Ron Darling, SNY.tv
Jacob deGrom is a gift from the gods for someone like me. I have been fortunate enough to witness almost all of his starts in the major leagues and this has to feel like it felt for Ralph Kiner watching Tom Seaver all of those years.
Quite simply, IMO, he is the best starting pitcher in baseball. There was a time you could make the case for the precision of Greg Maddux or the sheer power of Randy Johnson, but Pedro Martinez had the combination of both. Jake is his generation's Pedro. This takes nothing away from the magic of Max, the overpowering Cole, or the sustained excellence of Clayton.
DeGrom is now locked inside a vortex of athleticism, pitching intelligence and at the peak of his powers. What a sight to behold!
I always thought that great starting pitchers on their best days always win. At just less than their best, they find a way to win, and on their worst days, they give their team a chance to win. Jacob's excellence seems to do none of these -- he (seemingly) pitches great every time and the team rarely wins. Maybe this is what makes his run so compelling. How do you keep your wits about you when 2 + 2 does not equal 4?
Nonetheless, it is an honor to watch greatness every fifth day.
Stay healthy, be kind to each other and PEACE.