Baseball has aces like Texas Rangers right-hander Jacob deGrom for moments like this.
Whenever deGrom takes the mound, he commands attention. After spending the past two years recovering from Tommy John surgery, the former back-to-back NL Cy Young winner with the Mets has regained his dominant form.
Heading into Monday’s expected start against the Angels, deGrom boasts a 9-2 record, a 2.13 ERA, and 100 strikeouts in 101.1 innings over 17 starts. Last week, he made history by becoming the first pitcher in the modern era to throw 14 straight starts with six or fewer hits and two or fewer earned runs allowed.
In May, deGrom and reigning AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal of the Tigers just missed each other in a series. Skubal won the opener, deGrom the next. But a true showdown could be coming soon.
The Tigers face the Rangers from July 18–20, just after the All-Star break — and ESPN recently flexed the July 20 game into prime time. That sets the stage for a potential marquee matchup between Skubal and deGrom. You can bet ESPN is pushing for it behind the scenes.
The Rangers have managed deGrom carefully all year, giving him extra rest wherever possible — he’s had extended rest in 12 of his 16 starts since opening the season in Game 4. He’s also evolved on the mound, mixing more off-speed pitches and relying less on raw velocity, making him even tougher to hit.
Everything now points to a perfect alignment for a post-break duel between these two stars — if both teams play along.
Assuming deGrom starts Monday, his next outing would come Saturday in Houston on regular rest. He was just named to the All-Star Game and could pitch an inning July 14 in Atlanta as a light bullpen session, lining him up for a July 20 start.
Skubal pitched Sunday in Cleveland and is slated to go again Saturday against Seattle. He, too, could pitch an All-Star inning and be ready for the July 20 matchup on full rest.
This will be the last chance for both teams to give their aces maximum rest. Starting them earlier in the series doesn’t add value.
Skubal, meanwhile, has been arguably even better than during his Cy Young campaign. He’s 10-2 with a 2.02 ERA in 18 starts, racking up 148 strikeouts and just 14 walks in 116 innings. He’s gone 10-0 over his last 16 starts.
This is the kind of moment baseball lives for. deGrom vs. Skubal, in prime time. Let’s hope the teams — and the baseball gods — make it happen.