DeGrom's return draws parallels to Mets' new pitching phenoms

This weekend offers a glimpse into the future for the Mets , who are turning to their touted rookies — Jonah Tong, Brandon Sproat and Nolan McLean — to start the three games against the Texas Rangers.

But the series at Citi Field also comes with a reminder of the past.

That’s because the Rangers’ starter in Friday night’s series opener, Jacob deGrom , was once one of the hope-inspiring headliners in the previous generation of phenom pitchers to come up with the Mets.

DeGrom debuted in 2014, right in the middle of a prospect pipeline that included Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler, Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz.

The flame-throwing deGrom was never considered the same level of blue-chip prospect as the other four, but he quickly established himself as the best of the bunch — and arguabl