Jacob Anthony deGrom (born June 19, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the New York Mets.
DeGrom began playing baseball as a shortstop and was converted into a pitcher during his junior year at Stetson University. The Mets selected him in the ninth round of the 2010 MLB draft and he made his major league debut with them on May 15, 2014. That same year, deGrom was named the National League's (NL) Rookie of the Month twice, and the NL Rookie of the Year. In 2015, 2018, 2019, and 2021 deGrom was selected as an MLB All-Star. In 2018, deGrom was the NL leader in earned run average and won the Cy Young Award. In 2019, he led the NL in strikeouts and won the Cy Young Award for the second year in a row. In 2020, he again led the National League in strikeouts. DeGrom signed with the Rangers on a five-year deal in 2023 and was named an All-Star again in 2025.
As of the 2025 season, deGrom has the lowest career WHIP and the second lowest earned run average of any starting pitcher in the live-ball era (min. 1000 IP).
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Early life
Jacob Anthony deGrom was born on June 19, 1988, in DeLand, Florida, United States. DeGrom attended Calvary Christian Academy, a small school in Ormond Beach, Florida, where he played for the school's baseball and basketball teams. As a basketball player, he was voted the District 9 Class 1A player of the year by the Florida Athletic Coaches Association and selected to the all-state third team for Class 1A.
As a senior baseball player the Florida Sports Writers Association named deGrom to the All-Florida second team. He also played American Legion Baseball, where he was noticed by the coaches for the Stetson Hatters, the college baseball team of Stetson University.
College career
After not being selected in the Major League Baseball draft out of high school, deGrom enrolled at Stetson and played for the Hatters. He was exclusively a shortstop during his freshman and sophomore seasons. Though he was considered a good fielder with a strong throwing arm, deGrom was a light hitter with a career .263 batting average. He made his first appearance as a pitcher in May 2009. In the summer of 2009, between his sophomore and junior years, deGrom pitched collegiate summer baseball for the DeLand Suns of the Florida Collegiate Summer League. He initially made 5 pitching appearances, allowing 0 earned runs and struck out 6 batters across 6.1 innings. However, his time with the Suns was interrupted due to a dispute as to what position he would play. "Well, then I’m not gonna play then if I don’t play shortstop," stated deGrom to the Suns' manager, Davey Johnson.
When deGrom returned to Stetson that fall, the team used him as a relief pitcher, filling the role of their closer, in addition to playing shortstop. He quickly became one of Stetson's best pitchers, so the team moved deGrom into their starting rotation midway through the season. In addition to a fastball, deGrom learned to throw a changeup and a slider. Major league scouts began to take notice of deGrom when he pitched against Chris Sale of Florida Gulf Coast University. In the game, deGrom hit his only home run of the season against Sale. He made 12 starts for the Hatters, pitching to a 4–5 win–loss record with a 4.48 earned run average (ERA).
Professional career
Draft and minor leagues
The New York Mets selected deGrom in the ninth round as a pitcher, with the 272nd overall selection, of the 2010 Major League Baseball draft. He signed with the Mets, receiving a $95,000 signing bonus. The Mets assigned deGrom to the Kingsport Mets of the rookie-level Appalachian League where he made six starts before he was diagnosed with a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his pitching elbow. He attempted to rehabilitate his arm for four months but underwent Tommy John surgery to repair the UCL in October. He did not pitch in 2011 while he recovered from the surgery. While rehabilitating, deGrom worked on his changeup with Johan Santana.
DeGrom pitched for the Savannah Sand Gnats of the Class A South Atlantic League and the St. Lucie Mets of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League in 2012, finishing the year with a 2.43 ERA in 19 games started. In 2013, he began the season with St. Lucie, but was promoted to the Binghamton Mets of the Class AA Eastern League after two starts due to injuries to Binghamton's Luis Mateo and Cory Mazzoni. He received a promotion to the Las Vegas 51s of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League in June after the Mets promoted Zack Wheeler and Carlos Torres to the major leagues and traded Collin McHugh. He had a combined 4.51 ERA for the season, due to a broken finger suffered during the offseason, which altered the way he threw the ball.
The Mets added deGrom to their 40-man roster on November 20, 2013, to protect him from being eligible in the Rule 5 draft. During the offseason, deGrom improved his mechanics, and learned to throw a curveball. He began the 2014 season with Las Vegas and had a 4–0 win–loss record and a 2.58 ERA in his first seven games started.
New York Mets (2014–2022)
The Mets promoted deGrom to the major leagues on May 12, 2014, after Gonzalez Germen was placed on the disabled list. The Mets planned to use deGrom in relief, but an injury to Dillon Gee required the Mets to insert him into their starting rotation. DeGrom made his major league debut on May 15 against their cross-town rival New York Yankees at Citi Field. He faced fellow rookie Chase Whitley, also making his major league debut. He pitched seven innings, allowing only one run and striking out six, but the Yankees shut out the Mets and won 1–0. DeGrom also collected his first major league hit in the game in his first career at-bat. It was the first hit by a Mets pitcher in the 2014 season ending an 0-for-64 hitless streak, the worst collective mark by a pitching staff to begin a season in major league history.
DeGrom compiled four quality starts in his first four major league starts, but did not record a win in any of them. On July 8, deGrom pitched seven scoreless innings and recorded 11 strikeouts in giving the Mets their 4,000th franchise victory. Along with Steve Cishek of the Miami Marlins, deGrom was named the National League's (NL) Co-Player of the Week for July 21 to 27 after allowing only one earned run in two starts that week. He was also named the NL Rookie of the Month for July. On August 11, deGrom was placed on the disabled list with rotator cuff tendinitis. Rafael Montero was called up on August 12 in deGrom's place. On August 23, Montero was re-sent back to the 51s to make room for deGrom coming off the disabled list.
On September 15, deGrom faced the Marlins and struck out his first eight batters, tying the major league record. Near the end of the season, deGrom was shut down for the year, ending his season with a 9–6 record, a 2.69 ERA, and 144 strikeouts. DeGrom collected a second Rookie of the Month award for his September performance, and, after the regular season ended, he was named the 2014 Sporting News Rookie of the Year by the Baseball Writers' Association of America, receiving first place votes on 26 of the 30 ballots. He was the first Met to receive the honor since Dwight Gooden in 1984.
DeGrom and Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers were selected as NL Co-Players of the Week for the week ending June 7, 2015. He began the 2015 season with an 8–6 win–loss record and a 2.30 ERA through the end of June, and was named to the NL roster in the 2015 MLB All-Star Game. During the All-Star Game, deGrom struck out the three batters he faced on ten pitches, becoming the first person to do so since pitch counts were recorded. DeGrom pitched to a 14–8 record with a 2.54 ERA and a 0.99 walks plus hits per inning pitched ratio during the 2015 season.
Texas Rangers (2023–present)
On December 2, 2022, deGrom signed a five-year, $185 million contract with the Texas Rangers.
On June 6, 2023, the Rangers announced that deGrom would require Tommy John surgery after suffering a torn UCL in his right elbow. With deGrom sidelined for the remainder of the season, the Rangers went on to win the 2023 World Series. In March and April of 2023 deGrom made six starts for Texas, posting a 2.67 ERA with 45 strikeouts in 30+1⁄3 innings pitched.
DeGrom returned from Tommy John surgery and made his first major league start in 504 days on September 13, 2024, against the Seattle Mariners. He went 3+2⁄3 innings, struck out four, gave up four hits, and allowed zero runs on 61 pitches. Across three starts in 2024, deGrom recorded a 1.69 ERA with 14 strikeouts across 10+1⁄3 innings.
On May 4, 2025, against the Seattle Mariners, deGrom pitched his 1,700th career strikeout, making him the fastest pitcher to do it since at least 1901, doing so in 225 games. On July 6, deGrom was named to the 2025 All-Star Game roster, his fifth career selection, and first since 2021. At the time, deGrom's 2.13 ERA and 0.89 WHIP ranked third and fourth in the major leagues.
On August 3, against the Mariners, deGrom logged his 1,800th career strikeout. deGrom became the fastest MLB pitcher in history to reach this milestone in 240 games and 1,493.1 innings. On September 24, deGrom pitched five innings of one run ball, striking out eight batters in a 4–2 victory over the Minnesota Twins in his final start of 2025. With the performance, deGrom became the eighth pitcher in Rangers history to have 30+ starts and a sub-3.00 ERA in a season, which he had not accomplished since 2019.
Overall in 2025, deGrom posted a 12–8 record in 30 starts and recorded a 2.97 ERA with 185 strikeouts and 37 walks in 1722⁄3 innings. After the conclusion of the season, deGrom was named AL Comeback Player of the Year.
On June 1, 2026, deGrom earned the 100th win of his career after throwing five shutout innings with eight strikeouts in a 2–1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. At the trade deadline, it was reported that deGrom had invoked his no-trade clause, blocking a trade and remaining with the Rangers. It was later speculated that the trade was to the Atlanta Braves involving a package that included Spencer Strider.
Personal life
DeGrom is from DeLeon Springs, Florida. He was raised by his parents, Tony, an AT&T lineman, and Tammy, a customer service representative for a credit card rewards program. Tony deGrom built a batting cage in the backyard for his son to practice. Jacob deGrom credits his father for his quiet intensity and remembers demanding sessions playing catch in their yard. He says his father said to stay humble. He is one of three children of Tony and Tammy; his sisters are named Sarah and Jessica. He grew up an Atlanta Braves fan.
Shortly after graduating from high school deGrom met his wife, Stacey. They were married in November 2014 and live in DeLand, Florida. They had a son in April 2016, a daughter in February 2018. They have a Morkie, which is a combination of a Maltese and a Yorkie.
At Stetson, deGrom began to grow out his hair. His starts with the Mets led to the trending hashtag on Twitter of "#hairwego". DeGrom's hair inspired a promotional "Jacob deGrom Hair Hat" giveaway at Citi Field during the 2016 season. After learning that an unnamed major league hitter said that deGrom's hair made it harder to pick up the ball out of his hand, deGrom said in 2016 that he would never cut his hair. However, he cut his hair during the 2017–18 offseason, saying that it could add speed to his fastball and also that he was tired of having long hair.