Jacob deGrom just carved his name into the history books, hitting 2,000 career strikeouts in one of the fastest runs ever seen in MLB. The Texas Rangers right-hander hit the milestone Thursday night, completely blowing away the first two Washington Nationals batters he faced.
A Wild Ride to 2K
Daylen Lile and Abimelec Ortiz probably won’t forget being part of history, both swinging through sliders that were just plain nasty, diving right below the zone. The crowd in Arlington went absolutely wild, giving deGrom a massive standing ovation, and you could see the guy felt it, tapping his cap over his heart in thanks. This wasn’t just some regular K, this was number 2,000, coming in his 272nd career start after piling up 1,660 1/3 innings since he debuted with the New York Mets in 2014.
History Books on Speed Dial
Talk about exclusive company, deGrom made this milestone look easy, doing it in the second-fewest games and innings pitched in major league history. Only Hall of Famer Randy Johnson got there quicker in terms of games, hitting 2,000 Ks in his 262nd appearance, with Clayton Kershaw trailing at 277. When it comes to innings, Chris Sale barely edges him out with 1,626. This dude is 38 years old and still throwing heat, becoming the ninth active player and 95th overall to join the 2K club. He’s also the fourth pitcher this season to hit it, following Kevin Gausman, Sonny Gray, and Aaron Nola.
This isn’t just a number, it’s Jacob deGrom stamping his name all over the record books, proving he’s one of the most electric pitchers to ever step on the mound. Every time he deals, he’s building on a legacy that baseball fans are going to be talking about for decades. You gotta respect it, what a machine.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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