There was a time when it seemed like Jacob deGrom’s MLB career might be totally beset by injuries.

But the ace is back, and he just set a new record while pitching for the Texas Rangers on Sunday.

deGrom has become the fastest pitcher in MLB history to reach 1,800 strikeouts, by two different measures.

It took deGrom 1,492 innings to reach the mark. The previous fastest was 1,498 innings by Chris Sale.

And deGrom did it in his 240th game. The fastest by games before now was Randy Johnson, who needed 243 games.

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deGrom ended up getting hit around a bit by the Mariners after reaching this milestone, but it’s still a special day.

The former college shortstop from Stetson blossomed into the best pitcher in baseball for the Mets in the late-2010s.

In 2021 and 2022, though, he missed more than half the season in both campaigns to conclude his New York career.

He then came to Texas, where he made six starts in 2023 and three starts in 2024.

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This season, though, deGrom has made the most starts he’s had already since 2019, and his ERA is sub-3.00.

He was an All Star, and deservedly so.

The 6-foot-4, 37-year old is truly back to being an ace, which is a wonderful thing to see.

He’s a long way removed from his two Cy Young awards, but don’t tell him. He keeps throwing fastballs at 99, sliders at 93 and striking batters out at the rate he did as a much younger pitcher, and baseball is better for it.

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