On November 14, 2018, Jacob deGrom won his first Cy Young Award. He would go on to repeat the feat in 2019, making it back-to-back years in which he was recognized as the best pitcher in the National League.
The 2018 season was a bit of a statistical anomaly for deGrom, in that he led National League pitchers in several categories, but did not distinguish himself in wins. DeGrom finished the season with a modest 10-9 record, lagging behind other Cy Young candidates Max Scherzer (18), Aaron Nola (17), and Kyle Freeland (17) in wins.
However, when the voters cast their ballots, deGrom was the clear choice. The Mets’ ace received 29 of 30 first-place votes (the other going to Scherzer), and using the award point system, ended up with 207 points, well ahead of second-place Scherzer, who earned 123 points.
Looking at deGrom’s numbers beyond the win column, it’s readily apparent why he won the coveted award so easily. The DeLand, Fla., native led the league with a 1.70 ERA and came in second to Scherzer (300) with 269 strikeouts. The Mets’ hurler had the best ERA+ in the National League at 218. The statistic that probably tells the best story is fWAR. DeGrom had a 9.0 mark in 2018, well ahead of Scherzer (7.5), Patrick Corbin (5.8), and Nola (5.5).
“DeGOAT,” as he has been dubbed by the Mets’ faithful, backed up in 2018 performance with another Cy Young season in 2019, this time posting an 11-8 record with a 2.43 ERA. In 2019, the best pitcher in baseball once again received 29 of 30 first-place votes (the other going to Hyun Jin Ryu), leading National League pitchers in strikeouts with 255, and fWAR at 6.9.
DeGrom’s two Cy Young awards trail only Tom Seaver in franchise history. Seaver won the award three times (1969, 1973, 1975).
In 2021, deGrom was off to an unbelievable, almost video game-like start to the season, with a 7-2 record, a 1.08 ERA, and 146 strikeouts in 92 innings pitched. As we know, the ace made his last start in early July after several injury scares during the season. When he went on the injured list in July, he was experiencing forearm tightness and swelling in his elbow, that later was revealed to be a partial (the Mets used the term “low grade”) tear of his UCL.
Both deGrom and the Mets say that the elbow is fine now and that the pitcher should be ready for the 2022 season. While that is encouraging to a degree, deGrom did have Tommy John surgery in 2010 and throws consistently harder than any other starter in baseball. It’s fair to wonder if his elbow will hold up over the course of a full season. We can hope that the 2021 injury (and his being shut down at the mid-point of the season), was appropriately managed to enable him to perform at his customary top-notch level next season.
DeGrom has the chance to opt-out of his contract after the 2022 season. That is a bridge to be crossed after next season plays out, and his durability and potential longevity (he will be 34 years old in June of 2022) can be more fully assessed.
