HOUSTON -- Some starting pitchers search for their inner warrior as they warm up in the bullpen before a game, trying to build intensity, focusing on slights real and imagined, silently going through their work and feeding off the echoes of a fastball popping their catcher's mitt.
When Jacob deGrom warms up, however, he sometimes turns to pitching coach Dave Eiland and says something funny, with a grin. A humorous aside or an observation. Eiland laughs, and then deGrom turns to the catcher to throw his next pitch and somehow, in that instant, that expression of competitiveness that his teammates recognize immediately returns -- like a great actor transforming into character when somebody yells "Action!" And deGrom, immediately back to full focus on his work, spins a ball perfectly.
Statistics and this fall's National League Cy Young Award voting will forever frame deGrom's 2018 performance as one of the most unique seasons for any pitcher, ever. The ERA that is almost a half-run better than any other pitcher's; the absurd win total, which hasn't yet reached double digits. But what a lot of rival scouts and some of his teammates will remember is his imperturbability on the mound through the most challenging circumstances for any pitcher.
The Mets haven't scored runs for him -- just 3.56 per game, the second-lowest mark for any starter with at least 120 innings these season. Their defense, by any measure, has been among the worst in baseball. They will struggle to win 70 games this year.
DeGrom has worked with the smallest margin for error of any pitcher, and throughout his 27 starts and 182 innings, there is that stoicism, the intense focus on executing each particular pitch, like each pitch is its own mission, its own purpose -- to corner a hitter in the ball-strike count, to set up the next pitch, or to finish off a hitter, perhaps. "I've never had a pitch where I felt like he wasn't throwing with 100 percent conviction," said Mets catcher Devin Mesoraco.
"Every game he's pitching in is like a one-run game," said Eiland, "and that means that every pitch can beat him."
This is borne out by the numbers. DeGrom has pitched to more batters with his team up or down by one run or with the score tied than any pitcher in baseball, by far.
Jacob deGrom 552
Aaron Nola 490
Mike Clevinger 453
James Shields 446
Jose Berrios 442
The most pitches thrown when a pitcher's team is up or down a run, or tied:
Jacob deGrom 2,031
Jake Odorizzi 1,937
Aaron Nola 1,856
Mike Clevinger 1,775
Justin Verlander 1,721
Time and again, deGrom has pitched into the late innings with the score close -- to the degree that he has faced more hitters in close games than all but four relievers. Sarah Langs of ESPN Stats & Information sent this along:
Most batters faced in sixth inning or later with a minus-1 to plus-1 run differential:
Blake Treinen 158
Craig Stammen 148
Lou Trivino 144
Jeremy Jeffress 139
Jacob deGrom 139
Mesoraco searched his memory for a recent example that embodied the staggeringly resolute mound demeanor of deGrom in 2018, and as the catcher struggled to identify one moment, he noted that this, in itself, said everything about how deGrom does his work. Nothing stands out because he's the same for every pitch of every inning of every game.
DeGrom spoke at length the other day on our podcast about pitching in close games, about mound presence and mound demeanor. There were moments in the first years of deGrom's career that he realized, after the fact, that he hadn't wholly maintained his concentration on a particular pitch, that he had drifted mentally. And he was reminded of the need for consistent mound demeanor every time he saw then-teammate Bartolo Colon pitch -- because, he explained, you would watch Colon pitch and not have any idea of whether he was winning or losing, because his body language betrayed nothing.
The only tangible change that teammates say they see in deGrom are in those moments when his expression changes ever so slightly, as his competitiveness manifests. Everything about deGrom's demeanor is easy for others around him, Eiland says, in the joking way that he interacts, in how he is in the clubhouse. On the days he pitches, Mesoraco says, he's pretty much the same as he is on other days before games -- maybe a little quieter, because of the work required.
But in a big spot, they see in his face that part of him that absolutely believes he will beat the hitter. DeGrom has faced 13 batters this season with the bases loaded and hasn't allowed any hits or any walks; he has nine strikeouts.
There have been a couple of moments when Eiland approached deGrom in between innings to suggest an adjustment on how he pitched inside to a particular hitter, something deGrom has been doing much more frequently this season.
"That was a pretty good pitch," Eiland said. "Next time, go a little deeper."
"Oh, I will," deGrom assured him.
Another time, with a different hitter, Eiland mentioned to him that the batter would struggle to get the barrel of the bat to a suggested pitch.
"He won't get the barrel to it," deGrom responded.
The numbers, in the end, will be staggering. But it will be those windows into deGrom's personality that Eiland and other Mets will form their memories of his season.
"What he's done," Eiland said, "has been really incredible."
News from around the major leagues
Shohei Ohtani may well lose out in the American League Rookie of the Year voting to the Yankees' Miguel Andujar simply because his body of work for this year is not as expansive. Andujar has played in 124 games and racked up 504 plate appearances, 62 extra-base hits, with a .299 batting average. Ohtani has hit in 80 games, with 270 plate appearances and 15 homers, and pitched in nine others. He'll make his 10th mound appearance tonight on Sunday Night Baseball, against the Astros, and his first since his June elbow injury.
But when Ohtani has been on the field, he has more than lived up to the years of anticipation for what he might be in the major leagues, already showing himself to be a better and more dangerous hitter than some evaluators believed he could be. In his 49⅓ innings on the mound, he's allowed just 36 hits and struck out 61 men. He has demonstrated that his pure stuff might be as good or better than any starting pitcher's; he has a fastball that hits triple-digits, a curveball he'll throw 25-30 mph lower in velocity than his fastball, a slider at 81-82 mph, and an 87-88 mph splitter that might be the most unhittable off-speed pitch in the game because of how it's framed by Ohtani's other stuff.
In his preparation for each of his starts, Ohtani will go next-level in his preparation -- as Max Scherzer does, he will study the swing patterns of the hitters in the opposing lineup and use those statistics against them, understanding their tendencies.
• Every day, Jose Altuve says, Alex Bregman will spend some time watching video of the opposing pitcher the Houston Astros are about to face, and emerge with distinct ideas of how that pitcher will try to pitch him and how Bregman intends to adjust. And day after day, Altuve is deeply impressed by how Bregman implements those plans. "It's one thing to say what you want to do," Altuve says, "but then he'll go out and do it. That's very hard to do." Bregman will also offer ideas to Altuve and others on how the pitcher will work to them, Altuve says, and he'll be right on with his scouting report.
A reporter mentions to Altuve that in that recent stretch of games that Carlos Correa, George Springer and Altuve -- the most established stars in the Houston lineup -- were out of action, Bregman responded strongly in their absence, raising his level of play. Altuve nodded and said that even with that trio back in action now, Bregman is "still The Guy. I don't know why he's not in the MVP conversation. I think he should be talked about a little more in that."
Altuve paused, and amended. "A lot more."
Bregman is currently fifth in FanGraphs' version of WAR, with his 6.4 fWAR trailing just Mookie Betts (8.7), Jose Ramirez (8.0), Mike Trout (7.9) and Francisco Lindor (6.7).
• As the MLB Players Association has changed its leadership structure, adding Bruce Meyer, agent Scott Boras is said by sources to have gained additional influence. There is hope in some corners of the union side that the Players Association can affect immediate change by reopening the current labor agreement and using some of the current leverage on issues like on-field rules, player safety and tanking, and get more favorable terms for the upcoming free-agent classes.
One agent predicts that while some big-name players like Manny Machado and Bryce Harper will be paid well, the rank-and-file may continue to struggle to get multiyear contracts -- and that while overall spending may climb because of those deals, the middle class could be hit hard again. "That has to be a priority," said the agent.
• A perception within the Mets' organization about the greatest immediate challenge is that Fred Wilpon and his son Jeff Wilpon may have very different beliefs about what the team needs in its next general manager, and that Fred Wilpon wants an executive who has more of an old-school operating philosophy than one devoted to analytics.
Baseball Tonight podcast
Friday: Karl Ravech on what Andrew McCutchen does for the Yankees; Jessica Mendoza on the unusual and efficient swing of Alex Bregman, and the plans for Shohei Ohtani; and Angels play-by-play man Terry Smith on Ohtani.
Thursday: Jacob deGrom discusses mound focus; Keith Law on what the Angels should do next with Albert Pujols, and the historic night for Christian Yelich; Sarah Langs and The Numbers Game.
Wednesday: Oakland Athletics closer Blake Treinen on the Oakland season and his incredible path to the big leagues; Boog Sciambi on the impact of Mike Shildt on the St. Louis Cardinals after the news that Shildt has signed an extension, and the NL Cy Young race; Paul Hembekides with some outstanding Ted Williams perspective.
Tuesday: Jerry Crasnick on some interesting award debates that are developing; KBME's Steve Sparks, former pitcher and radio analyst for the Astros, on the challenges facing the defending champions; Sarah Langs and The Numbers Game.
Monday: Tim Kurkjian discusses the Red Sox, as Josh Macri declares the Yankees dead; Matt Carpenter's MVP case; the future of Buck Showalter; Todd Radom's uniform and logo quiz; and a conversation with New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone.
And today will be better than yesterday.