Jacob deGrom's pitching problem identified, addressed, hopefully fixed

On theathletic.com, Tim Britton wrote that this season "the Mets’ perceived strength has been their biggest weakness."

He's talking about their starting pitching.

The article focuses on Jacob deGrom's last start against the Braves, "his first non-quality start in nearly a year," according to Britton.

Last year, Mets ace Jacob deGrom won the Cy Young Award, finishing the season with a 1.70 ERA. This season, after four starts, his ERA is 3.68 and, in his last start against the Braves, in just five innings he threw 114 pitches: Only 62.2% were strikes.

In 2018, 69% of his pitches thrown were strikes.

Something has changed, and not for the better.

Dave Eiland, the Met pitching coach, blames a change in deGrom's motion for his pitching problems in the game. As a result, "His [deGrom's] timing was off,” Britton quotes Eiland as saying. That caused fewer swings and misses than in 2018. 

Unfortunately, some of those pitches that Braves batters did not miss resulted in two home runs, one by Josh Donaldson.

Eiland added: "“What made him so good last year is his timing was so impeccable."

Since the Braves game, deGrom has worked with Eiland to correct his problem. Hopefully, it's corrected.

DeGrom is next scheduled to pitch against in St. Louis on Saturday — if he is fully recovered from his strep throat.