When Jacob deGrom fanned Abimelec Ortiz in the first inning of a 2-0 win Thursday, he became the second-fastest pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) history to record 2,000 career strikeouts. It was his 272nd game (trailing only Randy Johnson’s record of 262), and he did it in his 1,661st inning pitched (Chris Sale did it in 1,626 innings).
While it was an impressive feat, the milestone itself was a reminder not of a great career, but of a career that almost was. Johnson was 33 years old when he achieved 2,000 strikeouts, and Sale was 30. The Texas Rangers righty just turned 38. It almost sounds comedic to refer to someone in professional sports achieving a milestone quickly at that age. In 2021, deGrom became the second fastest to 1,500 K’s, and that was five years ago.
Jacob deGrom’s Late Start and Unfortunate Injuries
deGrom was selected in the ninth round (272 overall) of the 2010 MLB Draft. After six starts in the rookie league, he tore his UCL and missed all of the 2011 season. He made his Major League debut on May 15, 2014, at nearly 26 years old. By comparison, Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes was 21. Not only did it take deGrom five extra years to make the show, but the peak of his career was also marred by injuries.
On July 18, 2021, the two-time Cy Young winner was diagnosed with inflammation in his elbow, and he wouldn’t pitch again that season. The following season, he suffered a stress fracture in spring training and missed another year. Halfway through 2023, he needed Tommy John surgery, and he wouldn’t pitch again until September of 2024. Add in a shortened 2020 season, and deGrom made 47 starts over five years.
The Numbers Are Still Great
Despite all the setbacks, deGrom has posted impressive career numbers. Hall of Fame-worthy numbers. His 2.66 ERA is better than Sandy Koufax’s or Tom Seaver’s. His career WHIP of 0.9968 is the second-lowest of all time, behind Addie Joss, who made his debut in 1902. It’s just unfortunate that deGrom did not get the starts or innings pitched hit career total milestones comparable to his contemporaries, like Clayton Kershaw.
The Los Angeles Dodgers great is also 38, but retired after last season with 3,052 strikeouts. While deGrom could continue playing after this season, his late start and history of injuries will never allow him to compile massive career numbers. Johnson pitched until he was 45, and all-time great Nolan Ryan pitched until he was 46. The big difference is that Johnson finished with 4,875 strikeouts and Ryan with 5,714.
At his current pace, deGrom would need to pitch until 57 years old to catch Johnson, and 62 to catch Ryan. That’s highly unlikely, and while fans have had the privilege of watching him pitch when healthy, they have missed out on seeing something truly special. It could be argued that deGerom is the best right-handed pitcher in the history of baseball. His per-inning and per-game stats certainly support that. Unfortunately, his career numbers are lacking.
