deGrom is vintage again, now an All-Star ace in Texas

This is finally the vintage Jacob deGrom pitching for the Texas Rangers, and not because the lanky right-hander recently turned 37 years old. After several injury-filled seasons in a row, both before and since going to Texas in free agency, deGrom is again an All-Star ace. "It's a little bit of validation," deGrom said. "Coming back from a major surgery, your second (Tommy John), there is some unknown. To be fortunate enough to be able to throw the ball pretty well, I'm just thankful to be able to be back out there on a major league mound." DeGrom (9-2, 2.29 ERA) this year has made 18 starts, twice as many as he had combined the past two seasons after joining the Rangers. It is already his most since 2019, when he won his second National League Cy Young Award in a row while pitching for the New York Mets. His fifth All-Star nod is his first in the American League after being the only Texas player selected for the game next Tuesday night in Atlanta. "I don't want to take for granted how hard this game is because he's making it look really easy," said Chris Young, the Rangers' president of baseball operations and a former big league pitcher. "It's precious when you get to see greatness like that." A no-decision against the Los Angeles Angels on Monday night ended deGrom's franchise record of 14 consecutive starts going at least five innings without giving up more than two runs. That same span was the longest streak by any traditional starter (not including openers) in the modern era since 1900 of not allowing more than six hits and two runs in a game, according to STATS. DeGrom came the closest he has to a no-hitter in his 236 career games on June 26 at Baltimore. He was perfect through six innings and the only hit was a leadoff single in the eighth. "He's an alien or something, I don't know how he does what he does," said Jack Leiter, the son of a big league pitcher and the 2021 No. 2 overall pick still a Rangers rookie this season. "It doesn't look like anything's bothering him," catcher Jonah Heim said. "It looks like he's going out there free and easy and and trusting his stuff, and it's pretty fun to watch." Second surgery The Rangers won the first six games deGrom started in his debut for them by the end of April 2023 before he had Tommy John surgery for the second time — the first was in 2010 as a minor leaguer for the Mets. He wasn't pitching when Texas won its only World Series title, then rehabbed most of last year before three short starts at the end of the season. His 106 1/3 innings this year are one more than he pitched combined the past three seasons, his first two in Texas and his final one in New York. "I think as much as anything with Jacob, he's just so happy that he feels good," Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. "The talent obviously is there. It's a tough road. ... Now he's back having fun playing the game." Bochy said the Rangers will continue to monitor deGrom's workload. He had at least five days of rest between six of his seven starts while going 5-0 since the beginning of June. He is averaging 86 pitches a game, and his 103 on May 21 was the only time over 100. "The thing about Jacob is it's so effortless," Bochy said. "Not a lot of stressful innings." All-Star appearances The 2014 NL Rookie of the Year made his first All-Star Game in 2015, when Bochy was the NL manager and DeGrom needed only 10 pitches to strike out Stephen Vogt, Jason Kipnis and Jose Iglesias. DeGrom also made three consecutive All-Star teams in 2018, 2019 and 2021 — there wasn't one during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. He allowed a solo homer to Mike Trout in the 2018 game, and pitched a perfect inning in 2019. After his back-to-back Cy Young seasons, deGrom started 12 of the Mets' 60 games in 2020. He had a 1.08 ERA over 92 innings through 15 starts in 2021, but didn't pitch in the All-Star Game and missed the rest of the season with right forearm tightness and a sprained elbow. He was shut down during spring training in 2022 after a stress reaction in his right scapula, then was 5-4 with a 3.08 ERA in 11 starts the last two months of that season before becoming a free agent. Injury extension The $185 million, five-year contract deGrom signed with Texas included a conditional sixth-year club option for 2028 that has already been trigged because of the time he missed after Tommy John surgery. That option is worth at least $20 million, but would be $30 million if he finishes among the top five in Cy Young voting or pitches at least 625 innings during the contract. It increases to $37 million if he finishes among the top five at least three times or pitches 725 innings. ___ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb