Update 6:30 PM by Satish Ram

Hey, look at that! Jacob deGrom is going to head to AAA to make at least one start considering that Carlos Torres, Zack Wheeler, and Collin McHugh are out of the rotation right now. As Matt noted, In ten starts with the B-Mets, he is currently 2-5 with a 4.80 ERA, including 44 strikeouts, 20 walks, and 69 hits allowed in 60 innings pitched.

Original Post

Jacob deGrom, MMN’s 17th ranked prospect, is celebrating his 25th birthday tomorrow while the Binghamton Mets take on the Richmond Flying Squirrels on the road. The right-hander out of Stetson University is continuing to get acclimated to his surroundings that are Double-A and the Eastern League.

The 2012 season was his first full year of professional ball, and it was a breakout season for the former shortstop. He spent most of his time in Low-A with the Savannah Sand Gnats, but earned a late-season call-up to St. Lucie in Advanced-A. In 15 starts for Savannah, deGrom went 6-3 with a 2.51 ERA in 82.1 innings pitched. He struck out 78 hitters against only 14 free passes. Once being promoted to the Florida State League, deGrom continued his success, going 3-0 with a 2.08 ERA in four starts (21.2 innings pitched, six walks, 18 strikeouts).

Despite that solid showing, the Mets decided to start deGrom in St. Lucie this season, but he only started two games in Advanced-A before joining the B-Mets in Double-A. Upon his arrival, his Eastern League debut against Portland was fantastic; he allowed only one run over eight spectacular innings, giving up three hits, one walk, and six strikeouts. After that, it was a bit of a rocky road for the soon-to-be 25-year-old.

He struggled in his next 33.2 innings pitched, allowing 26 earned runs to cross the plate while he was on the mound. Since allowing seven runs on nine hits in 4.2 innings pitched against New Britain on May 21st, deGrom has settled down over his last three appearances. He’s gone 1-0 in that span, allowing six runs (five earned) on 18 hits, six walks, and 16 strikeouts in 20.1 innings pitched.

deGrom spoke to David Driver of MiLB.com about his adjustment period to Double-A, and the differences he’s noticed since being promoted:

They are more disciplined. They have more of a plan, and they hit your mistakes better.

What I wasn’t aware of is the right-hander didn’t start pitching until his junior year of college. He began his career on the mound as a reliever before entering Stetson’s starting rotation as a senior. So, he has been using his time wisely by continuing to try and get a feel for his secondary pitches:

My changeup has gotten a lot better in the past year or so. It’s become a pitch I can strike people out with, along with my slider. I just want to have consistent starts for the rest of the year. I had some rough outings a couple of weeks ago. I just want to stay consistent, locate the ball and keep the ball down.

It will be interesting to watch deGrom continue adjusting to life in Binghamton. In ten starts with the B-Mets, he is currently 2-5 with a 4.80 ERA, including 44 strikeouts, 20 walks, and 69 hits allowed in 60 innings pitched.

Happy early birthday to Jacob! We hope he continues successfully adjusting to his new surroundings.