New York Mets star Jacob deGrom is the best pitcher on the planet, and there is little doubt about that.
Others, like Sandy Alcantara, Corbin Burnes, Gerrit Cole, Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, or Dylan Cease may challenge him from time to time, but when he’s healthy, there is no one like deGrom.
An injury to his right scapular robbed him off most of the first half, but he is showing that he is better than ever even at 34 years old.
In fact, he is throwing harder than ever before: his four-seamer is averaging 99.4 mph, which is insane for a starting pitcher.
Velocity, however, is not all: deGrom has flawless control, command, and excellent secondary offerings.
These traits are reflected in his stats.
Last season, he had an incredible 1.08 ERA in 92 innings.
This year, he is at 2.31 in his first 23.1 frames.
Explaining deGrom’s Greatness By The Numbers
The most impressive part of his statistical profile, however, is his BB/K ratio.
deGrom has handed out just one walk in his 23.1 innings, with 37 (!) strikeouts.
“In Jacob deGrom’s first four 2022 starts: 37 strikeouts, 12 baserunners,” Codify Baseball tweeted.
In Jacob deGrom's first four 2022 starts:
37 strikeouts, 12 baserunners 🤯 pic.twitter.com/QosLmwEPZE— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) August 23, 2022
Between walks and hits, deGrom has allowed just 12 baserunners so far in 2022: he has struck out three times as many hitters, though.
That’s an insane number.
deGrom makes an incredibly difficult thing, which is suppressing baserunners and getting strikeouts, look extremely easy.
He may be what people consider “injury-prone”, but the Mets have understood and worked around this because he is a true difference-making, game-changing talent when he is on the mound.
Having a pitcher like deGrom in the postseason will be a huge bonus for a team that also has Max Scherzer, Chris Bassitt, and other talented hurlers.
NEXT: The Mets Need To Support Their Aces To Win A Title