Former Mets ace Jacob deGrom has been one of the best pitchers in MLB for the last decade. Since the 2015 season, deGrom ranks second in fWAR among all pitchers. Only Max Scherzer, a consensus Hall of Famer, ranks higher.
The question of course shifts to whether deGrom has his own Hall of Fame case. In the wake of the right-hander recording his 100th career win on June 1, MLB insider Jon Morosi went on MLB Central to discuss this possibility.
“He gets his 100th career victory as a starting pitcher,” said Morosi. “Obviously the metrics of what a starting pitcher looks like who’s on his way to the Hall of Fame has changed over time.”
Morosi notes how wins for a starting pitcher have become less relevant over the years for evaluating pitchers, going from 300 to 250, then 200.
He compared deGrom’s case to Felix Hernandez, who got to 46% on his second ballot in the latest Hall of Fame voting. Depending on how the ballot unfolds the next three to five years, the former Mariners ace could be inducted.
“If Felix is getting there with south of 200 wins, as long as deGrom can get around 140 maybe, so 40 more wins, another 500-600 innings. He’s had his injuries, but in terms of pitching-making, the rate stats that he’s got, deGrom has has been as dominant, when’s been on the mound, of any starting pitcher of his generation.”
“It’s going to be a fascinating debate. If he gets 40-50 more wins and 500-600 more innings, I think [he] will find his way to Cooperstown.”
Jacob deGrom’s Curious Hall of Fame Case
For deGrom, he’s not going to reach traditional metrics of what was considered a Hall of Famer in past eras. The right-hander has 260 starts and 1604.1 innings in his career, and is already in his Age 38 season. So 200 wins and 2500 innings are likely off the table.
What makes deGrom a compelling Hall of Fame case is the dominance. His 2.61 ERA, 5.39 strikeout-to-walk ratio, 6.9 hits per nine innings, and 2.76 FIP lead all active pitchers. He also has quite the hardware for his career, with five All-Star selections, two Cy Young Awards, and a Rookie of the Year Award.
The question becomes how much of a body of work is considered enough to be Hall of Fame worthy. As Morosi notes, getting another 40 wins and 500 innings could be enough. But to get to those numbers, he’ll need to remain dominant for another three seasons. That could be a tough ask for someone rapidly approaching 40.
Getting over 2000 innings and 2500 strikeouts for his career should strengthen deGrom’s Hall of Fame case. That’s where the peak dominance and strong rate metrics could push him over the top. His Hall of Fame candidacy will reveal a lot about voting standards concerning the modern-day starting pitcher.
Jacob deGrom Should Be Inducted as a Met
The team deGrom goes into the Hall of Fame with with be a much less heated debate than his candidacy. Should he be inducted into the Hall of Fame, the obvious cap would be the Mets, even if he’s already thrown his last pitch for the organization.
That’s where he started his career and experienced the most success. The right-hander came up during the team’s World Series run in 2015 and both his Cy Young Awards came with them. He got a ring with the Texas Rangers in 2023, but was recovering from Tommy John surgery.
MLB Insider Makes Hall of Fame Prediction for Former Mets Ace Jacob deGrom