Holland Says Injured Texas Rangers Ace deGrom Should Emulate Mets Star

There are certain names in baseball that carry weight even when they’re not throwing a single pitch, and Jacob deGrom is one of them. Even sidelined, even stuck in the long, lonely grind of injury recovery, his presence still echoes through every conversation about the Texas Rangers’ future. But this week, that conversation took a new turn when Derek Holland — the former Rangers pitcher known as much for his humor as his blunt honesty — offered a piece of advice that surprised just about everyone.

He said that deGrom, the fragile yet brilliant ace the Rangers invested in, should take a page out of a Mets star’s book.

It wasn’t meant as criticism. If anything, it felt like Holland reaching across eras, across rotations, across versions of Texas baseball to nudge deGrom toward something he might need now more than ever: a model. A blueprint. Someone to look at and say, “That’s how you adapt.”

Holland didn’t name the Mets star with malice or pressure. He said it the way old players sometimes speak about the game — with a mixture of admiration, nostalgia, and the belief that lessons can travel across time. The Mets star he referenced, a pitcher currently rewriting his own narrative in New York, symbolizes resilience. Reinvention. Survival in a sport that never stops asking for more.

For deGrom, the sentiment landed loudly.

Because this is not the version of deGrom the Rangers signed up for — not the one fans imagined, not the one who dominated baseball with the kind of otherworldly command that made hitters shrink at the plate. This version is quieter. More human. A man trying to heal while the world waits impatiently for the return of a superhero.

Sometimes the hardest part of being exceptional is accepting that you can’t always be exceptional.

That’s why Holland’s words struck a chord. Not because deGrom should copy anyone — you don’t imitate greatness when you are greatness. But because the advice beneath the surface carried something deeper: learn how to pitch with the body you have now, not the one you used to possess.

The Mets star Holland mentioned has been doing exactly that — adjusting his arsenal, extending his career, finding new rhythms where old ones no longer fit. Reinvention is the quiet skill baseball demands from those who want to last.

It’s no secret the Rangers need deGrom back — not the myth, but the man. They need his calm presence in the clubhouse, his voice in bullpen sessions, his ability to turn a losing streak into a manageable problem with one dominant outing. But more than anything, they need him healthy. Whole. Willing to change rather than chase.

You can feel the yearning in the fanbase. Last year’s magical championship run only made the desire for more stability louder. Texas wants deGrom on the mound not because they expect miracles, but because baseball feels more complete when he’s part of it. There’s nothing quite like the stadium hush that falls over a crowd right before he releases a pitch — the collective breath, the anticipation, the awe.

But time changes everyone, even aces.

That’s why Holland’s suggestion wasn’t a jab. It was a bridge. A reminder that longevity isn’t built on velocity alone. It’s built on wisdom. Adaptation. Humility. The Mets star has shown that. Maybe deGrom can, too.

And maybe — just maybe — this is what the next chapter of his career demands. Not a return to the past, but an evolution into something new.

When deGrom finally steps back onto the mound, whether in spring warmth or midsummer heat, fans won’t care if his fastball sits a tick lower or if he leans on different pitches. They’ll look at him and feel hope. They’ll watch him compete. Survive. Adapt.

Because that’s what great pitchers do.

And perhaps that’s all Holland meant:
The Rangers don’t need Jacob deGrom to be who he was.
They just need him to become who he can be now.