Mets ace Jacob deGrom, speaking Monday at Citi Field via a Zoom conference call with reporters, touched on a number of topics, including whether he feels safe restarting the season amid the coronavirus pandemic, where he's at in terms of preparation, and the legitimacy of individual awards and team achievements.
Here are the takeaways...
On whether he feels safe
"So far I've been comfortable. I think we're spaced out really well here. And kind of how the workouts and stuff have been going, where there's a couple of different groups, I've felt safe and comfortable so far."
DeGrom added that he didn't have any second thoughts before deciding to play, saying that he and his family have been following safety measures for quite some time.
On his preparation in advance of Opening Day
"My goal is to get up to around 85 pitches in my last (start before Opening Day) and kind of go as normal. Talked it over with (pitching coach Jeremy Hefner), with how much throwing I did while I was at home, I feel like I'm ready to ramp up pretty quick."
On whether winning the Cy Young in 2020 would feel different
While deGrom said the goal remains to hopefully win another one, he said the feeling would be different due to the shortened season.
"I would say there definitely has to be some difference there" deGrom said when asked if it would count the same. "Twelve starts versus 32. I think that's less than half, so there's a lot that can happen in any given start. You normally play 162 games and 200 innings. I don't think it would feel the same, but it's definitely still a goal."
On whether a World Series title in 2020 would be legitimate
Unlike the individual accomplishment of a Cy Young award, deGrom said it would feel legitimate if the Mets won the World Series this season.
"That's a team coming together under these circumstances and figuring out a way to win. I think that is a team effort that would take everybody, honestly, kind of following these guidelines to staying healthy and being able to stay on the field. I think that's something that you would definitely celebrate."