Every time Texas Rangers starter Jacob deGrom takes the mound, he has a chance at making history. On Wednesday, he nearly etched himself into baseball immortality.
deGrom pitched deep into the muggy Maryland night, and after six innings, he did not allow a baserunner. Through the seventh, he had not surrendered a hit.
Three pitches into the eighth inning, Baltimore Orioles outfielder Colton Cowser ended deGrom's outing and his bid at history. deGrom, in a jersey discolored by sweat, knew his night was over at 89 pitches.
deGrom's stuff turned back the clock
This was not the first time deGrom brushed up against the record books. But in his age-37 season, it might be the last.
"I even stood over there and said to [Cowser], like, 'Dang it, I wanted that,'" deGrom said, via Paige Leckie. "But it's -- they're Major League hitters, too. So I threw a fastball -- I think it was a fastball, I asked when I came in. Think I kind of blacked out, but I was like, 'What did I throw there?' And it was a fastball, and he got to it."
Texas' ace was dominant on Wednesday, retiring Orioles in a manner that felt like the version of himself who won back-to-back Cy Young awards in 2018 and 2019.
Notably, his velocity resembled those untouchable stretches. He averaged 98.4 mph on his fastball against Baltimore, the highest mark of his season. Entering the year, deGrom attempted to limit his velocity to stay healthy. After running into some trouble at 96 mph, he has steadily thrown harder. The results have followed.
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Through 16 starts, deGrom has pitched to a 2.08 ERA and a 3.02 FIP. His strikeout rate has declined, but his K-BB% is the 12th-best in baseball thanks to his elite command.
In recent years, deGrom has relied more on a two-pitch mix with his fastball and slider. That's understandable considering that, at his best, those were arguably the two best pitches in the sport. On Wednesday, though, deGrom threw his changeup 19 times -- over 20% of his pitches and over 12% more than his season average.
"Looking at how lineups were attacking me, it's a lot easier when you can sit two pitches, so just mix it up early and try to continue to mix it throughout the game," he said.
deGrom earned four whiffs with that pitch against the Orioles. He's throwing it more often than any season since 2020. Perhaps that's life with an arsenal that isn't quite what it used to be. Maybe it's another sign that these kinds of outings are fleeting.
Whatever the reason, it was working for deGrom on Wednesday. As long as he's healthy, he has a shot to recapture that potency on any given night.
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