n=106 near this checkpoint
Why he matters right now
Jacob deGrom is top-10 in the majors in strikeout-minus-walk rate and strikeouts
He is 6th in strikeout-minus-walk rate at 23.2%, 10th in strikeouts at 201 — placements on MLB's own season boards, which rank every QUALIFIED pitcher in the sport rather than the few dozen this site tracks. Qualified is MLB's own bar, and it is the reason a part-season player with a big number is not on these boards at all.
This has been his headline for 35 straight days.
The case in 30 seconds
- 23.2% 6th in strikeout-minus-walk rate at 23.2%, 10th in strikeouts at 201 on MLB's season leaderboards MLB season leaderboard (the league's own top-10 board of qualified players, not this site's roster)
- 4.20 ERA over 163 innings, with 201 strikeouts, 31 starts and a 1.14 WHIP snapshot pitching board — the union of MLB's top-10 pitching boards, then MLB's 1.0 IP per team game rule applied; not the league's full qualified pool
The honest caveat
A top-ten finish is a position on a board, not a verdict on a player. The men just below him on it are not meaningfully worse, and one good week moves several places.
Every claim above, with its source (2)
- 6th in strikeout-minus-walk rate at 23.2%, 10th in strikeouts at 201 on MLB's season leaderboards MLB season leaderboard (the league's own top-10 board of qualified players, not this site's roster)
- ERA over 163 innings, with 201 strikeouts, 31 starts and a 1.14 WHIP snapshot pitching board — the union of MLB's top-10 pitching boards, then MLB's 1.0 IP per team game rule applied; not the league's full qualified pool
The evidence
Situational splits
| Split | IP | ERA | SO | WHIP | AVG against |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| vs RHP | 62.2 | — | 77 | 1.28 | .255 |
| vs LHP | 99.2 | — | 124 | 1.05 | .207 |
| Home | 89.2 | 2.71 | 113 | 0.90 | .189 |
| Away | 73.0 | 6.04 | 88 | 1.42 | .267 |
| Day | 46.1 | 1.75 | 56 | 0.95 | .198 |
| Night | 116.1 | 5.18 | 145 | 1.21 | .237 |
2026 season, MLB Stats API. A split with no plate appearances is omitted rather than shown as zeroes.
31G
31GS
162.2IP
11-11W-L
4.20ERA
1.14WHIP
201K
11.12K/9
0SV
Strikeout chase
| Chase | Current | Pace | Needed from here | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 200 K | 201 | 201 | done | ACHIEVED |
| 250 K | 201 | 201 | 49 K · — per team game | IMPOSSIBLE |
| 300 K | 201 | 201 | 99 K · — per team game | IMPOSSIBLE |
| 350 K | 201 | 201 | 149 K · — per team game | IMPOSSIBLE |
| 383 K | 201 | 201 | 182 K · — per team game | IMPOSSIBLE |
ERA & WHIP finish lines
| Finish | Current | Required rest-of-season | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sub-2.00 ERA | 4.21 | — | IMPOSSIBLE |
| Sub-1.75 ERA | 4.21 | — | IMPOSSIBLE |
| Sub-1.50 ERA | 4.21 | — | IMPOSSIBLE |
| Sub-1.00 WHIP | 1.14 | — | IMPOSSIBLE |
| Sub-0.90 WHIP | 1.14 | — | IMPOSSIBLE |
Recent game log
Derived nightly from the snapshot ledger — each row is the difference between consecutive days; multi-day rows are labeled.
| Date | Opp | Result | IP | K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-20 | Toronto Blue Jays | L 2-7 | 4.1 | 2 |
| 2026-08-01 | Houston Astros | L 4-5 | 3.1 | 3 |
| 2026-07-26 | Seattle Mariners | L 4-6 | 5.0 | 4 |
| 2026-07-20 | Chicago White Sox | L 3-10 | 4.2 | 6 |
| 2026-07-07 | Los Angeles Angels | W 8-3 | 5.0 | 7 |
Recent highlights
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Jacob deGrom strikes out eight in dominant start2026-09-15 · Jacob deGrom struck out 8 over 5.0 IP
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Jacob deGrom strikes out 12 against Mariners 2026-09-10 · Jacob deGrom allowed one hit over 6.0 scoreless innings (12 K)
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Jacob deGrom goes seven scoreless in win over A's2026-08-31 · Jacob deGrom allowed one hit over 7.0 scoreless innings (8 K)
Lahman + Retrosheet context
How this season fits history
Chase history
Stuff watch
Four-seamer velocity, start by start
Every start's average against his own trailing baseline of 97.5 ± 0.63 mph. Ringed dots sit more than one standard deviation under the baseline; last start 97.45 mph (2026-09-25).
No active signals — inside one standard deviation of his own baseline. A trend report, not a diagnosis.