JACOB DEGROM

I don't like giving up hits and stuff, but I try not to show it. I don't want the hitter to see that something bothers me.

You've got to play every game until it's over. Baseball is a funny game, so you never know what's going to happen.

I try to keep it the same, try to stay humble.

My approach every game is to try to keep the ball down and get ground ball outs.

You never want to see a guy struggle. And we've all struggled. It's part of the game.

We're pretty good at putting bunts down and really good at hitting. I know as a pitcher, when you face a pitcher you know can hit, that's not fun. I think taking pride in that, and being able to hit helps your own cause.

I had Tommy John my first year in pro ball. Going through that rehab process, I think that's what really helped me become a better pitcher, because I was kind of new to it, and I think it helped me learn how to repeat my delivery. It was a crazy journey.

I'm the kind of person that if I try to throw it hard, it doesn't come out as good. So my whole thought process is to stay smooth, stay on top of the ball, and just get my hand out in front.

You'll hear 'Hippie,' or, 'Get a haircut.' I like it. I think it's funny because they think we've never heard that before. So, like, good one.

When I'm sleeping, if it gets in my face, sometimes it'll wake me up.

This is something I've wanted to do my whole life is play baseball, and I think just the opportunity to put on a big-league uniform every day is just... you know, people dream of it, but not everybody gets to do it. I'm thankful every day I get to do it.

Play a little light catch and only some short sprints for me. Then on the day-of, it's just getting loosened up and ready to go out there and pitch.

You're going to work out and try to maintain the strength you gain in the offseason, and then you work to gain after the season is over.

I think in high school and college, you don't really know what your routine is going to be; you're still trying to come up with it.

I actually had a buzz cut all the way to my junior year in college. I would just buzz my head with a one-guard all over, and then I started growing it out. When I had Tommy John, that was the last time it was buzzed. I've grown it ever since then.

I think my job is to keep the ball down. I always say I try to go out there and get early contact, and strikeouts just seem to happen.

I think all of us are thankful every day we get to put this uniform on, and we play this game. So try not to take any days for granted. Every time you take the field, give a hundred percent and leave it all out there.

Look good, feel good, play good.

My freshman year, I played third, and sophomore and junior, third.

I've actually enjoyed pitching on the road in the postseason. You go out there, and you're getting booed, and it's fun to try to silence the crowd.

I really like using the softening cream. It helps me go out there with confidence to do what I need to do, and at the same time, it's very functional and helps keep the hair out of my mouth so I can focus on pitching.

When I watch video, I try to watch the good starts so I can see how my mechanics are in those. Every once in a while, I'll look at video starts that I struggled, and sometimes in those, there is no mechanical problems; it's just, didn't have good stuff that day.

When I'm away from the field, I show a little more emotion and stuff.

I like that the pitcher hits. I think that my feeling is that everybody should play a position. In order to hit, you have to play a position. That's just my view of it. I feel that's more baseball, and the games are managed different. I enjoy the National League, how it's played.

I would say I stay pretty calm. Don't let the game get too fast on me. I try to keep my emotions in check, I guess, so I don't show that anything fazes me out there. And I try to take it one pitch at a time.