A two-headed monster is coming to the Mets game on Sunday, when the team’s two aces will both take the mound for the preseason matchup against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Jacob DeGrom and Max Scherzer, who together comprise a fearsome duo of right handers in the bullpen in Queens, will each pitch their second preseason game, after both put on magnificent displays in their debuts.
Scherzer, who signed with the Amzins this offseason for three-years and $130 million, pitched his first game in blue-and-orange on Monday against the Miami Marlins.
The three-time Cy Young Award winner tossed 5 innings, gave up 3 hits and 1 run, while striking out 5 batters.
“It is fun to have these New York fans behind you now,” Scherzer said after the start. “Coming in and competing against them for so long, to now have them on your side is great.”
DeGrom, a Mets fan-favorite who is returning from season-ending elbow injury last season in July, which cut-short one of the greatest pitching seasons in recent history, looked similarly impressive during his first start at Clover Field on Tuesday.
The 2-time Cy Young Winner took the mound against the Houston Astros, striking out 5 of the 7 batters he faced in just 2 innings, while consistently reaching his peak-form with his speedy fastball. The Mets went on to win the game 2–0.
After acknowledging that he had been “nervous” about his return to the mound, he quickly shook those jitters and felt “completely fine” after finding his rhythm.
Now, fans will get to see both men on the mound in the same game, and get a preview of the difficulty opposing teams will face this season against the team from Citi Field.
DeGrom, who made his major league debut in 2014, boasts a career .592 win percentage and a 2.50 ERA — though the 15 games he started last year saw him with a .778 win percentage and an incredible 1.08 ERA. The 33-year-old won the Cy Young in 2018 and 2019.
Meanwhile, Scherzer, who comes to New York from the Los Angeles Dodgers, was similarly dominant last season, with a 2.46 ERA and struck out 7.87 batters per game.
