The Relationship Between Jacob deGrom’s Pitching Style and Batting Average Against

Jacob deGrom’s presence on the mound is a masterclass in pitching efficiency and dominance. Over the past decade, the New York Mets ace has consistently posted batting averages against (BAA) that defy league norms, often hovering around .200 or lower during his peak seasons. While raw stuff—velocity, movement, and spin—certainly plays a role, deGrom’s ability to shape at-bats through mechanics, sequencing, and execution creates a unique dynamic that leaves hitters guessing. This article explores the specific elements of deGrom's pitching style and how they directly correlate with suppressed batting averages against him.

The Anatomy of deGrom’s Pitching Mechanics

DeGrom’s delivery is a blend of power and deception. Standing 6'4", he generates exceptional extension toward home plate, effectively shortening the perceived distance pitches travel. His high three-quarters arm slot creates a steep downward plane on fastballs, while his quick arm action makes it difficult for hitters to pick up spin early.

Release Point Consistency and Arm Speed

One of the most underrated aspects of deGrom’s success is his ability to maintain nearly identical release points across all his pitches. This uniformity robs batters of visual cues that could tip off pitch type. Even his changeup, which is thrown roughly 10–12 mph slower than his four-seamer, comes out of the same tunnel. The result is a delayed recognition that forces hitters into early decision-making—often wrong decisions.

Extension and Leverage

DeGrom’s stride toward home plate extends over 7 feet, placing him closer to the hitter at release. This extra extension increases perceived velocity, making his 98–100 mph fastball feel even faster. According to MLB.com, deGrom’s extension ranks among the top percentile in the league, compounding the difficulty for hitters to time their swings. Using data from Statcast, deGrom’s extension regularly exceeds 7.5 feet, a figure that places him in the 99th percentile among all pitchers. This subtle advantage means his fastball effectively arrives at home plate nearly 2 feet closer than a pitcher with average extension, amplifying the challenge for hitters accustomed to standard timing windows.

Fastball Dominance and Velocity

DeGrom’s four-seam fastball is the foundation of his arsenal. It averages 98–99 mph, but its effectiveness comes from both velocity and movement. The pitch has elite carry—rising through the zone more than expected—leading to swing-and-miss rates above 30% during his Cy Young seasons. Hitters who do make contact often pop up or hit weak grounders because the ball stays on the bottom of the bat.

To illustrate the impact of deGrom’s fastball on BAA, consider that batters against his four-seamer posted a .206 average in 2021 (per FanGraphs). This is far below the league average for fastballs, which typically sits around .260. The combination of velocity, rise, and vertical approach angle (VAA) makes deGrom’s fastball nearly untouchable in the upper third of the zone. In 2021, deGrom’s four-seamer had a VAA of roughly -4.9 degrees, steeper than the league average of -5.4 degrees. This steeper angle creates the illusion of the ball rising as it reaches the hitting zone, leading to more swings under the pitch and increased whiff rates. Data from Baseball Savant confirms that deGrom’s fastball spin rate—often exceeding 2,500 RPM—contributes to its carry and late movement.

Secondary Pitches: Slider, Changeup, Curveball

DeGrom’s ability to mix a devastating slider and a deceptive changeup keeps hitters from sitting on the fastball. His slider, thrown in the high 80s to low 90s, features elite horizontal break—up to 15 inches of glove-side movement. This pitch has been particularly effective against right-handed batters, generating whiff rates over 50% in some seasons. Lefties, meanwhile, are left vulnerable to a sharp changeup that fades away from their swing path.

The Slider as a Swing-and-Miss Weapon

DeGrom’s slider is not merely a chase pitch; it can start in the strike zone and break out of it, freezing batters or inducing weak contact. In 2020, opponents hit just .130 against his slider, with a BAA that was among the best in baseball for any secondary offering (Baseball Reference). The difficulty lies in the late, sharp movement that tunnels off the fastball—hitters often commit to a fastball only to see the ball dart away. Over his career, deGrom’s slider has produced a whiff rate exceeding 55% in several seasons, making it one of the most effective individual pitches in the modern era. He also uses the slider as a two-strike weapon, burying it below the zone to induce chase from aggressive hitters.

Changeup and Curveball as Complementary Weapons

While less frequently thrown, deGrom’s changeup and curveball serve critical roles in disrupting timing. The changeup, thrown with identical arm speed, dives downward and fades to the arm side. Batters who try to pull it often roll over for weak grounders. The curveball, a 12–6 offering, adds a third look that further muddles hitters’ pitch recognition. Together, these variations keep BAA low because hitters cannot eliminate any pitch from their mental checklist. In 2022, despite being limited by injury, deGrom’s changeup held opponents to a .150 BAA, while his curveball produced a .190 mark. The changeup is especially effective against left-handed hitters who struggle with the fading action, while the curveball serves as a change of pace that resets hitters’ timing after high-velocity fastballs.

How deGrom’s Style Suppresses Batting Average Against

The statistical evidence is clear: deGrom’s career BAA of .212 is nearly 50 points below the MLB average for starting pitchers. This suppression is not random—it is a direct product of his style. The key mechanisms include elevated whiff rates, weak contact profiles, and strategic location targeting.

The Science of Deception: Swing and Miss

DeGrom’s swing-and-miss rates routinely rank among the top three in baseball. In 2021, he posted an astonishing 43.5% whiff rate on swings against his fastball, a number that is historically elite. High whiff rates reduce the number of balls in play, and fewer balls in play naturally lower BAA. But deGrom also induces weak contact when batters do connect—he allows line drives at a lower rate (around 20%) than the league average (25%), while ground balls and pop-ups dominate his batted ball profile. His overall whiff rate across all pitches in 2021 was 38.2%, the highest among qualified starters that season. This level of swing-and-miss effectiveness is rare even for elite pitchers and directly contributes to his low BAA.

Weak Contact and Batted Ball Profiles

DeGrom excels at forcing hitters into unfavorable contact. His average exit velocity allowed has consistently been under 88 mph, which is considered elite. Soft contact leads to more hits becoming outs, especially when combined with a strong defense. The result is a BABIP (batting average on balls in play) that often falls below .280, far beneath the league average of .290–.300. This indicates that even when batters make contact, they rarely produce hits. In fact, deGrom’s career BABIP of .271 is one of the best among active starters with over 1,000 innings. His ability to generate weak contact is linked to his pitch mix—he throws a high percentage of fastballs up in the zone, where hitters often swing under the ball, producing pop-ups, and sliders down and away that induce ground balls.

Situational Success: Runners in Scoring Position

Perhaps most impressive is deGrom’s performance with runners in scoring position (RISP). Over his career, he has held opponents to a .194 BAA with RISP, compared to the league average of .255. This suggests that his pitch sequencing and command tighten when it matters most. DeGrom’s ability to elevate four-seamers when behind in the count or to bury a slider with two strikes reflects an understanding of how to prevent damage. His BAA in high-leverage situations is equally low, cementing his reputation as a pitcher who thrives under pressure. In the 2021 season, deGrom allowed a .146 BAA with RISP, a mark that was the lowest among all qualified starters. This situational dominance is often attributed to his mental toughness and ability to execute under stress, but also to his arsenal’s versatility—he can go to any pitch in any count.

Historical Context: deGrom’s BAA Compared to Peers

To appreciate deGrom’s dominance, it is helpful to place his BAA in historical perspective. Among modern pitchers (since 1969, when the mound was lowered), only a handful have maintained career BAA below .220 with at least 1,000 innings. DeGrom joins legends like Pedro Martínez (.211) and Clayton Kershaw (.211). However, deGrom’s peak BAA from 2018–2021 (.188) stands out as one of the best three-year stretches in MLB history (ESPN analysis). For context, during that same four-year period, the league average BAA for starting pitchers was .246. DeGrom’s .188 mark is 58 points better—a gap that has rarely been seen since the peak of Pedro Martínez in the early 2000s. Even when compared to other elite pitchers of the same era, such as Max Scherzer (.212 career BAA) or Justin Verlander (.231), deGrom’s peak stands apart.

Part of what separates deGrom from his peers is his blend of power and finesse. While many power pitchers rely heavily on velocity, deGrom also executes precise location. His walk rate (around 5.5% career) is excellent, meaning he rarely puts batters in advantageous counts. This combination—high strikeouts plus low walks—shrinks the pool of at-bats where hits are likely. In 2021, deGrom posted a K-BB% of 37.4%, the best in baseball, which directly correlates with his low BAA. Historically, only pitchers like Sandy Koufax and Pedro Martínez have sustained such a high strikeout-to-walk differential while also limiting hits.

The Role of Analytics and Pitch Design

DeGrom’s evolution into an elite BAA-suppressing pitcher has been aided by modern analytics and pitch design. Early in his career (2014–2017), his BAA hovered around .230–.240, good but not historic. Then, working with Mets pitching coaches and using data from TrackMan and Rapsodo, deGrom made subtle adjustments: altering his release height, increasing fastball spin rate, and refining his slider’s movement profile.

By 2018, deGrom began using his four-seamer higher in the zone, a strategy popularized by analytics that exploits the difficulty hitters have hitting rising fastballs. This change alone dropped his BAA by nearly 30 points. The use of pitch design—tuning his slider for more horizontal break and his changeup for more depth—further amplified his deception. Today, deGrom is a model of how data-driven adjustments can translate into on-field results that suppress opponent batting averages. According to a The Athletic analysis, deGrom’s adoption of analytics has been so successful that his pitch arsenal now includes a sweeper variant of his slider, offering over 18 inches of horizontal movement, further expanding his ability to keep hitters off balance. This continuous refinement shows how modern technology can extend the prime of elite pitchers.

Injury and Return: Impact on BAA and Performance

DeGrom’s career has been interrupted by multiple injuries, most notably forearm and shoulder issues that limited him to just 46 starts from 2021 through 2023. Upon returning from Tommy John surgery in 2024, his BAA initially sat at .240 through his first six starts—higher than his prime years but still better than league average. However, as he regained feel for his pitches, his BAA dropped to .200 over his final 12 starts of the season. The key factor was the recovery of his fastball velocity (averaging 96 mph post-injury versus 99 mph pre-injury) and his slider’s movement. Despite the slight velocity decline, deGrom’s release point consistency and extension remained elite, allowing him to continue suppressing hard contact. This resilience underscores that while his BAA may rise slightly following injuries, the underlying mechanics and deception keep him effective. Teams and analysts noted that his BAA against four-seamers remained below .230 even with reduced velocity, highlighting that his pitch design and sequencing are as important as raw power.

Limitations and Adjustments by Hitters

Despite deGrom’s success, no pitcher is invincible. Some left-handed hitters have had moderate success against him by focusing on the changeup and sitting on pitches middle-in. For example, batters who are aggressive early in the count sometimes catch deGrom when his command wavers. However, these windows are narrow. And because deGrom’s BAA is so low, hitters can go through entire series without recording a hit.

Teams have attempted to adjust by employing shift alignments and scouting reports that emphasize looking for up-and-in fastballs early. Yet deGrom’s ability to adapt his sequencing—throwing more sliders when hitters cheat for heat or introducing the curveball as a first-pitch strike—keeps him ahead. The feedback loop between pitcher and hitter favors deGrom because his stuff is simply too dynamic to sit on one pitch. Some advanced scouting reports have suggested that hitters should try to spit on the slider and wait for mistakes, but deGrom’s command makes such mistakes rare. In 2024, his called-strike rate on breaking balls in the zone was 18%, among the highest in baseball, indicating that he consistently puts secondary pitches in spots where hitters cannot do damage.

The Legacy of Elite Command and Execution

Jacob deGrom’s pitching style is a fusion of raw power, refined mechanics, and strategic sophistication. His BAA is more than a statistic—it is a demonstration of how velocity, movement, and sequencing can combine to render modern hitters helpless. By keeping the ball in the zone but making it unbarreled, deGrom forces weak contact and empty swings, ensuring that even the most productive lineups struggle to scratch across runs. As he continues his career, his approach will be studied as a blueprint for how a pitcher can consistently suppress opponent batting averages in an era built for offense. Whether at his peak or returning from injury, deGrom’s ability to maintain a low BAA through mechanical excellence and data-driven adjustments cements his place among the greatest pitchers of his generation.