WEST PALM BEACH — Jacob deGrom was all smiles as he took the mound for his third outing of spring, a simulation game on the backfields of Clover Park. He fooled his first batter — Cuban slugger Yoenis Cespedes — by throwing him a slider when Cespedes was expecting a first-pitch fastball. The slugger muttered a profanity after being conned by the back-to-back Cy Young award winner.
But deGrom’s cheerful mood momentarily faded when J.D. Davis stepped up to the plate. Davis, who’s still recovering from a jammed left shoulder, took a couple swings against deGrom before pouncing on a curveball that hung over the plate.
“That’s why I don’t throw that,” deGrom said on the mound as he watched it sail out of the park for a home run.
DeGrom is surprising his teammates with what they think is a new pitch. In reality, the Mets ace just uses it on rare occasions.
The right-hander has been tinkering with his curveball this spring, just to see where it stands after a long break from throwing it. He feels good about it when he’s tossing bullpen sessions, but for some reason, in a simulation or exhibition game, it seems to pop up.
DeGrom said he’s trying to get the curveball to come out of his hand like a fastball, so that it crosses over the plate. But the one he threw to Davis just hung. It was a rare mistake from the ace that a talented hitter like Davis quickly made him pay for.
“I think that gives him more credit,” Davis said. “A two-time Cy Young award winner is putting himself in a vulnerable state and wants to get better and wants to add a pitch to his repertoire. We appreciate that as guys in here — he’s a guy that’s a leader and our ace every fifth day. It’s pretty cool to see him push his limits and try to get better every single day.”
DeGrom said he threw about two curveballs per start last season, amounting to around 60 total. It’s hardly the first pitch anyone thinks of when reflecting on deGrom’s near-untouchable arsenal. Last season, he threw his four-seamer 48.1% of the time. His slider was next (32%), followed by his changeup (15.9%). DeGrom used his curveball (2.9%) almost as infrequently as his sinker (1.1%).
Opposing hitters batted .348 against deGrom’s curveball in 2019, way up from .244 in 2018. The right-hander is spending his spring polishing the pitch to use more often in 2020.
“Something that I’ve been working on, just to have another weapon,” said deGrom, who’s had a 2.05 ERA over the last two seasons combined. Can opposing hitters handle another weapon from the reigning Cy Young winner?
WACHA STILL UNSURE ABOUT ROLE
Michael Wacha and Steven Matz are making it difficult for the Mets to pick a fifth starter in their crowded rotation. Both pitchers are vying for the opportunity to join Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Marcus Stroman and Rick Porcello to throw every fifth day instead of being demoted to the bullpen.
Wacha, in his third Grapefruit League start, allowed one earned run on five hits with one walk and two strikeouts over 2 2/3 innings against the Astros on Friday. The right-hander has a 1.25 ERA so far this spring.
He has yet to talk about his role for the Mets and said the lingering question mark isn’t weighing on his mind.
“That’s their decision to make,” Wacha said. “It’s my job to go out there and get people out. That’s what I’ve been trying to focus on.”
Houston’s starting lineup featured seven starters, including George Springer, Alex Bregman, Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa. Wacha said he treated Friday night like a regular season start.
“Whenever you’re playing against those guys, you have to bring your A game,” Wacha said. “It’s all about making pitches, it doesn’t really matter who’s in the box. That was the mentality heading into that start for sure.”
DAVIS ‘READY TO GO’
The Mets didn’t make it easy on J.D. Davis when he faced live pitching for the first time since getting injured.
Davis (jammed left shoulder) battled against Jacob deGrom in a must-see simulation game on the backfields of Clover Park on Friday. He crushed a home run off the one mistake deGrom threw — a curveball that hung over the plate — to indicate Davis is feeling much better.
“Shoulder’s been feeling good the last couple of days,” Davis said. “We’re getting closer and closer, but I’m feeling ready to go.”
The outfielder/infielder still has a hurdle to clear before getting the green light to play in Grapefruit League games again.
Davis originally jammed his left shoulder on what he called an “awkward dive” in the dirt while playing third base on Feb. 25 against the Tigers. He’s scheduled to practice diving during workouts as the last test before appearing in exhibition games.
In the meantime, he’s been shagging fly balls in left field during the team’s batting practice, throwing pain-free and taking swings in the cage.
Davis said he is still on track to be fully recovered by Opening Day on March 26 against the Nationals at Citi Field.
