Jacob deGrom strengthens Cy Young case with feat not seen in 108 years
Jacob deGrom’s already loaded Cy Young resume got a little stronger Friday night.
The New York Mets ace overwhelmed the Washington Nationals, allowing one run on three hits over seven innings in a 4-2 victory. In doing so, deGrom continued a streak of sustained brilliance not equaled in 108 years.
The 30-year-old has now put together a string of 23 consecutive quality starts. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, that broke a modern-day record shared by Bob Gibson (1968) and Chris Carpenter (2005), and is now the longest streak of quality recorded starts since inaugural Hall of Famer Walter Johnson all the way back in 1910.
No other pitcher. Not the previously mentioned Gibson. Not Sandy Koufax. Not Pedro Martinez. Not Roger Clemens. No one has put together a string of quality starts that long since Johnson reached 31 in a row.
What is a quality start?
A quality start is credited to a starter who pitches at least six innings and allows no more than three earned runs in an outing. The qualification is strict and does not bend for inherited runners being allowed to score by another pitcher.
If the starting pitcher allows a fourth earned run in the seventh inning, it doesn’t count as a quality start. If the starting pitcher is pulled at 5 2/3 innings with zero runs allowed, it doesn’t count as a quality start. It’s very specific, and while not all agree on the perimeters (three earned runs in six innings is a not-so-impressive 4.50 ERA), it does at least measure consistency in a way few other stats can.
How does this streak highlight deGrom’s dominance?
Consider this. While deGrom’s brilliance has been among the very best stories this season in MLB, an equally big story has been the Mets failure to support deGrom offensively. That has led to a ridiculously low win total for a pitcher with his numbers.
The victory on Friday evened deGrom’s season record at 9-9, while lowering his MLB-best ERA to 1.77. This is precisely why a lot of people are quick to dismiss pitcher wins as a stat that matters. Based on deGrom’s season, it’s impossible to argue against that point.
However, many of the same people aren’t so keen on the quality start stat either. That’s because the requirements for a quality start are seen as not very impressive to some, and perhaps not always telling of a pitcher’s performance based on countless other factors involved.
Rest assured though, deGrom’s streak is as pure as it gets. Throughout the run, he’s only brushed up against the six-inning, three-run threshold one time. In fact, he’s only allowed three runs four times during the entire streak. In 18 starts this season, deGrom has allowed zero or one earned run.
Prior to the streak beginning, deGrom had two straight outings cut short for precautionary reasons. Otherwise, in his 29 normal starts this season, he’s missed being 29-for-29 in quality starts by a single out in one and a single run in another. He’s consistently shut down opponents and given his team a chance to win basically every time he’s pitched.
There’s a reason Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan felt so strongly about arguing deGrom’s case for the NL Cy Young award. If you weren’t on board before, this record streak should at least get your attention.
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