Introduction to the Mystery of Jacob deGrom’s Slider
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Have the Los Angeles Angels figured out one of the baseball world’s greatest mysteries: Jacob deGrom’s slider? They sure seem to have something on him. While deGrom has deGrominated the rest of the league this year, the Angels, in two starts over a three-week span, have been the outlier.
On Monday, in the Angels’ 6-4 win, Los Angeles pinned a season-high five runs on deGrom in 5⅓ innings that included a pair of homers. And funny thing, the Angels did a bunch of damage on the slider, including a two-run homer by No. 9 hitter Kevin Newman. The slider wasn’t great, kind of spinning in the zone, but when you are looking for it, it’s still a lot easier to see.
DeGrom’s Performance Against the Angels
Consider this: In all his non-Angels starts, deGrom has 120 whiffs to 113 balls in play on the pitch. Against the Angels, the numbers are inverted in a smaller sample size. They’ve put more balls in play on the pitch (14) than they’ve missed (12). Against the rest of the league, deGrom has a 2.14 ERA; the Angels have roughed him up for eight runs in 10⅓ innings.
DeGrom, who lost for the first time since May 26, wasn’t making any excuses or searching for any conspiracies. But when his slider isn’t effective, it makes his fastball pretty to look at, but easier to focus on.
DeGrom’s Thoughts on His Performance
“I felt fine, but I’ll have to go look,” deGrom said. “I might have been quick at times. But the slider was just not a good pitch. Tonight, it seemed like a ball out of the hand most of the time or it was spinning right down the middle.
“When it’s not good, [the hitter] is pretty much eliminating everything and looking for a fastball. [Taylor] Ward got me on a fastball. I wasn’t able to throw him a slider. I fell behind and he ended up homering. So, all in all, just kind of a terrible night.”
Ward’s Reaction to the Game
When asked about deGrom by Los Angeles-area reporters, Ward merely smiled. It was only the third time in his tenure with the Rangers that deGrom allowed more than three runs in an outing. The others: His first start with the Rangers, when he allowed five runs in the 2023 season opener and his second start of the season this year.
DeGrom’s Recent Performance
The difference is there are a lot more innings on deGrom’s arm this time around. He’s over 120 innings now for the year, the most he’s logged in a season since 2019. In July, he’s looked downright mortal, compiling a merely human 4.13 ERA and allowing at least one homer in all five his starts; seven homers in total.
If you were wondering, yeah, it ties the most consecutive games in which he’s allowed a homer. But the month also includes his two starts against the Angels. In the other three, he’s allowed five runs in 18 innings, struck out 23 and walked just four.
Conclusion
It makes you wonder if the Angels have finally figured out the secret to deGrom’s slider. While deGrom has been dominant against the rest of the league, the Angels have been able to rough him up for eight runs in 10⅓ innings. This is a significant difference, and it will be interesting to see if the Angels can continue to have success against deGrom in future matchups.
FAQs
Q: What is the mystery of Jacob deGrom’s slider?
A: The mystery of Jacob deGrom’s slider refers to the fact that the Los Angeles Angels seem to have figured out how to hit his slider, which has been a dominant pitch for deGrom throughout his career.
Q: How have the Angels performed against deGrom?
A: The Angels have roughed up deGrom for eight runs in 10⅓ innings, which is a significant difference from his performance against the rest of the league.
Q: What is deGrom’s thoughts on his performance against the Angels?
A: DeGrom said that his slider was not a good pitch and that the Angels were able to eliminate everything and look for a fastball. He also said that it was just a terrible night.
Q: How has deGrom performed recently?
A: DeGrom has looked mortal in July, compiling a 4.13 ERA and allowing at least one homer in all five his starts. However, in the other three starts, he’s allowed five runs in 18 innings, struck out 23 and walked just four.
