Rangers fans can’t be overlooking Jacob deGrom’s expected 2025 bounceback

Any path towards success at the major league level requires a team’s ace to step up and remain healthy.

Jacob deGrom has not been a “sure thing” through his first two seasons with the Texas Rangers. After fully recovering from “Tommy John” surgery towards the end of last season, there is reason to believe that 2025 could see the two-time Cy Young experience a renaissance of sorts.

“He’s been outstanding,” Bruce Bochy said of deGrom in September. “He’s throwing 98-99 with good command. It's just getting better with the command. The slider is getting there. It has always been there for him, he’s just getting some reps. For him to get out there, I think it was probably more important for him than for us. As he goes into the offseason, he knows he's healthy, he's good to go. He's got his stuff back, and he's pitching. He's throwing the ball the same way he did before the injury.”

While he may not be the exact same pitcher that dominated as a member of the New York Mets, his pitch mix and craftiness could allow him to once again strike fear into the competition.

Rangers fans can’t be overlooking Jacob deGrom’s expected 2025 bounceback

Through three starts last season, deGrom’s average fastball clocked in at around 97.3 MPH. Of course, this mark is not the peak of his abilities, but the Florida native’s injury history has affected his speed somewhat. 97.3 MPH is not “slow” by any stretch, but every tick counts.

deGrom also boasts a slider, a changeup, and a curveball. If his fastball stays at its 2024 level, he will likely have to utilize his offspeed pitches more as he did this September.

The 36-year-old’s Offspeed Run Value has historically been decent, but it is worth wondering if he will have to make calculated adjustments in order to keep his arm fresh throughout the year.

Fully committing to revitalizing his fastball could be a dangerous strategy, and deGrom is the sort of talent who does not need to “unload” on every pitch in order to be elite. Assuming he felt comfortable towards the end of last season, the four-time All-star may have found a sustainable recipe for success.