New York Mets right-hander Jacob deGrom won his first Cy Young Award on Wednesday, capturing the National League edition after leading the majors in ERA.
A ninth-round pick of the Mets in 2010 and a former Rookie of the Year, deGrom’s majors-leading 1.70 ERA was two-thirds of a run lower than the next closest NL hurler, Philadelphia‘s Aaron Nola (2.37), and the second best by any starter this century.
The 30-year old righty finished second in the National League in innings (217), strikeouts (269) and WHIP (0.91), and allowed just 10 home runs, four fewer than any other starter. He string of 29 consecutive starts allowing three earned runs or less, a streak that began in mid-April and is still active, is the longest in MLB history.
Despite his effectiveness on the mound, deGrom was frequently victimized by a lack of offensive production from his teammates. Pitching for a Mets club that finished eight games under .500 and ranked 12th in the NL in scoring, he received the worst run support in baseball (3.5 runs per game). As a result, he completed the 2018 season with a 10-9 record. His 10 victories are the fewest ever by a Cy Young winner in a non-strike-shortened season, eclipsing the previous mark held by Felix Hernandez, who went 13-12 during his 2010 campaign.
Prior to this season, deGrom’s previous career-low ERA was 2.54 in 2015. That year, he was named an All-Star for the first time and finished seventh in the Cy Young balloting. He had another top-10 finish in 2017 (8th). This past season, he made his second All-Star appearance, coming on in relief of Nationals ace and fellow Cy Young contender Max Scherzer, who started the Midsummer Classic in front of his hometown fans in Washington, D.C.
The subject of persistent trade rumors during the second half of the season, deGrom is under contract with the Mets for two more years.