There are a few pitchers who are as good as Jacob deGrom. When he is on the mound, he is able to dominate to a level only seen by some of the greatest to ever take the mound. Even with him being 37, every time he takes the ball, it is must-watch television. But on Monday, June 1st, we saw deGrom hit another career milestone. He was able to pitch five shutout innings against the St. Louis Cardinals to notch his 100th career victory. The latest in a long list of accolades for deGrom.
This is a great accomplishment for deGrom. It’s another honor in what has been a very successful career thus far. But the main question fans should have is, what does this do to his Hall of Fame candidacy? Despite being one of the most dominant pitchers of the 2010s and 2020s, he is not a slam-dunk Hall of Famer. There is going to be a lot of debate about whether or not he should be in the hall. But does this new milestone tip the scales in his favor?
Does Jacob deGrom have the Resume to make the Hall of Fame?
Without question, deGrom has the stats and the awards to be enshrined in Cooperstown. Over his 13 seasons in MLB, he has a 2.61 ERA over 1,604 1/3 innings, with 1,929 strikeouts to 358 walks, a 0.987 WHIP, and an ERA+ of 149. He is also a five-time All-Star and won the Rookie of the Year back in 2014. However, the crowning accomplishment on his resume was his back-to-back Cy Young Awards in 2018 and 2019. These were not just good seasons, but were compared to some of the best pitching seasons in baseball history.
Just based on these numbers and awards, deGrom should be a no-doubt first ballot Hall of Famer, but there are a few factors working against him. For starters, his win-loss record. While pitching records are no longer the important stat they once were, they still hold some weight with Hall of Fame voters. deGrom currently has a career record of 100-69. If his career ended today and he was voted in, he would have the lowest win total among all Hall of Fame starting pitchers. The closest player is Williams “Candy” Cummings with 145.
There is also the question of longevity. Currently, deGrom has two dominant seasons in which he pitched over 200 innings. There are several seasons when he posted elite numbers, but injuries or the pandemic limited him to under 100 innings, so they are not considered dominant. The five seasons when he was healthy and pitched over 100 innings saw him post good numbers. Nothing close to what he did in 2018-2019, but solid for an MLB starter. One of the biggest things voters look at is how long your dominance lasts. Something that’s hard to pinpoint with deGrom.
The best way that deGrom can solidify his chances at the Hall of Fame is to stay healthy for the remainder of his contract. He currently has one year left after this one with a club option for 2028. This means he could have two and a half more years in the show. If he is able to stay healthy and start 25-30 games, that will add to his win total and to his longevity as a good starter. It will take away from the two biggest concerns voters will have about him. It may not be enough to get him on his first attempt, but he should get in on his second or third.
Regardless of how deGrom finishes his career, the 100th win milestone is something that should be celebrated. It is another accomplishment in a successful career.
