Jacob deGrom’s run support holds a special place in the library of annoying modern baseball discourse.
It’s annoying partially because it is reductive—yes, it is true that he does not often receive significant run support, but “often” is not “always, forever, indubitably.” (The narrative of a guaranteed vanishing offense has gotten especially banged up this season: Before deGrom’s start on Monday, the Mets were 8–2 behind him in 2020.) It’s annoying because it is hacky—not just an easy joke but a weak one. If it’s fair to note that the Mets’ organizational spirit frequently feels less like that of a baseball team and more like some exercise in absurdist humor, it’s also fair to demand that…
