The New York Mets are in desperate need of wins, and to get one on Friday, they’ll have to go through an old friend.

Five-time All-Star Jacob deGrom is slated to start for the Texas Rangers at Citi Field on Friday night, returning to the scene of his incredible run to begin his career the Mets. A back-to-back Cy Young Award winner in 2018 and 2019, deGrom was almost universally regarded as the best pitcher in baseball for a five-year stretch.

Injuries steadily cut into deGrom’s playing time over the last few years, and in his first two seasons after signing with the Rangers, he made only nine starts. But this season, he’s made 27, his most since 2019, and he’s still looked elite, though perhaps a tier below the true Cy Young contenders.

Another five-time All-Star, Mets first baseman Pete Alonso, is ready for the challenge of facing his former teammate. However, he was also extremely complimentary of deGrom in his comments before the series.

“That’s his mound,” Alonso said of the showdown in Queens on Thursday, per Mark W. Sanchez of the New York Post. “Even though he’s somewhere else or with another team, that’s Jake’s mound.”

Alonso has never faced deGrom in his career, but he knows he has his work cut out for him. The 37-year-old righty owns a 2.78 ERA in 155 2/3 innings this season, striking out 169 batters and allowing a stingy 0.93 WHIP.

The Mets led the San Francisco Giants and Cincinnati Reds by just 1 1/2 games for the final National League Wild Card spot entering play on Friday, having dropped their last six games in a row.

New York desperately needs a win against deGrom, but Alonso knows that’s never an easy task.

“In my mind, he’s a Hall of Famer,” Alonso said, per Sanchez. “When he’s healthy, he’s probably one of the best to ever do it.

“What he can bring on a start-by-start basis, it’s really special. I’m glad that he’s healthy this year. He’s had a stellar year. I want him to continue to stay healthy so he can finish out his career and go to Cooperstown.”

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