Texas Rangers right-hander Jacob deGrom is no stranger to personal accomplishments, but he could’ve done without what he achieved on Monday against the Toronto Blue Jays. For the first time in his career, he finished his appearance without recording a single strikeout. Indeed, he surrendered two runs on five hits and two walks before departing in the sixth inning.
“I actually didn’t know that. I heard it when I walked inside, but they were aggressive early,” deGrom told reporters.
To deGrom’s point: 13 of the 23 batters he faced on Monday concluded their at-bats within the first three pitches. Another three batters worked 3-0 counts before their plate appearances ended.
deGrom, 36, had previously recorded just one appearance in which he struck out fewer than two batters, regardless of the innings count. That occurred Sept. 16, 2020, when he punched out a single member of the Philadelphia Phillies in what amounted to a two-inning start.
Here’s a look at deGrom’s lowest strikeout totals:
| Date | Opponent | SO | IP |
|---|---|---|---|
|
May 26, 2025 |
Blue Jays |
0 |
5 ⅓ |
|
Sept. 16, 2020 |
Phillies |
1 |
2 |
|
May 27, 2019 |
2 |
5 |
|
|
May 24, 2015 |
2 |
5 |
|
|
July 2, 2015 |
2 |
5 ⅓ |
Do note that deGrom has recorded five other appearances with just two strikeouts.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, deGrom’s streak of 228 career games in a row with a strikeout to begin his career was the third longest among active pitchers (behind Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler) as well as the 10th longest in history. Dwight Gooden possesses the overall record, at 349 consecutive appearances.
It’s notable that deGrom’s strikeout rate (8.8 per nine) is now the lowest of his career since 2016. Predictably, his whiff rate has also dipped (to 30.8%) to his leanest mark since 2017. Both his fastball and his slider, his main two offerings, are missing far fewer bats than usual. Here’s a comparison between this season and the swing-and-miss rates he accumulated back from 2019-22.
| Season | Fastball whiff% | Slider whiff% |
|---|---|---|
|
2019 |
26.9% |
35.3% |
|
2020 |
36.8% |
45% |
|
2021 |
30.3% |
58.1% |
|
2022 |
28.9% |
53.8% |
|
2025 |
24.1% |
35.9% |
deGrom, a two-time Cy Young Award winner and a four-time All-Star Game honoree, is now just four outs away from recording his highest innings total since 2021. He missed nearly all of the past two seasons after first undergoing and then recovering from Tommy John surgery. In 11 starts to date, he’s compiled a 2.42 ERA (157 ERA+) and a 4.43 strikeout-to-walk ratio. His contributions have been worth an estimated 1.8 Wins Above Replacement.
