Jacob deGrom spoke with Anthony Dicomo of MLB.com about how his season went this year and the potential of joining exclusive company in MLB history.

DeGrom, 31, is viewed as a front-runner to win the NL Cy Young Award for the second consecutive year after finishing the 2019 season with an 11-8 record, 2.43 ERA, 2.67 FIP, 0.971 WHIP, and 255 strikeouts in 32 starts (204 innings pitched). He even finished the season with a 23 inning scoreless streak.

With that stat line, deGrom led the NL in strikeouts and bWAR (7.3) while he also ranked second in ERA and WHIP. He did that while accumulating the fourth-highest innings total in the game, ranking higher than two of his closest competitors in Max Scherzer (172 1/3 innings) and Hyun-Jin Ryu (182 2/3 innings).

“You look at the names that are mentioned in winning back-to-back Cy Youngs, I would have never thought that my name would ever been mentioned in that,” deGrom said. “I’ve said before it was a goal to win one, but to think about winning two is honestly kind of crazy to me. It would be an honor.”

If the right-hander were to accomplish this feat, he would be among 10 pitchers to ever do so and the first in New York Mets’ franchise history, putting himself among the likes of Max Scherzer, Clayton Kershaw, Sandy Koufax, Greg Maddux, and Randy Johnson in MLB history. DeGrom would also be trailing Tom Seaver by only one Cy Young Award for the most in franchise history. Logan Barer discussed where deGrom ranks among these pitchers.

“To think that I’m mentioned in that same sentence is honestly crazy to me,” deGrom said. “Sitting down and reflecting on it, I don’t know if it’s really set in yet because I feel like I’m constantly getting ready for the next.”

“Like, this year’s over, but I’m already thinking of how to be ready for next year, and what I need to do,” deGrom added. “That’s just kind of my mindset. I think it’s just being competitive and wanting to maintain the same level of competitiveness that I haven’t really been able to sit down and try to take in what I’ve been able to do.”

With that mindset, there’s no reason to believe that a second Cy Young Award this season will be his last.