Thoughts and Prayers
Pour some out for the Cardinals, who will face Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer in the same game on Sunday
Even in a modern world where the most basic facts—from the roundness of the earth to the efficacy of vaccines—have been called into question, one thing remains almost universally certain:
Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer are the best 1A/1B in baseball.
Between them they share 12 All-Star appearances, five Cy Youngs, and countless other indicators of dominance. When the Mets signed Scherzer in November, teams were forced to confront the real and horrifying prospect of facing the pair on back-to-back nights. Now, however, the Mets are upping the ante, forcing the Cardinals to take on both IN THE SAME GAME.
Absolutely brutal. You get three whole weeks of preseason. You're just trying to toss your bats in the microwave before Opening Day, and next thing you know you're facing two of the greatest pitchers of their generation—hell, any generation—not just in consecutive games, but consecutive innings. Tough scene.
Ultimately, it doesn’t mean much. There’s no such thing as a win or a loss in spring training. For the neutrals, however, it’s an almost unprecedented event—a veritable baseball eclipse. deGrom-Scherzer is arguably the greatest starting pitcher duo to ever take the mound in the same game for the same team, and to see their respective approaches so starkly juxtaposed should be the closest thing to baseball porn they're allowed to show on TV. We can’t believe we’re saying this about a game that doesn’t count and won’t matter, but don't forget to set that DVR.