Game 2 starters: Johnny Cueto has the better hair, Jacob deGrom has better track record this postseason

Royals right-hander Johnny Cueto already has Mets righty Jacob deGrom beaten in one respect.

Cueto boasts the superior coiffure in the battle of hirsute World Series Game 2 starters.

When asked who had the better hair Tuesday, the dreadlocked Cueto smiled. Through translator Pedro Grifol, he said, “I’m going to say mine. I’m not going to say somebody else’s.”

DeGrom’s unkempt locks reach his shoulder, flowing another foot from underneath his cap. But deGrom agreed that Cueto has the better hair and said he plans to cut his.

“I think mine is gone at the end of the year, so I’ll give that award to him,” he said. “It’s driving me nuts. I’ve got to get rid of it.”

On the mound, there’s also no debate about who’s had the better postseason.

DeGrom is 3-0 in three starts, all on the road. He’s gone at least six innings with at least seven strikeouts and no more than six hits allowed in two wins against the Los Angeles Dodgers and another against the Chicago Cubs.

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

He struck out 13 Dodgers in the National League Division Series opener, but fought his command while consistently working out of jams during the next two starts.

“I didn’t feel fatigued out there,” said deGrom, who is five years removed from ulnar collateral ligament replacement surgery. “I just felt I was having trouble locating, which happened to me early on this year. I don't know if it was fatigue. I feel good now, so I don’t think the rest hurt me.”

DeGrom has thrown 211 innings in 2015, including the postseason, which is a career high by more than 60 innings. It also means that six days of rest between the NLCS and World Series were welcome.

“The last time we pushed him back a little bit, he came out throwing great,” Mets manager Terry Collins said. “We’re hoping that extra rest is going to make a difference (Wednesday) night. This guy is as good as there is in the league.”

The same could be said about Cueto at one point, but he’s been wildly inconsistent the last three months with the Royals, including three starts in the playoffs.

Cueto was so-so in his first American League Division Series start against Houston, allowing four runs on seven hits with three walks and five strikeouts in six innings.

The Royals rallied to win and Cueto was dominant in Game 5 of the series, closing out the Astros by allowing only two runs and two hits with eight strikeouts in eight innings.

During the AL Championship Series, Cueto threw the worst postseason game in Royals history based on Bill James’ game score stat and the third worst in baseball history.

“What happened in Toronto, happened in Toronto,” Cueto said through Grifol. “That’s over with. We’re here in the World Series. I’m not thinking about that. Toronto is not here in the World Series and now it’s time to play baseball.”

Cueto has been shelled in his last two road playoff starts, giving up 12 runs on 14 hits with five walks in 5 1/3 innings at Toronto and during the 2013 NL Wild Card Game.

He acknowledged that he feel more comfortable at home, but Royals manager Ned Yost insisted that history didn’t play a role in setting up the rotation so Cueto potentially would pitch his two starts at Kauffman Stadium.

“I feel like he’s pitched great games here,” Yost said. “He really draws on the energy of our fans. And again, I felt like you try to put everybody in a position where they can be successful. He, more than anybody else, really draws that energy from our fans. We just felt it was the best move.”

This story was originally published October 27, 2015 at 6:48 PM with the headline "Game 2 starters: Johnny Cueto has the better hair, Jacob deGrom has better track record this postseason."