Mets ace Jacob deGrom is quietly building a Hall-of-Fame resume. He’s either won or finished as a Cy Young finalist each of the past three seasons, compiling a remarkable 2.10 ERA with 628 strikeouts over that span (11.56 K/9). Though he’s never won more than 15 games in any of his seven MLB seasons (a blemish that can be attributed to poor run support), the 6’4” ace boasts a 2.61 lifetime ERA, second-lowest among active starters (Clayton Kershaw is a tad better at 2.43). While deGrom’s ultimate goal is obviously to bring a title to Queens, the three-time All-Star admits Cooperstown is in the back of his mind.
Of the 10 pitchers who have earned three or more Cy Young Awards, a feat deGrom can accomplish with another win this year, seven have reached the Hall of Fame while Kershaw and Max Scherzer, when eligible, will assuredly make it nine out of 10 from that group. The only question mark is Roger Clemens, whose Hall-of-Fame candidacy is complicated by his alleged PED use.
“A goal of mine is to try and make it to the Hall of Fame,” deGrom shared at Tuesday’s press conference. “I want to continue pitching at an elite level for quite some time.” The latter acknowledgement might be the most important factor to consider in deGrom’s pursuit of baseball immortality. DeGrom’s past three seasons have been nothing short of spectacular, but can he maintain that success over a prolonged period? Plenty of past Cy Young winners have fallen by the wayside including Johan Santana and Tim Lincecum, neither of whom are likely to be enshrined in Cooperstown despite the brilliance they displayed early in their careers.
While deGrom has shown few, if any signs of decline—if anything, he’s gotten better with age—the right-hander is no spring chicken (he turns 33 in June) and only time will tell how his body and mind hold up. Years of workhorse usage could eventually catch up to deGrom, though we’ve seen others including Pedro Martinez and CC Sabathia reinvent themselves in their mid-to-late 30s, transitioning from fastball-wielding power arms to crafty finesse pitchers relying on pitch selection and superior location.
DeGrom, for his part, looked absolutely unstoppable in Grapefruit League action this spring, permitting only one run with 21 strikeouts over 13 2/3 breathtaking innings. He’ll make his third straight Opening Day start Thursday against Washington.
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