{{player.name}}

2026 Fantasy Baseball Player Profile

Jacob deGrom authored a historic return to form in 2025, finally silencing durability concerns by making 30 starts for the first time since 2019. Over 172.2 innings, deGrom posted a 12-8 record with a 2.97 ERA and an elite 0.92 WHIP, earning him the American League Comeback Player of the Year award. While his strikeout rate saw a slight decline from his career peak to 27.7%, his command remained immaculate as he led the Rangers in virtually every pitching category. A notable highlight occurred on September 12 at Citi Field, where he defeated his former club by tossing seven dominant innings against the Mets. Despite a career-high 26 home runs allowed, his .196 opponent batting average ranked second in the American League, and he concluded the year by becoming the first player in MLB history to record 1,700 strikeouts in his first 225 career games.

Entering 2026, deGrom is projected to remain an elite "ace" anchor, though most major systems anticipate a slight regression in his ERA as he enters his age-38 season. Most projection systems, including Steamer and ZiPS, forecast a workload of approximately 160 to 175 innings with a 3.35 to 3.52 ERA and 175 to 200 strikeouts. A major storyline for his 2026 campaign is his pursuit of the 2,000-career strikeout milestone; needing only 149 more to join the club, he is expected to reach the mark by mid-August if he maintains his current durability. In fantasy drafts, he is viewed as a top-15 starting pitcher with a consensus ADP of approximately 51.0, reflecting a balance between his elite ceiling and his historical injury risk. Reporting to spring training in Surprise at full health, deGrom has focused on refining his slider command and has reportedly decided to ignore the league's new ball/strike challenge system to focus entirely on his execution.