As if the Mets needed another avenue to showcase their ace, Jacob deGrom will be in the spotlight once again at next week’s All-Star Game in Washington.
The stud right-hander will be the Mets’ lone representative at the 2018 Midsummer Classic, voted in by his fellow players and announced as a member of the National League team Sunday night.
“It’s definitely an honor, just like last time,” deGrom said Sunday. “I was very excited to be able to represent the Mets in the All-Star Game.”
For the second straight year, the Mets only had one All-Star representative after Michael Conforto made the trip last season. It was deGrom’s second All-Star bid in five major league seasons, his first coming in 2015, when he struck out the side on 10 pitches.
On track to make his final start before the break Wednesday against the Phillies, deGrom should be fresh to pitch an inning in next Tuesday’s All-Star Game.
“I’m looking forward to getting into the game again,” he said.
This time around, deGrom said he is looking forward to enjoying the experience more with his family, including taking his 2-year-old son, Jaxon, onto the field to watch the Home Run Derby.
In an otherwise desolate Mets season, deGrom has consistently been the bright spot. He leads all of baseball with a 1.79 ERA, entered Sunday second in the National League in both strikeouts (142) and WHIP (0.99), and has allowed three runs or fewer in 15 straight starts.
The only real bump in deGrom’s season so far came in early May, when he exited a start early after hyperextending his elbow on a swing. He was eventually placed on the disabled list but missed only one turn through the rotation. The former college shortstop struggled with his control in his first start back, needing 45 pitches to get three outs, but has returned to form ever since.
That dominance, mixed with the Mets’ ineptitude, has made deGrom’s name the center of potential trade talks leading up to the July 31 non-waiver deadline. Mets assistant general manager John Ricco has said the club would need to be offered an “overwhelming” package to trade either deGrom or Noah Syndergaard.
Nationals ace Max Scherzer, in his home ballpark, is expected to be named the team’s starting pitcher, but deGrom would be another worthy candidate for NL manager Dave Roberts.
“It’d be awesome,” deGrom said. “That’s, I think, the highest honor of being a pitcher in the All-Star Game is to be able to start it. We’ll just see what happens.”
Roberts did not immediately name a starter Sunday night but may lean toward Scherzer.
“Obviously you can’t go wrong with Max taking the baseball at any point in time,” Roberts said on ESPN. “It’s his city, he’s playing host, had a great first half. Definitely on my radar. I’m gonna hold out to make that final decision but you can’t go wrong with Scherzer.”