Jacob deGrom was sitting on a subway headed for Citi Field.

A New York Mets rookie at the time who was just beginning to pitch well, he wore his hood to conceal his appearance from other New Yorkers.

But soon, a young boy walked up to him. 

"Hey, excuse me sir," the kid said. "Are you Jacob deGrom?"

"Listen," deGrom replied. "If I say I am, can you not tell anyone?" 

"Yeah, sure," the kid said. 

"I am," deGrom said. 

The kid went crazy. 

"Oh my God! Jacob deGrom!" 

His screams alerted other riders, who suddenly noticed a rising star was sitting amongst them. Everyone lost it. 

Nick Pugliese laughs as he recalls this story from 2014 that deGrom, his good buddy, once told him. The tale signifies a turning point in deGrom's life – the moment he reached celebrity status. 

"I never rode the subway again," deGrom told Pugliese, "because that was the point where people actually knew who I was." 

Nick Pugliese met Jacob deGrom when the two played American Legion ball. Pugliese had no idea deGrom would become arguably the game's best pitcher.

Pugliese says deGrom probably would have taken the subway to the ballpark for his entire career if no one had bothered him.

Of course, that's unrealistic now. DeGrom has since won consecutive National League Cy Young Awards and is arguably the game's best pitcher. He's a hero in Queens. 

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Justin Toscano is the Mets beat writer for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to all Mets analysis, news, trades and more, please subscribe today and download our app.

Email: toscanoj@northjersey.com Twitter: @justinctoscano