EWB Best Season Tournament: (1) 2018 Jacob deGrom vs. (32) 2014 Juan Lagares

The first matchup of the Empire Writes Back best seasons of this decade tournament is the top vs bottom seeds, as 2018 Jacob deGrom faces off against 2014 Juan Lagares.

The first matchup is here and the tournament is officially underway, as (1) 2018 Jacob deGrom goes against (32) 2014 Juan Lagares. The current New York Mets teammates kick off the tournament in an intriguing matchup.

First, we’ll start off with Juan Lagares’ 2014 season.

Then entering his second season, expectations were high following a productive 2013 campaign. And boy did he deliver. In 116 games, Lagares hit 4 home runs and added 47 RBI’s and a solid .281/.321/.382 slash line. His offensive contributions amassed to a 2.4 offensive Wins Above Replacement (or WAR).

However, it wasn’t his offense that got him included in this tournament. Lagares won a Gold Glove award for his defensive efforts in center field. He finished with a .984 fielding percentage, 6 outfield assists, and 26 defensive runs saved, all amassing to a 3.2 defensive WAR. In total, he finished with a 5.3 WAR in an impressive sophomore season for the Mets.

On the other side of this matchup is the top overall seed in the tournament, which is Jacob deGrom’s historic 2018 season. deGrom had a season for the ages in 2018 as he took home the Cy Young award.

He finished with a 1.70 ERA, 269 strikeouts, a 0.91 WHIP (walks and hit per innings pitched) and a 10 WAR in 32 starts for the Mets this past year. His impressive season also earned him his second career all-star nod.

While he only finished with a 10-9 overall record, he still managed to win baseball’s most prestigious award for a pitcher. deGrom’s 2018 isn’t just considered one of the best seasons in Mets history. His efforts last year are considered among the best of any pitcher, ever.

As for the matchup between 2014 Lagares and 2018 deGrom, I personally think deGrom should win this matchup and it’s not all that close.

Don’t get me wrong. Lagares had a fantastic 2014 season and his efforts shouldn’t go unnoticed. That’s why he’s in this tournament in the first place, and his Gold Glove win is certainly something to write home about.

With that being said, deGrom had an all-time year last year. To me, he should be the winner of this matchup.

What do you think? Let us know by voting on our Twitter, @empirewritesbck, also, comment on there or below this post if you have an opinion of your own you’d like to share.

Make sure you tune in tomorrow to see who the next matchup is. Until then, go vote on Twitter!