The Hall of Fame case for former New York Mets starter Jacob deGrom

Former New York Mets starter Jacob deGrom has had a tumultuous career. Are the highs good enough to land the pitcher in the Hall of Fame?

Oct 8, 2022; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Jacob deGrom (48) reacts in the second inning during game two of the Wild Card series against the San Diego Padres for the 2022 MLB Playoffs at Citi Field. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Jacob deGrom is one of the best pitchers to set foot on the mound for the New York Mets. Now entering his 12th MLB season at age 36, the Hall of Fame questions have begun.

The Mets drafted deGrom in the ninth round of the 2010 MLB draft out of Stetson University. Notably a shortstop in college, it would not be his bat or nifty glovework that gained the pitcher notoriety, but rather his drive and tenacity on the mound.

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deGrom is a four-time All-Star, two-time Cy Young winner, and was named National League Rookie of the Year for his debut effort in 2014. He has led his league in bWAR once (7.2; 2019), strikeouts twice (255 and 104; 2019 and 2020 respectively), and K/9 once (13.8; 2020) while leading all of MLB in ERA (1.70), ERA+ (218), FIP (1.98), and HR/9 (0.4) each once and all coming in 2018. He also holds the all-time Major League record for K/BB at 5.41.

But is it enough to land the veteran in Cooperstown when his career comes to an end?

Jacob deGrom's legendary 2015 All-Star Game in 15 seconds pic.twitter.com/WJQOPIapZc

— Mets'd Up Podcast (@MetsdUp) February 16, 2025

Injuries have played a huge role in deGrom's career. They started early but seemed to be behind him after qualifying for the ERA title in four consecutive years, the last coming in the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign. Since that season, the 36-year-old has made only 35 starts across four seasons, with 15 of those coming in 2021.

Even while fighting injuries, deGrom has been one of the best pitchers in MLB while on the field. His 35 starts since 2021 have seen him post a 2.01 ERA across 197.1 innings, with 307 strikeouts and a 200 ERA+.

Jacob deGrom Last 35 GS:

197.1 IP
307 SO
2.01 ERA
0.68 WHIP (!)
1.63 FIP
1.1 BB/9
14.0 K/9
7.3 bWAR

Unfortunately, that’s over a 4 year span.

Such a fascinating career to this point.

Is he a HOFer? Don’t think so.

Have we ever seen such a dominant peak? Don’t think so.

— VOT6 (@JaysViews) March 4, 2025

Baseball Reference keeps track of every player's stats throughout their career, comparing them to players already in the Hall of Fame. It works as a tracker to help determine if a player can gain the votes necessary when they make it onto the ballot. It tallies how many times a player has led their league in stats, MLB as a whole, and different aspects of WAR including their career total, seven-year peak, and WAR/162.

For deGrom, the tracker is not too promising. The veteran falls far behind the "average Hall of Famer" in every category tracked except for WAR/162. It is mostly a testament to just how dominant he has been when he has been on the field, as well as how much time he has spent off the field due to injury.

At this point, it is highly unlikely that deGrom will make it into that illustrious group. However, that could change if he can string together a few more years of dominance without injury. There are three years left on his current deal with the Texas Rangers, plus a club option for a fourth. It will take another stretch like his 2017-2020 to get deGrom over that hump, and into Cooperstown.

With his extensive track record of injury and his ever-increasing age, it seems highly unlikely. Ten years from now, we may all be looking back at the career of Jacob deGrom and asking what could have been had he just stayed healthy.