Jacob deGrom had another stellar year for the New York Mets, which earned him his second straight Cy Young award. He has not only cemented his place within the top three pitchers in baseball but has also put himself on the same level as the legendary Tom Seaver.
Jacob deGrom tosses 7 shutout frames to finish another terrific season. #TipOfTheCap pic.twitter.com/0sOMZFNwvO
— MLB (@MLB) September 26, 2019
There indeed are not enough adjectives to adequately describe how dominant deGrom was. Despite winning the Cy Young award, there was a bump in the road for him early in the season. During April, his ERA was 4.85 and looked nothing like the deGrom of old.
May Through September
It did not take a long time to figure things out for deGrom as he put up a 2.07 ERA throughout the rest of the season. His unique ability to put together a strong start despite not having his best stuff is what puts him into the elite category of pitchers. deGrom has also survived despite having an offense and bullpen that forced him to only finish with nine wins.
Since 1893, only one pitcher has multiple games with 13+ K’s as a pitcher and a home run as a batter.
Jacob deGrom is in a class of his own.
(? @DoveMenCare ) pic.twitter.com/R4wOPhhXz4
— ESPN (@espn) August 24, 2019
deGrom also showcased his talent at the plate as well. He hit .200 with two home runs and six RBIs. deGrom only laid down one sac bunt all year, but he did have more freedom to swing the bat than most pitchers in baseball. The Mets provided deGrom with a five-year extension before the season, which looks like a steal just after year one.
The Ace
deGrom is heading into his age-32 season and the Mets need to take advantage of having him in their rotation. Guys like Stephen Strasburg and Madison Bumgarner have shown how big of an impact an ace can have in October. In 2015, deGrom was dominant in October, and the Mets have to figure out a way to sneak into the playoffs in 2020.
Grades:
Pitching Repertoire: A+, Five dominant pitches that he throws at any count and anywhere he wants.
Control: A, 44 in 204 innings is as good as it gets in today’s game
Composure: A+, The best in baseball in staying in the moment without letting anything get to him and top tier at limiting the home run
Durability: A+, 32 starts for the second straight year, 200+ innings for the third consecutive year
Intangibles: A+, The quiet leader of the team
Overall: A+, The man, won a Cy Young, does not get better than that