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Mets fans breathe a sigh of relief over Jacob deGrom’s MRI results

By Rucker Haringey

PORT ST. LUCIE, FL - MARCH 11: Jacob deGrom #48 of the New York Mets in action against the St. Louis Cardinals during a spring training baseball game at Clover Park at on March 11, 2020 in Port St. Lucie, Florida. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
PORT ST. LUCIE, FL - MARCH 11: Jacob deGrom #48 of the New York Mets in action against the St. Louis Cardinals during a spring training baseball game at Clover Park at on March 11, 2020 in Port St. Lucie, Florida. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /
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The Mets actually got some good injury news for a change.

Mets fans worried about Jacob deGrom got the good news they were desperately craving on Wednesday. The absence of “anything concerning” in his MRI results means he should be back on the mound for New York very soon.

Any hope the Mets have of being a contender in 2020 will require their starting pitching to lead the way. Getting dominant starts from deGrom every five days is the only way Luis Rojas and his coaching staff can get that sort of production from their rotation. It’s not an exaggeration to say that a serious injury to deGrom would have derailed the Mets season before it ever began.

Mets dodged a bullet with Jacob deGrom.

He was nothing short of amazing during the team’s 2019 campaign. DeGrom made 32 starts and posted a dazzling 2.43 ERA in 204 innings pitched. The Mets didn’t reach their goals last season, but none of the blame goes to deGrom. He was sensational for them nearly every time he took the mound.

Assuming deGrom is ready to pitch on Opening Day, the Mets could conceivably have one of the best starting rotations in the National League. Noah Syndergaard will miss the entire 2020 regular season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, but New York still has enviable depth behind deGrom.

Marcus Stroman, Rick Porcello, Steven Matz, and Michael Wacha project to be four starters who will join deGrom in the rotation when the regular season begins. Stroman may be overmatched as an ace, but he’s an above-average No. 2. Porcello’s career has been inconsistent, but he has the talent to come up big when his team needs him. Matz and Wacha comfortably project as league average starters at the back end of the rotation.

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That depth is nice, but deGrom’s brilliance is what transforms the group from intriguing to potentially dominant. His ability to post double-digit quality starts in the truncated 60-game season gives the Mets a clear path towards winning the NL East. Any team that makes the postseason with this much pitching talent could also turn into a threat to win it all. That’s why they must keep deGrom healthy at all costs.

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