MLB's 'Strongest Pitcher' Lives Up to Name: DeGrom's 2,008 Ks Rank 2nd All-Time

Texas Rangers ace Jacob deGrom, often dubbed "the strongest pitcher on Earth," etched his name further into baseball history on Thursday. The 38-year-old two-time Cy Young Award winner achieved his 2,000th career strikeout during his start against the Washington Nationals.

DeGrom's milestone moment came early in the game as he struck out consecutive batters, eliciting a standing ovation from the crowd. He concluded his outing after 6 innings, allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out 10 batters. This performance not only secured his ninth win of the season but also helped the Rangers to a 2-0 shutout victory over the Nationals.

With 2,008 career strikeouts, deGrom reached the 2,000 K mark in just 1,660.1 innings pitched across 272 games. This remarkable pace places him second in Major League Baseball history for the fewest innings pitched to achieve 2,000 strikeouts, trailing only Chris Sale (1,626 innings). He also ranks second in games started to reach the milestone, behind Randy Johnson (262 games).

DeGrom is now the ninth active pitcher and the 94th pitcher overall to reach 2,000 career strikeouts. He joins fellow pitchers Kevin Gausman, Sonny Gray, and Aaron Nola in achieving this feat this season. His continued dominance solidifies his reputation as one of the game's elite.

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He recorded 10 strikeouts over 6 scoreless innings, allowing only one hit and one walk.