Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jacob deGrom will be entering his third season with the team. In two seasons with the ball club, he has only pitched a total of nine games.
His health has been one of the biggest question marks throughout his MLB career. The last time that deGrom started in 20 or more games in a single season was back in 2019 with the New York Mets, when he started in 32 games. In his time with Texas, he has pitched in a total of 41 innings.
Texas Rangers Starting Pitcher Jacob deGrom To Take Different Approach This Season
It may not be about striking out every single batter he faces or about how hard he throws every single pitch. The Rangers starting pitcher is looking to change things this season when he takes the mound. It will be interesting to see what happens when deGrom takes the mound in a game this season.
He told ESPN’s Jeff Passan, “I have to look at it like, hey, I can pitch at that velocity [from 2018]. It is less stress on your body. You get out there and you’re throwing pitches at 100 miles an hour for however many pitches it is — it’s a lot of stress. It’s something that I’m going to look into — using it when I need it, backing off and just trusting that I can locate the ball.”
He had Tommy John Surgery in the past and is looking to stay healthy in 2025. Manager Bruce Bochy has deGrom as a backend starting pitcher for Texas this season. There is a chance that he is not throwing as many innings to start the 2025 MLB season. He also added, “I think it’s going to be a monitor of stressful innings versus not.
You have those games where you go five innings, you have 75 pitches, but you’ve got runners all over the place, so those are stressful. Whereas you cruise and you end up throwing 100 pitches and you had one or two runners. It’s like, OK, those don’t seem to be as stressful. So I think it’s monitoring all of that and just playing it by ear how the season goes.”
He is either going to start for Texas against the Boston Red Sox or against the Cincinnati Reds at the beginning of the season. The former Mets pitcher will most likely be on a pitch count for several games for the season to show how his body reacts. If all goes well, then maybe deGrom can start pitching deeper into baseball games.
deGrom’s Contract Details with the Texas Rangers
deGrom is currently signed to a five-year, $185 million contract with the Texas Rangers, running from 2023 to 2027. His deal includes a full no-trade clause and an option for 2028 that could be worth up to $37 million based on health and performance.
Jacob deGrom’s Salary Breakdown
- 2023: $30 million
- 2024: $40 million
- 2025: $40 million
- 2026: $38 million
- 2027: $37 million
In 2025, deGrom will earn $40 million with a $37 million luxury tax hit. After undergoing Tommy John surgery in June 2023, he returned in September 2024. The Rangers plan to ease him into the 2025 season as their fifth starter to manage his workload.