DeGrom Shatters Strikeout Records
Rangers Star Becomes Fastest to 1,800 K’s
Texas Rangers pitcher Jacob deGrom etched his name in baseball history Sunday, achieving a remarkable milestone in career strikeouts.
Unprecedented Pace
The veteran right-hander reached 1,800 career strikeouts faster than any other pitcher in Major League Baseball history. He accomplished this feat in his 240th game and 1,493 1/3 innings pitched.
DeGrom secured this record in the second inning of Sunday’s game against the Seattle Mariners. A swinging strikeout of J.P. Crawford marked his fourth strikeout of the contest and the historic 1,800th of his career.
Comparing Eras
This incredible pace surpasses previous record holders. Hall of Famer Randy Johnson required 243 games to reach the same strikeout total. Chris Sale of the Atlanta Braves previously held the innings pitched record for 1,800 strikeouts, needing 1,498 frames.
The 37-year-old deGrom, prior to Sunday’s outing, boasted a 10-3 record with a 2.55 earned run average. He pitched five innings in the game, recording five strikeouts and issuing three walks. He surrendered four hits, including three home runs, leading to five earned runs.
This marked the first time deGrom allowed three home runs in a single game since September 30, 2022, when he was with the New York Mets.
Career Highlights and Future
A five-time All-Star and two-time Cy Young Award recipient, deGrom signed a significant five-year, $185 million contract with the Rangers before the 2023 season. His initial two seasons with the team were hampered by injuries, limiting him to just nine starts.
As of the 2024 season, deGrom‘s career strikeout rate is approximately 11.2 strikeouts per nine innings, a rate that places him among the top all-time leaders in the sport. This statistic highlights his consistent dominance on the mound. (Source: Baseball-Reference, 2024)