DeGrom Deserves “De” Cy Young

The competition for the 2018 National League Cy Young Award is perhaps the fiercest it has ever been. When you look at the MLB standings, you will notice that the National League East has a significantly smaller number of wins than any other division in the National League. However, despite the lack of gaudy win totals, the division also boasts the three frontrunners for this 2018 Cy Young conversation.

Aaron Nola, who boasted a brilliant 17-6 record for the Philadelphia Phillies, did all he could in the Phillies’ unsuccessful push to the playoffs. The same goes for two-time Cy Young award winner Max Scherzer, who lead the league with 300 strikeouts and has a phenomenal 18-7 record of his own. However, the pitcher that everyone is talking about is Jacob deGrom, the Met infamously known for his mediocre 10-9 record yet league-leading 1.70 ERA.

But out of all of these pitchers, none have struggled and persevered more than Jacob deGrom, making him a clear pick for the Cy Young award.

I have been a Mets fan every since I was a little kid, and it hasn’t been easy to stay loyal to the team. Every day, you complain about how Mets don't offer any trades, their horrible relievers that blow every game, and about how they stink in every single statistical category.

But the most glaring topic for me has been their offense. The Mets rank 24th out of 30 teams in total runs scored this season, and their best hitter (minimum 100 games played), first baseman Wilmer Flores, has a batting average of .267. The lack of run support has been certainly visible in games deGrom started. Of his last 33 starts, the Mets scored three or fewer runs 21 times. This only happened 12 times with Scherzer and 14 times with Nola. This means that the pressure is constantly on deGrom to deliver, and yet he still rises up, as he hasn’t allowed three runs or more since April with an MLB record of 25 straight starts.

Some baseball critics argue that deGrom does not live up to the Cy Young award. After all, it is named after the pitcher with the most wins. DeGrom’s 10-9 record doesn't put him in the best possible light, but his advanced statistics are what cancel out all of the doubt. DeGrom doesn't let the other team have an opportunity to even score a run. His 1.9 walks per game, 0.4 home runs per game, and 4.8 percent chance of allowing an extra base hit are the lowest in the league. These advanced statistics are what separate deGrom from Scherzer and Nola. In the new era of baseball dominated by sabermetrics, deGrom’s candidacy is a step above the field.

But perhaps what really differentiates deGrom from the rest of the pack is his attitude. He is never angry or frustrated during a post game interview, and has he never been seen yelling at his teammates when they often fail to support him. He is a true team player. Despite everything that has happened this season around him, deGrom was able to keep his composure and produce record shattering numbers, proving that he is worthy of the Cy Young award.