Jacob deGrom’s Most Critical Postseason Appearances and Their Outcomes

Jacob deGrom is widely regarded as one of the most talented pitchers of his generation, a two-time Cy Young Award winner whose regular-season dominance has rarely been matched. However, his postseason career — while marked by flashes of brilliance — has been limited by injuries and team circumstances. deGrom has started only 11 postseason games across four different Octobers (2015, 2022, 2023), and his appearances have ranged from heartbreaking losses to series-changing victories. This article examines each of deGrom’s critical postseason outings, the context surrounding them, and how the outcomes shaped his legacy as a big-game pitcher.

2015: The Breakout Postseason

After missing the playoffs for 11 seasons, the New York Mets returned in 2015 behind a young, electric rotation headlined by deGrom, Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard, and Steven Matz. deGrom entered October with a 2.54 ERA and 205 strikeouts in the regular season, but he had never thrown a postseason pitch. His first taste of playoff baseball came in the National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, and he immediately proved he could handle the stage.

2015 NLDS Game 2 — Away vs. Dodgers

On October 11, 2015, deGrom took the ball at Dodger Stadium in front of a hostile crowd. He delivered seven innings of one-run ball, scattering six hits while striking out nine and walking two. The lone run came on a Justin Turner solo home run in the fourth inning. Despite deGrom’s excellence, the Mets offense managed only two runs against Zack Greinke and the Dodgers bullpen. The game ended 5-2 in favor of Los Angeles, giving the Dodgers a 2-1 series lead. deGrom received a no-decision, but his performance set the tone for what would become a defining postseason trait: elite pitching often wasted by lack of run support.

2015 NLCS Game 3 — Home vs. Cubs

After the Mets shocked the baseball world by eliminating the Dodgers in five games, deGrom started Game 3 of the NLCS against the Chicago Cubs at Citi Field. The Mets led the series 2-0, and deGrom had a chance to put the Cubs on the brink. He pitched five innings and allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits while striking out seven. However, the Mets bats were silent once again, managing just one run. The Cubs won 1-0, and deGrom took his first postseason loss. The defeat did not derail the Mets, as they won Game 4 to sweep the series, but deGrom’s outing highlighted an emerging narrative: his playoff run support was virtually nonexistent.

2015 World Series Game 2 — Home vs. Royals

In the World Series, deGrom started Game 2 against the Kansas City Royals with the Mets trailing 1-0 in the series. He pitched six innings of three-run ball (two earned), allowing five hits and striking out nine. The Royals took advantage of an error by second baseman Daniel Murphy, scoring a critical unearned run in the fifth inning. The Mets lost 7-1, and deGrom suffered his second consecutive postseason defeat. The loss put New York in a 2-0 hole, and they eventually fell in five games. For deGrom, his 2015 postseason was a mixed bag: a 2.88 ERA over 15.2 innings but an 0-2 record and no series-clinching wins.

2022: The Mets’ Dream Season Ends Early

After a series of injuries and the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, deGrom returned in 2022 with a vengeance. He posted a 3.08 ERA and 0.75 WHIP across 64.1 innings in the regular season, and the Mets won 101 games to earn the second wild-card spot. deGrom was scheduled to start Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the San Diego Padres, a series many thought the Mets would win.

2022 NLDS Game 1 — Home vs. Padres

On October 7, 2022, deGrom made his first postseason start in seven years. He pitched five innings, allowing one run on two hits while walking three and striking out eight. The lone run came on a solo home run by Jurickson Profar in the fifth inning. The Mets tied the game in the fifth, but the bullpen faltered in extra innings, and the Padres won 7-1 in 10 innings. deGrom received a no-decision, but his performance was strong — he left with a 1-1 tie after five. The loss was a sign of things to come: the Mets managed only one run in the entire series and were swept in three games. deGrom’s individual excellence (one run allowed in five innings) was wasted by a lineup that mustered just one run over three games.

2023: A Championship Run with Texas

After signing a five-year, $185 million contract with the Texas Rangers in free agency, deGrom missed the first two months of the 2023 season with a forearm strain. He returned in July and made just six regular-season starts before a UCL injury sidelined him for the remainder of the regular season. However, he returned for the playoffs and made three starts for the Rangers as they marched to a World Series title.

2023 ALDS Game 3 — Home vs. Orioles

On October 10, 2023, deGrom started Game 3 of the AL Division Series against the Baltimore Orioles with the Rangers leading the series 2-0. In the biggest start of his career, deGrom delivered six innings of shutout baseball, allowing two hits and no walks while striking out nine. The Rangers won 7-1, completing the sweep and advancing to the ALCS. deGrom earned his first postseason win, and it was a dominant, pressure-packed performance that silenced critics who doubted his durability.

2023 ALCS Game 2 — Away vs. Astros

In the AL Championship Series against the defending champion Houston Astros, deGrom started Game 2 on the road. He pitched six innings, allowing two runs (both on solo home runs by Yordan Alvarez and José Altuve) while striking out eight. The Rangers took a 5-2 lead into the seventh inning, but the bullpen let the game slip away, and Houston won 5-4 in 11 innings. deGrom received a no-decision, but his performance kept Texas in the game and set up a series that the Rangers would eventually win in seven games.

2023 World Series Game 3 — Home vs. Diamondbacks

In the World Series, deGrom started Game 3 at Globe Life Field against the Arizona Diamondbacks with the series tied 1-1. He pitched five innings, allowing one run on four hits while striking out seven. The Rangers took a 3-0 lead in the first inning, and deGrom protected it until the sixth, when he allowed a solo home run to Tommy Pham. He left with a 3-1 lead, but the bullpen again faltered, and the Diamondbacks won 4-3 in 10 innings. deGrom took a no-decision, and the loss put the Rangers in a 2-1 series hole. They rallied to win Games 4 and 5 and capture the title, but deGrom’s World Series outing was another strong start that did not result in a win.

Quantifying deGrom’s Postseason Legacy

Jacob deGrom’s postseason numbers are remarkably consistent. In 11 career postseason starts, he has a 2.76 ERA, a 0.98 WHIP, and 66 strikeouts in 59.2 innings. He has allowed two or fewer earned runs in 9 of those 11 starts. Yet his win-loss record is a stark 1-2, and his teams have gone 5-6 in games he has started. The disparity between his personal performance and team success is one of the most discussed narratives of his career.

Why Wins Eluded Him

  • Lack of run support: In his 11 starts, the Mets/Rangers scored three or fewer runs in 7 of them. His teams averaged just 3.0 runs per game when he pitched.
  • Bullpen collapses: In 3 of his 5 no-decisions, the bullpen surrendered leads after he left.
  • Tough luck: Two of his losses came in 1-0 and 2-1 games (2015 NLCS Game 3 and 2015 WS Game 2).
  • Injury limitations: He missed the 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2024 postseasons due to injury. His playoff sample size is small and fragmented.

The Championship Redemption

Despite the frustrating endings in New York, deGrom’s 2023 title with the Rangers partially silences the narrative that he cannot win in October. He was not the ace of the rotation — that honor belonged to Nathan Eovaldi and Jordan Montgomery — but deGrom made crucial contributions in the ALDS and ALCS. His Game 3 shutout of the Orioles was arguably the finest postseason start of his career, and it came when his team needed to close out a series on the road (the game was at Globe Life Field, but the stakes were identical). The World Series win gave deGrom a ring and a defining moment: a dominant, series-clinching performance on the biggest stage.

Comparing deGrom to Other Aces in the Postseason

deGrom’s postseason resume is often contrasted with that of his former teammate Max Scherzer, an 11-time All-Star with a 5-7 record and 3.72 ERA in 25 playoff starts. Scherzer has the volume of innings and the iconic moments (Game 7 of 2019 World Series), but deGrom’s pure numbers — a sub-3.00 ERA, exceptional strikeout-to-walk ratio — are superior. However, the difference in team success is stark: Scherzer’s teams have won three World Series titles (2012, 2019, 2020), while deGrom has only one. The argument over “clutch” vs. “support” will continue, but the data suggests deGrom’s performances were consistently excellent, but he rarely received the help needed to turn them into wins.

Similarly, Justin Verlander — with a 17-12 record and 3.58 ERA in 35 playoff starts — has benefited from both longevity and run support. deGrom’s 1-2 record is not a reflection of his talent but of the cruel realities of baseball: a pitcher can only control what happens when he is on the mound, and deGrom’s control was almost always impeccable. The 2023 title likely changes how he is remembered — not as a man who could not win in October, but as a man who finally got the wins he deserved.

Looking Ahead: deGrom’s Future Postseason Chances

As of the 2024 season, deGrom is still under contract with the Texas Rangers and has expressed a desire to pitch into his late 30s. The Rangers remain a strong contender in the American League, with a young core of position players and a deep rotation. If deGrom can stay healthy — a big if given his history — he will have more opportunities to add to his postseason ledger. A few more dominant starts, maybe even a World Series-clinching outing, could cement his legacy as one of the greatest postseason pitchers of his era, even with a small sample size.

Conclusion

Jacob deGrom’s postseason career is a study in contrasts: breathtaking individual excellence often undermined by thin margins and bad breaks. His 2015 debut hinted at greatness, but the Mets failed to capitalize. His 2022 start was a brief, brilliant flash in a losing cause. In 2023, he finally tasted the ultimate team success, but even that run included no-decisions and tough losses. Ultimately, deGrom’s postseason narrative is not one of failure but of resilience — a pitcher who, year after year, took the ball in October and delivered elite performances, regardless of the outcome. His championship ring may have come later than expected, but it proves that even the most dominant arms need a little help to find glory in October.