MLB Weekly Digest June 7th Edition: Mets Jacob deGrom Makes History

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The last week in MLB was about a starting pitcher in the National League who continues to excel, a shortstop does not plan to re-sign with his current team, and the league will be checking pitchers for foreign substances.

New York Mets Starting Pitcher Jacob deGrom Makes History with 0.62 ERA Through Nine Starts

New York Mets starting pitcher Jacob deGrom is having a superb 2021 season and continued that trend in his last outing facing the San Diego Padres.

The Mets ace tossed seven shutout innings on 85 pitches with 11 strikeouts and yielded just three hits.

deGrom lowered his ERA to a microscopic 0.62, which is a new record for the lowest ERA through a pitcher’s first nine starts of a season, per Sarah Langs of MLB.com.

Jacob deGrom has an 0.62 ERA through 9 starts this season.

That’s the lowest ERA by any pitcher through his 1st 9 starts of a season since ER became official in both leagues in 1913 (min 40 IP).

— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) June 6, 2021

He also has a 0.57 WHIP which is the lowest over the first nine starts of a season since 1901, says Langs.

Jacob deGrom has an 0.57 WHIP this season through 9 starts

That's the lowest WHIP by any pitcher through his 1st 9 starts of a season since at least 1901 (min 40 IP)

— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) June 6, 2021

deGrom is the second pitcher since 1901 to have at least 90 strikeouts while surrendering 25 hits or fewer in a nine-game span, according to Langs.

9-game span with 90+ strikeouts and 25 or fewer hits allowed, single-season since at least 1901:

2021 Jacob deGrom
2004 Johan Santana (2 overlapping spans)

— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) June 6, 2021

Johan Santana was the last pitcher to achieve this feat with the Minnesota Twins in 2004.

deGrom has allowed one earned run or fewer in each of his nine outings this season.

The Colorado Rockies are the only team to score more than one run against him, but the three runs they scored were unearned.

deGrom through nine starts compares very well to Bob Gibson in 1968 and Pedro Martinez in 2000, per Jeff Passan of ESPN.

Just for context, the rate stats:

Jacob deGrom, 2021: 6.44 IP/start, 3.88 H/9, 1.24 BB/9, 14.43 K/9, 0.47 HR/9

Bob Gibson, 1968: 8.96 IP/start, 6.02 H/9, 2.23 BB/9, 6.36 K/9, 0.22 HR/9

Pedro Martinez, 2000: 7.59 IP/start, 5.27 H/9, 1.84 BB/9, 12.51 K/9, 0.40 HR/9

All absurd.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) June 6, 2021

Gibson and Martinez tossed more innings through nine starts in each of those seasons, but deGrom has allowed fewer hits and walks.

In case you wonder, Gibson finished 1968 with a 1.12 ERA, and Martinez posted a 1.74 ERA in 2000.

deGrom is on pace to have one of the best seasons we have ever seen by a starting pitcher.

Shortstop Trevor Story Does Not Plan to Re-sign with Colorado Rockies

The 2021 season will be the last for shortstop Trevor Story with the Colorado Rockies.

Story is set to enter free agency once the season is over and does not plan on re-signing with the Rockies, sources told Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post.

It is not surprising that Story does not want to re-sign with the Rockies after being unhappy when the team traded third baseman Nolan Arenado this past offseason to the St. Louis Cardinals.

Story is off to a slow start for the 2021 season, as indicated by a .255 batting average and .746 OPS in 50 games with 12 doubles, two triples, five home runs, 23 RBIs, and eight stolen bases.

The shortstop will be a hot commodity once the trade deadline inches closer.

There will be several teams in contention who would love to add his dynamic bat to their lineup.

MLB Plans to Check Pitchers for Foreign Substances

Major League Baseball is finalizing a plan for umpires to randomly check pitchers for foreign substances, sources told Buster Olney of ESPN.

Just filed to ESPN:
Under the plan being swiftly advanced through MLB, umpires will be repeatedly and randomly check pitchers for foreign substances, in a push that could begin within two weeks. Estimates are there could be 8-10 checks per game — as pitchers depart games.

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) June 5, 2021

The league could send a memo as early as next week and strictly implement the rules starting June 14.

There will be about eight-to-10 random checks per game when pitchers leave the mound or at the end of an outing, says Olney, who mentions that starting pitchers will be checked at least twice.

The punishment for a pitcher who uses a foreign substance could be 10 days without pay, says Olney.

The league is trying to put everyone on a level playing field to check pitchers for foreign substances.

A primary concern is will these random checks disrupt the flow of games, and could it lead to MLB games lasting longer?

Another thing to think about is if pitchers will be allowed appeal if caught using a foreign substance?

About Post Author

Chris Lacey

Chris is a New Jersey native whose favorite sports team is the Arizona Diamondbacks. He previously attended Western New England College to study Sports Management. Chris has been following the Diamondbacks since he was 12. You can find him on Twitter at @aecanada12.

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