KEY POINTS

  • Jacob deGrom is being scrutinized due to a controversial video that went viral
  • His teammates shoot down allegations that the pitcher is using foreign substances
  • MLB continues its crackdown on players using Spider Tack during games

Major League Baseball is cracking down on pitchers who may be using foreign substances, a reason why Jacob deGrom of the New York Mets has drawn attention.

Viral videos showing the three-time All-Star reaching for his belt and then touching his glove emerged recently.

For someone who has pitched to a 0.62 ERA this season, alleging the 32-year-old is using something behind his throws is understandable.

However, deGrom’s teammates are not about to sit back and let the two-time NL Cy Young awardee take the heat.

They came to his defense on social media, assuring everyone that deGrom does not use anything.

“I promise you he doesn’t use anything,” catcher Tomas Nido tweeted. “If he did they would be lucky to even foul tip the ball.”

DeGrom’s teammates were pretty sure about it with Kevin Pillar even betting his paycheck that his teammate does not use anything when throwing a baseball during games.

“I would bet my paycheck on it that he doesn’t use anything,” Pillas said.

DeGrom has been having a good season, holding opponents to one earned run or fewer in the nine starts he has had with the Mets.

Aside from that, he has also fired seven shutout innings with 11 strikeouts in his last start against the San Diego Padres on Saturday.

Other than his teammates, ESPN MLB insider Jeff Pasan also defended deGrom from the accusations, stressing that the player has the numbers to prove it.

Jacob deGrom New York Mets
Jacob deGrom #48 of the New York Mets pitches in the first inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on August 13, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

“He doesn’t. There’s usually a significant jump in 4-seam spin rate with pitchers who regularly do, and deGrom’s velocity-to-spin ratio is pretty much league average. Jacob deGrom’s year-over-year increase in spin rate corresponds with his gains in velocity. Also ... foreign substances don’t help guys throw harder. They’re used to juice the spin on pitches,” Pasan stated.

This comes not long after Gerrit Cole of the New York Yankees came under fire for allegedly using illegal substances.

Cole could not give a direct answer when asked if he was using Spider Tack, a sticky foreign substance that many pitchers have been accused of using during games to create more movement on pitches, NJ.com’s Randy Miller reported.

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