Jacob deGrom is putting together one of the greatest pitching seasons in baseball history, yet he will not be at Coors Field for the All-Star Game next week.
The Mets ace confirmed with reporters on Wednesday that regardless of whether or not he pitches on Sunday, he does not plan to participate in the All-Star Game.
“I’ve thought about it and obviously being named to an All-Star team is a great honor, but I’m going to take that time and just enjoy it with my family,” he said. “…Hopefully [Taijuan Walker] gets in there and takes my place.”
Listen to New York sports talk now on Audacy and shop the latest Mets team gear
It was widely believed deGrom would not get a chance to pitch in the game because he is slated to start on Sunday, two days before the Midsummer Classic.
The right-hander is 7-2 with a 1.08 ERA and 0.54 WHIP with 146 strikeouts in 92 innings pitched this season.
DeGrom had a brief stint on the IL earlier this year due to a shoulder injury, but it was not too significant to cause him to miss more than one start. He has had starts cut short due to injury issues that have popped up this year, but nothing has caused him to miss a significant amount of time and the right-hander did not cite resting his shoulder as a reason.
DeGrom, the Mets’ only All-Star, vouched for his teammate, Taijuan Walker, to take his place on the roster. Walker is 7-3 with a 2.44 ERA and 1.01 WHIP in 15 starts this season.
However, there is a deep stack of NL pitchers worthy of the call, including Nationals ace Max Scherzer, who has a 2.10 ERA and a 0.85 WHIP with 127 strikeouts over 94.1 innings pitched this year.
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow Audacy Sports
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram