Jacob deGrom reminded everyone why he’s the best pitcher in baseball

MLB: Miami Marlins at New York Mets

The New York Mets won’t be going to the playoffs, but they should be going home with some serious hardware. Pete Alonso is the favorite for the National League’s Rookie of the Year award after slugging his 51st homer last night, but the headline from that win was Jacob deGrom. deGrom dominated the Miami Marlins, tossing seven shutout innings and all but securing his second consecutive Cy Young award.

Jacob deGrom reminded everyone why he's the best pitcher in baseball
Sep 25, 2019; New York City, NY, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Jacob deGrom (48) pitches in the first inning against the Miami Marlins at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports

With that win over Miami in the books, deGrom finished 2019 with an 11-8 record and a 2.43 ERA in 32 starts. Over the course of 204 innings pitched, deGrom worked a 0.97 WHIP, held opposing hitters to a .207 batting average, and struck out a whopping 255 batters. Here are some more mind boggling numbers courtesy of MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo.

The first stat speaks to deGrom’s dominant closing stretch, which also includes 23 straight scoreless innings to end his season. That is ridiculous, and it showcased deGrom’s absolute brilliance once again. The second statistic showcases the kind of elite company that deGrom has put himself in, and he has shown from start to finish that he is the best pitcher in baseball right now.

The Mets are very lucky they have deGrom here for the next five years as a key building block in their starting rotation. deGrom should be the anchor of the next great Mets’ team, but the franchise has to do a better job placing talent around him so they don’t waste even more of deGrom’s brilliance in the future.

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