New York Mets right-hander Marcus Stroman is in awe of what his teammate Jacob deGrom can do while toeing the rubber.
"DeGrom is unbelievable," Stroman said, according to Pitching Ninja's Rob Friedman. "As long as he stays healthy for 30 starts, deGrom's gonna win (the Cy Young award). … DeGrom's the best pitcher in baseball, bro. It's no debate. It's not even close to a debate with me. It’s not even remotely a discussion.
"I thought this before being around him. After being around him, it just kind of puts it in stone, man. That guy is one of the most elite pitchers that we will ever speak about."
Stroman acknowledged he's been watching the two-time NL Cy Young winner closely.
"I'll go into a bullpen and pick his mind," Stroman said. "To be honest, people don't understand, but I have a lot of little tweaks I'm going to be coming out with this year that deGrom inspired, whether it be maybe where my foot position is on the mound or where my hand pump is or what it is that deGrom's thinking about when he has his hand pump or when he lifts his leg."
DeGrom, who owns a career 2.61 ERA, finished top eight in Cy Young voting in five of the seven years he's pitched in the majors. The 32-year-old has been on another level over the last three campaigns, accruing a 2.10 ERA and 0.94 WHIP. He posted a career-high 13.8 K/9 rate in 2020.
