At this point, you stop betting against Jacob deGrom. You just watch. You hold your breath. You remember the dominance — the fire, the precision, the blur of a 99-mph fastball that made hitters look helpless — and you realize, somehow, it’s all still there.
At 36 years old, deGrom isn’t supposed to be doing this. Not after two elbow surgeries. Not after missing almost an entire season. Not after the whispers that the Rangers’ $185 million gamble might end as another sad “what if.” But this is Jacob deGrom — and if there’s one thing he’s made a career out of, it’s turning doubt into disbelief.
The Return That No One Believed
When he first picked up a baseball again this spring, Rangers staffers weren’t expecting fireworks. They were expecting patience, process, small steps. What they got instead was velocity. Real, live, electric velocity.
The radar gun flashed 98.7 mph on his second bullpen. His slider had that familiar bite. And perhaps more importantly, his body language said something no MRI could: I’m back.
“He’s just different,” one Rangers coach told The Athletic. “Most guys would slow down, ease in. Not him. He’s not trying to survive this comeback — he’s trying to dominate it.”
That’s always been deGrom’s curse and gift. Even when the world urged him to protect himself, he only knew how to go full throttle. And that’s why this season — this possible full return — feels like both a miracle and a dare.
The Numbers That Still Stun
When healthy, deGrom isn’t just elite — he’s historic. In his last fully healthy season (2021), he posted a 1.08 ERA across 15 starts before being shut down, striking out 146 hitters in just 92 innings. His 14.3 K/9 ratio wasn’t just best in the league; it was bordering on inhuman.
Even in his limited outings with Texas before the injury, the numbers were absurd: 2.67 ERA, 45 strikeouts in 30 innings, and a fastball that still averaged 98 mph.
The only opponent he hasn’t figured out is time.
That’s what makes 2026 (or perhaps even late 2025) so fascinating. If deGrom truly returns to make 30 starts, it won’t just be a comeback. It’ll be the stuff of myth.
The Stakes for the Rangers
For the Texas Rangers, fresh off a championship run built on grit, depth, and an unshakable belief in each other, deGrom’s return represents something bigger than numbers. It’s emotional.
This is the guy they envisioned leading their rotation into glory. The face of their pitching staff. The ace who would teach a generation what greatness looks like.
“Even if he gives us 20 starts, that’s a game-changer,” another team insider said. “When he’s on the mound, it’s like you’re watching a video game come to life.”
The Rangers don’t need him to be a savior — not anymore. But if he becomes even a fraction of what he once was, the entire American League will take notice.
A Legacy Beyond Velocity
The truth is, Jacob deGrom doesn’t have to prove anything. Two Cy Young Awards. Four All-Star selections. A reputation as the fiercest competitor of his generation.
But he’s not chasing trophies anymore. He’s chasing peace — the satisfaction of knowing he gave everything, one last time, on his own terms.
If the arm holds up, if the velocity stays, if the baseball gods allow it, then maybe, just maybe, Jacob deGrom will write the ending that injuries tried to steal from him.
And if not? Well, it’ll still be a story worth telling — because some pitchers don’t just throw baseballs. They test the limits of what’s humanly possible.
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