New York Mets: Jacob deGrom continues to amaze
By David Hill
Whenever someone thinks of a pitcher that racks up strikeouts by the bushel, the expectation is that they will throw more pitches than average. Likewise, whenever a pitcher is amongst the most efficient in regards to pitches per inning, they are not expected to strike out many batters. But someone forgot to tell New York Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom about those two expectations.
deGrom has continued to be a pitching marvel, doing things that defy explanation. That was the case prior to his start on Monday, when he not only led the majors in K/9 and had the fewest pitches per inning.
Looking for new ways to define deGrom's greatness? This may be my favorite stat.
— Steve Gelbs (@SteveGelbs) June 1, 2021
Coming into tonight, he led the majors with 13.4 pitches per inning. He also led MLB with 14.8 K/9.
He's striking out the world, while simultaneously being the most efficient pitcher in the game.
New York Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom defines pitching greatness
It has been another typically dominant season for deGrom. Heading into Monday, he easily topped the Mets in bWAR; his 2.3 mark a full win better than the second place Taijuan Walker. He also had eight hits and a double before Monday’s action, theoretically making him one of the Mets’ better bats off the bench.
More Mets. It's time for an exorcism. light
But the Mets are much more interested in what deGrom has done on the mound than what he accomplishes with a bat in his hand. Entering his outing against the Diamondbacks, he had posted an incredible 0.80 ERA and a 0.600 WHiP over his 45 innings, striking out 74 batters with just seven walks. He has been simply untouchable.
That mastery goes beyond his numbers. deGrom also threw his first curveball of the season on Monday, a pitch that had been called elite by Mets’ pitching coach Jeremy Hefner. However, he does not throw the pitch because he simply does not need to. But now that he has snapped one off during a game, it will be something else that the opposition has to think about in the batter’s box.
It is easy to see deGrom’s greatness when watching his starts. He simply goes out to the mound, carves up the opposition with relative ease, and then heads back to the dugout. His time on the mound is almost mechanical, as he operates with surgical precision. And now that dominance is quantified.
Next. Mets starting to get healthy. dark
Jacob deGrom has been the majors most prolific strikeout pitcher and most efficient pitcher at the same time. The New York Mets ace just continues to impress.