Jacob deGrom DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Texas Rangers right-hander Jacob deGrom (illness) tossed three innings in a minor-league game on Friday after he was scratched from his scheduled Cactus League start on Thursday due to a stomach bug that is going around the clubhouse. deGrom should be able to make another spring outing soon and he will be ready for the start of the 2025 regular season, although the Rangers plan to ease him in at the back end of their starting rotation. The 36-year-old two-time Cy Young winner and four-time All-Star made only three starts in 2024 while coming back from Tommy John surgery. When considering the fact that he only made six stars for Texas in 2023, it makes complete sense for the Rangers to slow-play deGrom so that he can make it through the year healthy. deGrom is an extreme risk/reward in fantasy, but if he can stay healthy, he has league-winning ace upside.

Texas Rangers right-hander Jacob deGrom (illness) has been scratched from his scheduled Cactus League start on Thursday against the San Francisco Giants due to a stomach virus, according to manager Bruce Bochy. Hopefully, the 36-year-old veteran will be able to get back on the mound in a few days for what will only be his second spring training game after he threw 31 pitches in his debut last weekend. The two-time Cy Young winner still has the stuff to be a fantasy ace if he's healthy, but the caveat is that he's started only nine games in the last two seasons due to arm injuries and will be eased in early in 2025 to preserve his health throughout the season. Additionally, deGrom plans to back off a bit on his velocity in order to try and preserve his health. deGrom hasn't gone over 100 innings pitched in a season since 2019 with the New York Mets.

Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said on Foul Territory on Wednesday that the team will slow-play right-hander Jacob deGrom's workload this year in order to get the most starts out of him at the end of the season. "If we have to skip a start or put him on the IL to keep him fresh, we'll do that," Bochy said. In addition to his workload being managed, the 36-year-old veteran also plans to dial back his velocity in an effort to stay healthy for the long run. For what it's worth, he was sitting at 97 mph in his first Cactus League outing. deGrom returned from Tommy John surgery late last year to make three starts and allowed just two earned runs in 10 2/3 innings while striking out 14 and walking one. He averaged just over 97 mph in those three outings as well. deGrom was an elite fantasy starter before his second Tommy John surgery. There's risk and a lowered fantasy ceiling because of workload restrictions, but when he's on, he still has the upside of a No. 1 starter.