It has been a unique 60-game MLB regular season but that hasn’t stopped Jacob deGrom from having another fantastic year. As the New York Mets and the rest of baseball enter the final games of the regular season, deGrom has stood out once again and is looking to become the third pitcher in MLB history to win a third-straight Cy Young.
2020 Performance
Once again, Jacob deGrom won’t have the most wins, but he currently leads the National League with an ERA of 1.67. He is also tied for second in strikeouts with 79. This comes after deGrom had to miss a start earlier this year with neck stiffness.
The ironic part of late is that deGrom has not been his best though his team has provided him 32 runs in his past two starts. In four of deGrom’s starts this season, the Mets either did not score a run during his time in the game or had the bullpen blow a lead. But this is how deGrom’s Mets career has gone.
The Mets ace has also not pitched past the seventh inning in any game so far this year. He has only gone seven innings twice but has yet to give up more than two earned runs in any start. His best start came on August 26 against the Miami Marlins. deGrom pitched seven innings and allowed one run and two hits with 14 strikeouts.
With only divisional and regional games this season, deGrom made at one point four consecutive starts against the Marlins. He currently is 4-1 and had his lone loss coming after allowing three unearned in a late August start.
Major Competition
The only real competition for Jacob deGrom winning another Cy Young is Trevor Bauer, Yu Darvish, and Dinelson Lamet. Bauer has been terrific all season but had two rough outings in August, where he allowed seven earned runs in two starts. Bauer is the leader in strikeouts and has pitched tremendously in September. He has two remaining starts against probable playoff teams in the Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins.
After a couple of sub-par seasons, Darvish has had a terrific year with the Chicago Cubs. He currently leads the National League in wins with seven and ranks in the top five in ERA. Darvish is also scheduled to make his last two starts against the White Sox and Twins. Darvish is coming off a quality start against the Cleveland Indians.
Lamet has had a terrific season for the red-hot San Diego Padres. The young right-hander is 3-1 with a 2.12 ERA and has one scheduled start left against the Los Angeles Angels.
deGrom’s next start will come in what is now a must-win game for the Mets Wednesday night against the Philadelphia Phillies. New York is currently six games under .500 with 12 games left in the regular season.
It is going to be important for deGrom to finish the season strong. If the Mets can make a bit of a run, they may try and use him on short rest. After Wednesday’s game deGrom has two more scheduled starts left against the first place Tampa Bay Rays and the last place Washington Nationals. Regardless, deGrom continues to be the best pitcher in baseball and is adding to what could become a Hall-of-Fame Career.
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