Jacob deGrom is not among the most vocal players in the Texas Rangers’ clubhouse, which made his words last week particularly meaningful.

At the trade deadline, Texas gave deGrom the opportunity to waive his no-trade clause and accept a potential trade to the Atlanta Braves. The 38-year-old two-time Cy Young Award winner declined.

Nobody would have blamed deGrom for chasing another World Series, but he chose to remain with Texas and told reporters he was there to win. The message resonated with his teammates and manager.

His performance Saturday against the Baltimore Orioles carried additional significance. It was deGrom’s first start since publicly committing to the Rangers, and he backed up his words with a victory.

According to Kennedi Landry from MLB.com, Corey Seager told reporters that deGrom appeared to have additional emotion and another gear because he wanted to demonstrate why he had chosen to stay,

“He was probably a little emotional, had a little extra gear,” Seager said. “I guess that’s a good word. He just wanted to go out there and prove why he wanted to be here.”

DeGrom is no longer trying to be perfect. His priority is doing whatever is necessary to help Texas win.

Against Baltimore, he gave up one run on three hits (one home run) with nine strikeouts and a walk in five innings in a 5-1 home win.

Jackson Holliday’s solo home run accounted for the only damage, something manager Skip Schumaker considered acceptable.

DeGrom exited after 88 pitches because his left hip began bothering him again.

The same hip he injured before the All-Star break continues to cause problems, although deGrom said it was considerably better than during his previous start against the Houston Astros on Aug. 1.

He acknowledged there is a cumulative effect because repeatedly pushing down on the left hip while pitching causes additional soreness.

However, he was encouraged by how quickly his body recovered between starts and believes the Rangers can manage the issue while he continues pitching.

“We’re going to be able to manage it and keep going,” deGrom said.

Schumaker emphasized that players of deGrom’s caliber must carry the Rangers into the postseason regardless of physical discomfort or imperfect performances.

He also believed emotion surrounded deGrom’s outing and credited him with providing exactly what Texas needed.

That mentality illustrates deGrom’s importance beyond his pitching ability. His decision to remain with the Rangers sent a powerful message because it demonstrated commitment when leaving for another contender was available.

His competitiveness also remains unmistakable. Even while managing discomfort and delivering a dominant performance outside one mistake, deGrom focused on what he could have done better.

Texas is in a critical road stretch against the Los Angeles Angels and Athletics, two places where the Rangers have struggled this season. deGrom will start on normal rest and likely spend the four days between outings receiving treatment on his hip.

After inspiring his teammates and backing up his words, deGrom’s objective remains simple: Win series, win as many games as possible and put Texas in position to succeed.

“We need to win series,” deGrom said. “We need to win games, as many as we can. So that the goal — put us in a position to win.”