SEATTLE (AP) — On Sunday, Texas Rangers right-hander Jacob deGrom became the quickest pitcher in Major League Baseball history to reach 1,800 career strikeouts, both in terms of games played and innings pitched.
During the second inning against the Seattle Mariners, deGrom struck out shortstop J.P. Crawford with a blazing 98.7 mph four-seam fastball, marking his fourth strikeout of the game. This milestone was achieved in just 240 games and 1,493⅓ innings pitched, surpassing legendary pitchers like Randy Johnson, who reached 1,800 strikeouts in 243 games, and Chris Sale, who needed 1,498 innings to hit the same mark.
The 37-year-old hurler entered the game with a strong season record of 10-3 and an ERA of 2.55. On this day, he pitched five innings, tallying five strikeouts and three walks. However, deGrom also gave up four hits, including three home runs, and allowed five earned runs. This was the first time since September 30, 2022, when he was with the New York Mets, that he surrendered three homers in a single game.
A five-time All-Star and two-time Cy Young Award winner, deGrom signed a lucrative five-year, $185 million contract with the Rangers before the 2023 season. His early time with Texas was limited due to injuries, restricting him to just nine starts over his first two years.
