Mets ace Jacob deGrom followed up his historic 2018 with a brilliant 2019, and the result is another Cy Young award.
DeGrom received 29 of the 30 first-place votes to dominate his fellow finalists in Max Scherzer and Hyun-Jin Ryu (received one first-place vote) for the award, which was announced Wednesday night, making deGrom the first Mets pitcher ever to win the award in back-to-back seasons.
DeGrom joins Tom Seaver (1969, 1973, 1975) as the only Met to win the Cy Young more than once. Other Mets to win the award are R.A. Dickey (2012), and Dwight Gooden (1985).
"Receiving this award again is an honor and I am so thankful for the Baseball Writers' Association for their support," deGrom said in an official press release. "My goal is to put up zeroes every time I pitch. I'll take that mindset into next season and try my best to help the Mets win as many games as I can."
Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen, who inked deGrom to a five-year, $137.5 million extension before the start of last season, said the ace is "a critical part of our short and long-term future and we are thrilled that he will continue to be the anchor of our staff for years to come." Mets COO Jeff Wilpon added on to that statement as well.
"Jacob's brilliance has been truly amazing and so much fun for our fans to watch," said Wilpon. "They have a chance to witness something special every time he takes the mound. I know our fans, his teammates and the entire organization are proud that he is part of a great list of elite Mets pitchers."
After an uneven start to the 2019 season, deGrom recaptured his dominance beginning on May 1, allowing two earned runs or fewer in 23 of his final 27 starts, including a string of three straight scoreless starts over 21 IP to round out his season.
Overall, deGrom had a 2.43 ERA (2.67 FIP) and 0.97 WHIP with 255 strikeouts (11.25 per 9) in 204.0 IP (32 starts) in 2019. He allowed just 154 hits and walked 44.
While winning the Cy Young in 2018, deGrom had a 1.70 ERA (1.99 FIP) and 0.91 WHIP with 269 strikeouts (11.16 per 9) in 217.0 IP (32 starts).
A deeper dive shows the breadth of deGrom's dominance in 2019 when compared to his peers. Some of his National League ranks this past season:
7.3 bWAR: 1st
2.43 ERA: 2nd
0.97 WHIP: Tied for 1st
255 Strikeouts: 1st
.580 Opponent OPS: 1st
2.67 FIP: 2nd
7.0 fWAR: 1st
Over his last three seasons, deGrom has struck out 763 batters in 622.1 IP (95 starts), bringing his career strikeout total to 1,255 in six seasons.
Since making his big league debut in 2014, deGrom has posted a 2.62 ERA and 1.05 WHIP. Aside from his two Cy Young awards, he captured the Rookie of the Year award in 2014, and is a three-time All-Star (2015, 2018, 2019).