Just name Jacob deGrom the Cy Young winner already
New York Mets starting pitcher Jacob deGrom has put together one of the better seasons by a pitcher in recent memory. Even though the end of the season is primetime for MLB award discussions, the National League Cy Young race is over. The award belongs to Jacob deGrom.
In 32 starts for the Mets, Jacob deGrom has an ERA of 1.70 and a WHIP of .912 with 269 strikeouts in 217 innings. deGrom allowed 10 home runs to opposing hitters this season, his lowest mark in seasons with at least 24 starts. deGrom allowed seven in 22 starts as a rookie in 2014.
ESPN’s Buster Olney sent out a tweet Thursday morning which displayed just how dominant deGrom has been this season.
Jacob deGrom made 32 starts this season.
He allowed 0 runs in 8 starts
He allowed 1 run in 10 starts
He allowed 2 runs in 5 starts
He allowed 3 runs in 8 starts
He allowed 4 runs in 1 start
He never allowed more than four runs in any start— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) September 27, 2018
If the Mets were able to score just three runs per game this season it can be argued that he could have 23 wins this season. However that is not what happened. deGrom has a record of 10-9 on the year. Hardly the win total that most Cy Young winners own. In fact if deGrom were to win it would be the lowest win total ever for the award, (this excludes non-starters).
How does Jacob deGrom stack up against Max Scherzer or Aaron Nola
The win-loss debate is unfortunately an obstacle that deGrom will have to overcome. Both Max Scherzer (18) and Aaron Nola (16) beat him in that category. Scherzer also has the edge over deGrom in strikeouts, 300-269. However deGrom has Scherzer and Nola beat in WAR and ERA. deGrom has a WAR of 10.3 which edges out Scherzer’s 9.7. and Nola’s 9.3. Additionally, deGrom’s microscopic 1.70 ERA beats Scherzer’s 2.53 by nearly three-quarters of a run. Nola’s 2.45 ERA is also a far cry away from deGrom.
Ultimately what the award will come down to is how the voters view deGrom’s value in comparison to pitchers who are on better teams. Scherzer and Nola had the benefit of playing for teams that were in playoff contention and got run support on a regular basis. It is not hard to imagine Scherzer or Nola struggling if they were in a Mets uniform this season. If that were the case Schezer or Nola would have some rough numbers in the win category. deGrom was a victim of his team this season, suffering from no decisions from blown leads or lack of run support. A similar fate would belong to Scherzer or Nola if they were in New York.
deGrom has been the best pitcher this season and the Cy Young Award should be his. Scherzer and Nola have also been fantastic, but deGrom has clearly been the better pitcher this season. Instead of waiting until the conclusion of the MLB season, it would be best to just give him the award now instead of pretending any other pitcher will win the award.
