Tracking Jacob deGrom’s 2021 season: Start #3

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports Through his first three starts of 2021, Jacob deGrom has somehow looked even better than he ever did before, a remarkable feat considering that he had already established himself as the best pitcher in baseball. deGrom’s numbers to start this year are downright silly: 20.0 innings, 35 strikeouts, 3 walks, 0.45 ERA, 1.41 FIP, 15.75 K/9, 48.6 K%, and an 872 ERA+. During his start on Saturday, deGrom struck out nine batters in a row, coming up one shy of Tom Seaver’s record of ten in a row. And in terms of ERA, it helps that all three runs that deGrom allowed in that start were unearned thanks to a Jeff McNeil error.

For the vast majority of pitchers out there, it…