New York Mets: Jacob deGrom making mark on MLB history

New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom has been one of the game’s more dominant pitchers over the past few years. He is carving out a spot in the history books.

There is no questioning Jacob deGrom‘s place amongst the best pitchers in the game. The New York Mets star has established himself as one of the few true aces in the game, an actual top of the rotation starter who can be counted on to dominate virtually every time out. He is the type of pitcher that teams dream of.

deGrom has certainly been recognized for his brilliance over his career. A three time All Star, he was the 2014 NL Rookie of the Year, and won the NL Cy Young Award in 2018 and 2019. He has finished in the top ten of the MVP voting twice, coming in fifth in 2018.

It is easy to see why when looking at his numbers. Over his seven years in the majors, deGrom has posted a 70-51 record with a 2.61 ERA and a 1.047 WHiP, striking out 1359 batters with just 284 walks over his 1169.2 innings. Although he will turn 33 years old during the upcoming season, he shows no signs of slowing down.

While we may appreciate his excellent performance, deGrom’s place in MLB history is generally overlooked. His counting stats may not measure up on the all time lists, but he is right there in terms of his ratios.

Not only is deGrom amongst the greats, but he could be considered to be on the path to becoming one of the greatest of all time himself. His 1.047 WHiP ranks seventh all time, and he is sixth in MLB history with 10.457 strikeouts per nine innings. deGrom is fourth in MLB history with a 4.785 K/BB rate and a 150 ERA+.

Obviously, there is still a lot of time before deGrom can truly be considered one of the true greats in the history of the game. His relatively late start, as he did not reach the majors until he was already 26 years old, has him behind in the counting stats that people love to look at. But if he can continue to pitch at an elite level for a few more years, deGrom could force his way into that conversation.

It is easy to recognize Jacob deGrom’s greatness when he is on the mound. However, the New York Mets pitcher is making an impression in the history books as well.