Even by giving up a home run to Mike Trout, there is no denying Jacob deGrom’s All-Star dominance

For a brief moment, it almost felt like deja vu for Jacob deGrom. The ace of the Mets and the lone All-Star representative for the team at the Mid-Summer Classic was cruising through is inning of work. That is until baseball’s best player, Mike Trout, came up to bat. A knee-high, 92-mph slider later, and deGrom was asking for a new ball and possibly a do-over. Trout blasted a shot off of him in the top of the third inning for one of the ten home runs hit in the All-Star Game at Nationals Park.

It was the only blip on deGrom’s dominant day in Washington. His outing went something like this:

– A flyout by Mookie Betts to left

– A popup by Jose Altuve to third

– The Trout home run

– A J.D. Martinez 99-MPH strikeout

How many pitches did deGrom need to finish the inning? Fifteen, five more than the outing he threw in 2015. While the home run was unfortunate, he did not let it bother him. He is used to the Mets not providing him a lead while giving up about two runs, if the other team is lucky. Before the at-bat, Nationals star Bryce Harper was praising deGrom to the FOX broadcast team, showcasing the respect he has for the pitcher.

“He’s (deGrom) lights out. The guy is unbelievable. Having to face him in the NL East all year long. He’s one of the funnest guys to watch pitch…It’s incredible.”

What are deGrom’s overall stats in his two All-Star Game appearances? 2IP, 1H, 4K, 4.50 ERA. Considering the lone hit was a home run, those are not bad stats for the 30-year old.

Now that the All-Star festivities are over, it is time to focus on deGrom’s future. With the Mets out of contention, there is a chance the Mets could either keep deGrom or trade him to a contending team. He is pitching like he wants to be in the playoffs, albeit with the team that drafted him. This season, deGrom has a 1.68 ERA to go along with a 5-4 record. He is on pace to win less than ten games, but still be a major frontrunner for the Cy Young Award. For another year, the world got to see how in control deGrom really is.

The Mets play the Yankees this weekend to start the second half of the season. deGrom can put this outing behind him and onto bigger and better things. There is no doubt however that this recent showcase will bring eyes on him for future All-Star games to come. Will he still be a New York Met the next time he gets selected to another one?