NY Mets: Handing out some 2021 midseason player awards

Cy Young/Best Pitcher/MVP – SP Jacob deGrom

Oh, where does one even begin when describing the year Jacob deGrom has had. To begin, let’s compare to his first Cy Young season in 2018.

That year, deGrom posted a 1.70 earned run average with a 218 ERA+, 1.98 FIP, and 11.2 strikeouts per nine innings. It goes without saying that deGrom’s first Cy Young season was one of the most dominant in recent memory.

Well, it may not even come close to his 2021 numbers when it is all said and done. Entering the All-Star break, deGrom has a 1.08 earned run average, 359 ERA+, 1.24 FIP, and a jaw-dropping 14.3 strikeouts per nine innings. Plus, the Mets have finally begun scoring runs in his starts, as he has a 7-2 record in 15 starts.

There is no question that deGrom, in a year where the National League’s elite pitching has been on full display, that he is the best pitcher not only in the NL but in all of baseball.

And must one bring up what he has done with his bat too? deGrom is hitting for a .364 average with six runs batted in on 12 hits. His OPS of .758 is higher than virtually everyone in the lineup except for Brandon Nimmo and Alonso.

Now, deGrom is easily the best pitcher in baseball and is hitting better than most of their batters. So, does he really have a shot at the National League MVP award?

Time will tell. The National League’s best teams have been on another level this year, as players like Fernando Tatis Jr. or Nick Castellanos are potential MVP candidates.

At the same time, what Mets fans get to see every fifth day from Jacob deGrom is downright historic. The fact of the matter is deGrom may end up being the first pitcher since Clayton Kershaw in 2014 to win an MVP award.

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When the regular season comes to an end, there is a legitimate chance deGrom may walk away with all these awards in real life.