Is Jacob DeGrom The MVP Of April Baseball? (Breakdown)

New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom has solidified himself as the best pitcher in all of baseball.

The 32-year-old right hander has been dominating MLB lineups in a way that has rarely been seen in the modern era of baseball.

Since 2018, he has consistently put-up staggering numbers, including back-to-back Cy Young Awards in 2018 and 2019.

However, it now seems that he is getting even better.

DeGrom is now on pace to register a historic season, after posting one of the best pitching months ever recorded.

Should he be considered as the sport’s April MVP?

An April To Remember

Throughout Spring Training, deGrom caught the league’s attention with the jump in his velocity.

He was beginning to consistently sit in the upper-90s, with many of his pitches touching 100-101.

Jacob deGrom, 99mph Fastball (swing/miss) and 92mph Slider (Swinging K), Overlay. pic.twitter.com/eJUZRYoNxp

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 28, 2021

This was making him an even more dominant pitcher, as it seemed like there was little that opposing hitter could do.

Fast-forward to the start of the season and it quickly carried over.

In April, deGrom made five starts, giving up just two earned runs in 35 innings.

On top of that, he charted three straight starts of 14-plus strikeout performances.

He has totaled 59 strikeouts while allowing just four walks, an impressive ratio for a pitcher with devastating stuff like deGrom.

Jacob deGrom ties Nolan Ryan (1978) with 59 Ks through his first 5 appearances.

An @MLB record since at least 1893. pic.twitter.com/hY352QSo0j

— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) April 29, 2021

These are otherworldly numbers, especially early on in the season where he wasted no time in getting off to a good start.

There are moments where deGrom looks purely unhittable, putting his team in constant positions to win.

However, it has become synonymous with deGrom’s career that the Mets do not give him any run support.

Because of this, he sports a mediocre 2-2 record, which does not represent his dominance on the mound.

Regardless of the record, deGrom has proven that he should be in the conversation for MVP early in the season.

DeGrom Does It At The Plate

Not only has deGrom been dominant on the mound, but he has also been one of the most productive hitting pitchers.

In 13 at-bats this year, he has tallied six hits for a .462 average.

He also has two RBI, giving himself much needed run support while on the mound.

While he likely will not keep these numbers up all season, it shows just how great of a talent deGrom is.

Also, as if he were just showing off, deGrom flashed nearly elite level speed on the basepaths this year.

He was measured as running at 29.1 feet per second, just a tick below the elite mark of 30.0.

Jacob deGrom's sprint speed was clocked at 29.1 ft/sec

The MLB average: 27 ft/sec
Elite speed: 30 ft/sec

Jacob deGrom is the ultimate athlete.

(h/t @SlangsOnSports) pic.twitter.com/9FbqfOlhP5

— SNY (@SNYtv) April 29, 2021

As far as pitchers go, there are few that can compare to deGrom athletically.

Season Outlook For DeGrom

With the calendar flipping to may, deGrom looks to continue his dominance through the rest of the season.

However, soreness in his side has put that to a halt for now, as he was shut down from throwing on Tuesday.

Sending all the healing energy and positive prayers to our ace and best pitcher in the game! #deGrom 🐐 @Mets

— Marcus Stroman (@STR0) May 4, 2021

This caused him to miss his start, with it being unclear when he will return to the mound.

However, an MRI revealed that it was just an inflammation injury that should pass with a few days of rest.

Then, we can anticipate deGrom to return to his dominant self on the mound.

After just the month of April, it would be hard to argue that anyone else is more deserving of the Cy Young Award.

In fact, he should certainly have his name in the running for MVP early on in the year.