He was hearing it back in February in Port St. Lucie, and things haven’t changed five months later. Jacob deGrom knows that three straight Cy Young Awards is a rare feat, only secured by two pitchers in MLB history (Greg Maddux and Randy Johnson), and many believe that he can join them in the record books.
DeGrom is more focused on the Mets’ goal of winning a World Series, and that’s what he has in mind when he takes the mound. But he would be lying if he said that the Cy Young wasn’t on his mind yet again entering the 2020 regular season.
“I’ve been asked about it a couple of times, so I guess it’s already trickled into my mind,” he told reporters following his side session at Mets practice on Tuesday. “It’s definitely a goal. That’s the goal. As a starting pitcher, that’s a personal goal. Team goal, more importantly, is to win a World Series, but along the way you set personal goals as well.”
DeGrom has said that in the past, too. Arguably the best starting pitcher in the game, the 32-year-old obviously would love the hardware at the end of the year to prove it.
He is primed to do it once again, but this 60-game season is an entirely different monster. One or two bad starts could lead to a pitcher getting tossed from the running for the award, not that deGrom ever has a stretch like that to begin with. However, anything can happen, and he recognizes the added pressure each start will have this year.
“Definitely in a 60-game season you’re going to feel a little more pressure,” he said. “You only get so many times out there. You feel like you need to be on your game every time.
“I feel like I need to give our team a good one every time, give them a chance to win. That’s my goal. That’s how I take the mound.”
DeGrom also reassured everyone that his back tightness is “in the past,” after throwing in an intrasquad game on Monday and tossing a side session on Tuesday. That should have been perfectly set up for Opening Day.
“I would say it’s totally in the past. The other day felt really good,” he said. “Got on the mound again today for — I think I threw 13 fastballs and then getting on the mound again tomorrow. So everything’s in line. I think just as long as tomorrow goes well, [I] should be in line and hopefully start Opening Day.”
DeGrom remained humble and didn’t want to say that he was starting Opening Day, but manager Luis Rojas already made it known that he was penciled in there, as expected, after seeing how well his side session went earlier.
“It’s an honor, it’s awesome,” deGrom said about getting the ball to start the season. “To be out there for the first game and it’s something that means a lot and definitely something that I enjoy doing and hopefully get it this time.”
This Opening Day will be different with no fans in the stands. DeGrom likes what the Mets are doing with the cardboard cutouts to give somewhat of an impression of fans being there, which other clubs have done. But that patented stare down to the catcher behind the dish with his glove up to his face shows the inner drive that deGrom has each time he toes the rubber.
So fans or no fans, he just wants to do his job and get outs. And that will hopefully lead to that third Cy Young when all is said and done.
“I think for me, when somebody steps in the box, I want to get them out. Even in the sim game I threw the other day, those are my teammates but I wanted to get them out,” deGrom explained. “You definitely feed off the fans, it’s going to be a little different.”