Hall of Fame
Jacob deGrom may be the most unlikely superstar in the history of American sports. The DeLeon Springs, Fla., native went from college shortstop to emergency starting pitcher for the Hatters to a ninth round MLB Draft pick to injured and unheralded prospect to National League Rookie of the Year and 2-time Cy Young Award winner, all in about eight years. deGrom began his Stetson career as a shortstop, starting 64 games on the infield as a freshman and sophomore. Converted into a reliever prior to his junior year, deGrom was eventually moved into the starting rotation and began to gain notice from professional scouts. The New York Mets took a chance on deGrom, selecting him in the ninth round of the 2010 amateur draft. deGrom battled his way through injuries and a stacked Mets farm system to eventually reach the Major Leagues, debuting on May 15, 2014 by tossing seven innings of four-hit ball in a 1-0 loss to the New York Yankees. He way on his way, capturing NL Rookie of the Year honors after a stellar campaign. He earned his first All-Star game selection in 2015, striking out all three batters in his only inning of work. He capped that season by helping lead the Mets to the World Series for the first time in 14 years. After strong seasons in 2015, 2016 and 2017, deGrom began to assert himself as one of the game’s elite pitchers, winning his first Cy Young Award in 2018 as he led the league with a 1.70 ERA. He led the NL in strikeouts with 255 in 2019, earning his second Cy Young and putting him among the game’s all-time greats. deGrom was inducted into the Stetson Athletics Hall of Fame in 2015.
