Jacob Degrom

Jacob Anthony deGrom was born on June 19, 1988, in DeLand, Florida. He began his baseball career as a shortstop at Stetson University and transitioned to pitching during his junior year. In the 2010 MLB draft, deGrom was selected by the New York Mets in the ninth round. His early professional career was marked by a setback, as he underwent Tommy John surgery in October 2010 to repair a partial tear in his ulnar collateral ligament, leading to him missing the entire 2011 season. After his recovery, he progressed through the minor league ranks, playing for teams such as the Savannah Sand Gnats, St. Lucie Mets, Binghamton Mets, and Las Vegas 51s.

DeGrom made his Major League Baseball debut with the New York Mets on May 15, 2014. That year, he quickly established himself, earning National League Rookie of the Month honors twice and ultimately receiving the NL Rookie of the Year award. His standout performance continued in subsequent seasons, leading to multiple MLB All-Star selections in 2015, 2018, 2019, and 2021. The 2018 and 2019 seasons were particularly notable, as he won the Cy Young Award both years, also leading the NL in ERA in 2018 and strikeouts in 2019 and 2020. In 2019, he signed a five-year, $137.5 million contract extension with the Mets.

In 2022, deGrom opted out of his contract with the Mets and subsequently signed a five-year, $185 million deal with the Texas Rangers on December 2, 2022. His tenure with the Rangers has been impacted by injuries, including another Tommy John surgery in June 2023, which sidelined him for the remainder of that season. He made his return to the mound in September 2024 and was named an All-Star again in 2025. As of the 2025 season, deGrom holds the lowest career WHIP and earned run average among starting pitchers in the live-ball era with a minimum of 1000 innings pitched, accumulating 1,851 strikeouts in his career.