Over the entire history of MLB, fewer than 100 pitchers have struck out 2,000 batters. Texas Rangers starter Jacob deGrom became the latest member of that elite club Thursday, hitting the milestone in the top of the first inning against the Washington Nationals.
DeGrom struck out Abimelec Ortiz in five pitches, with the last slider sending the first baseman swinging to hit the milestone. DeGrom had struck out Daylen Lile swinging one at-bat earlier.
It marks a significant accomplishment for deGrom, who has been one of the most dominant pitchers in the game since his debut in 2013 with the New York Mets.
Despite never being listed as a top-100 prospect, deGrom exceeded all expectations early. As a rookie, he posted a 2.69 ERA over 140 1/3 innings, striking out 144 opposing batters. That performance was good enough to earn deGrom the National League Rookie of the Year award.
While deGrom continued to post excellent seasons with the Mets, he really took his game up a level in 2018. That season, deGrom led the majors with an astounding 1.70 ERA over 217 innings. His strikeout rate surged, pushing deGrom to his first-ever Cy Young award. He was similarly dominant in 2019, posting a 2.43 ERA over 204 innings and leading baseball with 255 strikeouts. That performance earned him back-to-back Cy Young awards.
#young
DeGrom struck out Abimelec Ortiz in five pitches, with the last slider sending the first baseman swinging to hit the milestone. DeGrom had struck out Daylen Lile swinging one at-bat earlier.
It marks a significant accomplishment for deGrom, who has been one of the most dominant pitchers in the game since his debut in 2013 with the New York Mets.
Despite never being listed as a top-100 prospect, deGrom exceeded all expectations early. As a rookie, he posted a 2.69 ERA over 140 1/3 innings, striking out 144 opposing batters. That performance was good enough to earn deGrom the National League Rookie of the Year award.
While deGrom continued to post excellent seasons with the Mets, he really took his game up a level in 2018. That season, deGrom led the majors with an astounding 1.70 ERA over 217 innings. His strikeout rate surged, pushing deGrom to his first-ever Cy Young award. He was similarly dominant in 2019, posting a 2.43 ERA over 204 innings and leading baseball with 255 strikeouts. That performance earned him back-to-back Cy Young awards.
#young
2 months ago
