There is a new ace pitcher in the New York Baseball landscape, and I am pretty sure everyone has officially heard about it by now. The former Pirate and Astro starting pitcher Gerrit Cole agreed to a record breaking 10 year 360 million dollar contract (9 years 324 with the 10th year team option), with the New York Yankees. Pretty safe to say if you did not know the news yet, you could tell by the money that a contract like that was not given out by the Mets.[Yet ;)].
With Cole now dawning pinstripes, and with the evil empire back at full force in the Bronx, there has been a new debate brewing here in the city about a certain other pitcher over in Queen's, you know that guy who has won back to back CY Young's, Jacob deGrom. The question(s) being proposed … "who is the REAL ace of New York?" or "Which ace would you rather have?". These are questions that are being debated in the baseball world and I simply could not avoid answering myself because, well frankly, it is absurd and humiliating to Mets fans from a baseball fandom perspective. Trust me these questions aren't ruining my life, but when talking to other baseball fans, getting into a baseball fan mentality, outside of everyday life, yes it pisses me off. Here's why:
Jacob deGrom is the best pitcher in baseball right now. And listen, I know it is December and that can 100% change in a flash once late March rolls around. But to sit there as Yankee fans and actually argue with some Mets fans that you would rather have Cole, you are crazy. Why? Because he grew up a lifelong Yankee fan? Or because he just won co-AL Cy Young pitching for one of the best teams baseball has ever seen? The simple fact of the matter is as of now, this is not a debate and should not be a debate. As of December 18th, as Cole finishes his introductory press conference over at the stadium NEXT to the one Ruth built, this is deGrom's city. Especially on the mound. deGrom has now had 2 historic seasons, on top of 3 great seasons before. He has been the rock of the Mets rotation since 2015 and there is no denying he is on a Hall of Fame track. I have also caught a lot of flack from Yankee fans saying deGrom has not even earned his Cy Young's, he has not even won 15 or more games in his career. Let me enlighten you real quick because I know most of you Yankee fans do not watch an inning of Mets baseball unless we are playing each other. He has received no run-support, the lowest out of any "ace" in the league. I believe in the run-support stat because it completely changes how you pitch and can attack hitters. If your team is up 7-0 in the 3rd inning, you are cruising even if you have a couple of guys on. If your team is up 1-0 in the 5th, you can not waste any pitch because you know once one guy gets on, he is the tying run, and your facing the go-ahead run. deGrom knows if he gives up 1 or 2 runs a game he will lose. Imagine that, pitching like every hitter is the game-winning run, something Cole never had to experience with his stacked roster down there in Houston. Pretty easy to pitch when you are receiving the 3rd most run support in the MLB at 7.5 runs per start. deGrom pitches to 3.2 runs per start. I mean the dude pitched to a 1.70 era in 2018 and went 10-9! Another fun stat, he has allowed one or no runs 79 times in 179 career starts. His record: 66-49. Meaning he has lost or gotten a no-decision in 13 starts of giving up 1 or no runs! There is no other pitcher I would want to pitch in a tight game than deGrom and that simply makes deGrom the better pitcher. Also, when I say better, I mean the better of two greats, both are outstanding pitchers, but to debate them, or argue who is the "ace" of New York is stupid.
All of these stats can and will mean nothing when the 2020 season starts, because then all of this is in the past, but to sit here and even try and argue with Mets fans who is the better pitcher is stupid, even worse, boasting about how you get him. As of now the Mets have the better pitcher for half the cost with proven ability to pitch in New York. Take your 27 championships and hold that up against your little brother Mets fans. Not about pitching
As I have stated before, this should not be a debate because both pitchers are great, just jumping ship and saying Cole is the better ace in New York before he has even pitched a game in this city is just absurd. Just because Cole wears pinstripes and in the Bronx, while deGrom pitches in orange and blue in Queens does not automatically make him the better pitcher.
Until proven otherwise deGrom is the ace of New York.
Some more stats going deeper into my points before about Run Support: via Baseball Reference
Career Line:
WL ERA Games Started Innings Pitched SO(Strikeouts)
Cole: 94-52 3.22 192 1195.0 1336
deGrom: 66-49 2.62 171 1101.2 1255
*Degrom would need to average 4 innings a start and 3 strikeouts per game and pitch to a 4.0 era to match Coles numbers at 191 games started*
Run Support 2019 (WL): (W/L/No Decision--ERA)
0-2 runs of support: Cole: 3 (0-2-1-- 2.53) … deGrom: 10 (1-5-4-- 2.47)
3-5 runs of support: Cole 11 (6-2-3-- 2.73) .. deGrom: 12 (4-1-7-- 1.64)
6+ runs of support: Cole: 18 (14-0-4--2.36) … deGrom: 10 (6-1-3-- 2.97)
