ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Jacob deGrom is excited to be going back to where his career began, the home stadium where he made 109 of his 245 starts in the big leagues and had back-to-back Cy Young Award-winning seasons with the New York Mets.

“It holds a special place in my heart,” deGrom said. “I pitched a lot there, and Mets fans were always good to me. So taking the mound in front of that crowd was always a fun experience.”

Now the lanky right-hander will find out if that holds true when pitching against them.

DeGrom is set to face the Mets on Friday night for the first time since leaving in free agency after the 2022 season and signing with the Texas Rangers. The teams contending for playoff spots in their respective leagues open a three-game series at Citi Field.

“With what he did

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