MLB Network rounded out their list of the Top 100 Players Right Now on Thursday night, announcing their Top 10.
And in news that should come as no surprise to Mets fans, ace Jacob deGrom was ranked as the best pitcher in baseball, coming in at No. 3 overall, trailing only Mike Trout and Mookie Betts.
DeGrom was the only pitcher ranked among the Top 10, with Yankees starter Gerrit Cole falling just outside that grouping, coming in at No. 11. He’s also the seventh Met on the Top 100 list, joining Brandon Nimmo (No. 97), Dominic Smith (No. 67), Pete Alonso (No. 66), Jeff McNeil (No. 35), Michael Conforto (No. 34), and Francisco Lindor (No. 15).
At this point, there aren’t many superlatives or awards that deGrom hasn’t taken home. Earlier this offseason, he was named First Team All-MLB for the second straight year, while finishing as a finalist for the NL Cy Young after winning the award in each of the previous two seasons.
The right-hander dominated again in 2020, pitching to a 2.38 ERA with a 0.956 WHIP and 2.26 FIP this past season, setting a new career-high with 13.8 strikeouts per nine innings. The 32-year-old also increased the velocity of his already impressive fastball, touching 100 mph with ease over the course of his 12 starts.
Over the past three seasons, there’s really no argument that can be made against deGrom being the best pitcher on the planet. In 76 starts, he’s posted a 2.10 ERA with a 0.943 WHIP, 11.6 strikeouts per nine innings, and a 2.31 FIP.
With Mets pitchers and catchers arriving in Port St. Lucie this week, deGrom is putting in the work to continue his historically great run on the mound, and if it isn’t already the case, etch his name among the best pitchers in the history of the game.