felt like I could command my fastball well,” deGrom said. “Off-speed, like I said after that sim game, threw some good ones, threw some bad ones. I think the two-strike one’s the one that I was the most not as pleased as I wanted to be with it. Wanted it more off the plate. Left a couple in the zone. They were still good pitches, but they weren’t the swing-and-miss that I was looking for.
“I was talking to Buffalo [catcher Wilson Ramos] between innings. I just said, ‘Hey, the strike-one off-speed’s been fine, but the two-strike one I didn’t really get where I wanted to.’ So I think that’s what I’m going to continue working on for the rest of this spring.”
DeGrom started by getting Turner on a chopper to short, Zimmerman on a checked-swing grounder to first and Castro on a pop-up to short right. Seven pitches, no hard contact, and deGrom was back in the dugout.
The second inning was more challenging, and, perhaps, more helpful to deGrom as he builds up to his March 26 Opening Day start against the defending World Series champion Nationals at Citi Field.
DeGrom threw 14 pitches in the second, including one that Andrew Stevenson lined to right for a single. The next batter, Michael A. Taylor, fouled off four straight 1-and-2 pitches before ending the at-bat with a foul pop to third on 2-and-2.
That last pitch, a changeup, was the one deGrom said was “terrible — just floated in there.”
The inning ended with Ramos throwing out Stevenson trying to steal second. DeGrom had been practicing his pickoff move to first, and Pete Alonso was setting up in front of the bag and darting back to take the throw, which was a first for deGrom.
“I think, for me, probably the second inning was a little more useful,” deGrom said. “Felt really good out of the windup. Didn’t feel as good out of the stretch. So I feel that was good. I’ve said before, that’s when you make your most important pitches, with runners on.”
DeGrom retired the Nationals 1-2-3 in the third and then threw another 13 pitches in the bullpen.
“I acted like I faced three batters,” deGrom said.
Probably got them out, too.
Anthony Rieber covers sports media and business and professional sports (you know, games and trades and things). He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since Jan. 1, 2026.
