Texas Rangers right-hander Jacob deGrom became the second-fastest pitcher in MLB history - by games and innings pitched - to record 2,000 career strikeouts.
DeGrom needed just 1,661 innings to reach the 2,000-K mark, doing so faster than all but Chris Sale (1,626 IP). By appearances, only Randy Johnson (262) got there ahead of deGrom, who pitched in his 267th career game Thursday against the Washington Nationals.
He's also the fastest right-handed pitcher to ever reach the mark. Former Rangers ace Yu Darvish previously held the record among righties, having done it 1,697 1/3 innings.
DeGrom got his milestone out of the way quickly Thursday, setting down the first two batters of the game to trigger a nice ovation from the Rangers faithful. Abimelec Ortiz went down swinging at a 93-mph slider to become the victim of deGrom's 2,000th K.
Jacob deGrom reaches 2,000 strikeouts in the fewest innings ever by a right-handed pitcher pic.twitter.com/y8NamCqOX2
— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) August 21, 2026
DeGrom is now the ninth active pitcher in the 2,000-K club and the fourth to get there in 2026. He's the 95th hurler in baseball history to reach the mark.
When healthy, the 38-year-old has consistently been among the best pitchers in baseball during his 13-year career with the Rangers and New York Mets. A two-time Cy Young Award winner with the Mets, deGrom has also won a pair of strikeout titles and has posted a K/9 rate above 10 six times in seasons when he's reached the 90-inning mark.
The Florida native also came into Thursday's start sporting the lowest ERA (2.67) and WHIP (1.00) among active pitchers.
DeGrom was at his best versus the Nationals, tallying 10 strikeouts on one hit over six innings of work.
