Far too often when Jacob deGrom spins a gem, fans are left with a bitter aftertaste. Offensive ineptitude and bullpen implosions have become as synonymous with deGrom outings as his historic brilliance on the mound.
The solution to avoiding such unintentional sabotage from your teammates? Do everything yourself.
On April 23rd, deGrom had what could best be described as a “Little League game,” a performance where he almost single-handedly defeated the Nationals with his arm and bat.
deGrom’s night included nine scoreless innings and 15 strikeouts on the mound, plus two hits (including a double) and an RBI at the plate to raise his season batting average to a whopping .545.
It was only fitting that fans were chanting “MVP” after his second hit of the night. Whenever deGrom takes the mound, he is the marquee attraction and undoubtedly the best player on the field.
But just how realistic are his actual MVP chances? Though the award is seldom handed to pitchers, deGrom is already making his case.
Historical Precedent
Since the introduction of the Cy Young Award in 1956, only 11 pitchers have won both the Cy Young and MVP in the same season. The most recent pitchers to be crowned MVP were Justin Verlander (2011) and Clayton Kershaw (2014), two surefire future Hall of Famers. There’s no exact formula for a pitcher to gain MVP votes, but there are perhaps two common criteria: eye-popping, historically significant numbers, and a dearth of close competition. Kershaw’s win, for example, was aided by a weak position-player class headed by Giancarlo Stanton — who hit a league-leading 37 homers for the fourth-place Miami Marlins. Kershaw missed roughly six starts with a back injury and fell short of the 200-inning plateau, but still managed to throw a no-hitter and record a microscopic 1.77 ERA.
Likewise, Justin Verlander’s 2011 MVP campaign was characterized by historic achievements and underwhelming competition. He won the pitching Triple Crown, racked up 24 victories, and even threw a no-hitter against the Blue Jays. The runner-up for the award, Jacoby Ellsbury, had the misfortune of playing for a Boston team that endured an infamous late-season collapse.
Looking back even further, pitchers who won the MVP have rewritten the record books, like when Roger Clemens fanned 20 batters in a start in 1986, or when Bob Gibson pitched to a 1.12 ERA in 1968, a season so dominant the league lowered the mound the following year.
For deGrom to win MVP, he’ll need to stand out from the league’s top position players, and to continue setting records with each outing.
deGrom’s Case
The obvious argument against pitchers winning the MVP is that toeing the rubber every five games is less valuable than contributing to the club every day. But if any pitcher were to win MVP in the current era of big data, it would be a statistical outlier like deGrom. In a baseball landscape littered with flamethrowers, deGrom is at the very top of the heap. The righty has increased his average fastball velocity for five straight seasons, and he now routinely hits triple digits with his heater. Through his first four starts of 2021, deGrom had recorded 37 pitches of 100 MPH or greater, 28 more than the next closest starting pitcher in that span (Shohei Ohtani).
The most mind-blowing aspect of deGrom’s game is how, even at the relatively late age of 32, he reaches new levels of excellence. He’s already won two Cy Youngs and posted one of the lowest single-season ERAs in modern history (1.70 in 2018), and yet his very best may be yet to come. In the first month of 2021 alone, he’s set the record for most strikeouts through a pitcher’s first four starts and become just the third pitcher ever with 14 or more strikeouts in three consecutive outings. To watch him pitch is to watch Sir Laurence Olivier perform the Bard: one cannot help but be mesmerized by the artist’s mastery and understanding of the craft.
If deGrom were to throw a no-hitter or come close to 400 strikeouts on the season, it would almost certainly boost his MVP credentials. But he can further cement himself as the league’s most valuable player (not just most valuable pitcher) by excelling on both sides of the ball. Though likely unsustainable, the former college shortstop’s .545 batting average through four starts is a reminder of how he can completely take over a game. He now has eight career starts with at least 10 strikeouts and an RBI, tied for the fifth-most since the DH was introduced in 1973.
When deGrom pitches, he’s the most captivating and dynamic player on the field. So why not recognize him as the most impactful player in the league?
Searle’s Final Say
An MVP win for Jacob deGrom would leave no doubt about his future Hall of Fame chances. Were he to receive the honor, he would join Justin Verlander and Don Newcombe as the only players to be named Rookie of the Year, Cy Young, and MVP. No Met has ever been named MVP, but it would be apropos for the franchise of Seaver and Gooden to have a pitcher win the award. Seaver nearly earned the distinction in 1969 when he finished second to Willie McCovey. This year, deGrom can do him one better by receiving baseball’s most prestigious annual honor.
