Despite the New York Mets missing the playoffs once again, pitcher Jacob deGrom could bring home another NL Cy Young Award this season.
In the history of the game, there have only been 10 pitchers to win consecutive Cy Young Awards. Based on his numbers this season, Jacob deGrom could become the 11th pitcher to accomplish that feat.
New York Mets manager Mickey Callaway, believes that deGrom has positioned himself in a very favorable spot to carve his name in the record books once again.
“[DeGrom] has put himself in the driver’s seat and very well ahead of the others, with so few games left or so few starts left for the guys going against him,” Callaway said Monday, via Mike Puma of the New York Post. “He’s in control.”
Currently, the ace leads all NL pitchers in fWAR (6.7), bWAR (6.9), WHIP (0.99) and FIP (2.51). DeGrom has also recorded the most number of strikeouts (248) in the NL as well.
The three-time All-Star’s ERA of 2.51 is only second to Dodgers’ pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu (2.41). DeGrom would also surely be leading the NL in SO/9 if he hadn’t already thrown nearly 200 innings this season. The 31-year-old currently sits fourth in the NL with his 11.33 SO/9. However, deGrom has pitched almost 20 innings more than any one of the three pitchers ahead of him, which in turn has lowered his strikeout rate.
Noah Syndergaard also spoke about what an accomplishment it would be for deGrom to win consecutive Cy Young awards, and how he’ll have Thor’s undoubted support to win the award as well.
“Two straight would be an unbelievable feat, It’s one thing to do it last year with the season he had, but to back it up with a second straight year is a real nice performance, especially because he had a rocky start,” Noah Syndergaard said. “The second half he’s had was just an awesome spectacle and I wish him the very best with this last start and he will have my support for a second Cy Young award.”
DeGrom is currently scheduled to make his final start of the 2019 season Wednesday against the Marlins. If deGrom is able to lower his ERA by .10 points following this game, then he should undoubtedly be the favorite to win the Cy Young award for the second straight season.
Of the 10 pitchers that have won back-to-back Cy Young Awards, five of them have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. Sandy Koufax, Jim Palmer, Pedro Martinez, Greg Maddux, and Randy Johnson will likely be joined in Cooperstown in the near future by Clayton Kershaw, Max Scherzer, and deGrom as pitchers who have all won consecutive Cy Youngs in their careers.
Not only will deGrom be remembered as one of the best pitchers of his era, but also as one of the best Mets’ pitchers of all-time as well. Whenever deGrom decides to hang up his cleats for the final time, he’ll join Tom Seaver, Dwight Gooden, Jerry Koosman, Ron Darling, Sid Fernandez, Al Leiter, Jon Matlack and David Cone as some the greatest pitchers to ever wear the blue pinstripes for the Mets.
