Jacob deGrom Eyes 2,000th Strikeout in Rangers Start Against Washington

Jacob deGrom enters Thursday's start with 1,998 career strikeouts, needing just two more to reach the 2,000 milestone in his 272nd career game.

Jacob deGrom enters Thursday night's series finale against Washington at Arlington with 1,998 career strikeouts across 1,660 1/3 innings. The 38-year-old Texas Rangers right-hander, currently holding an 8-8 record and a 3.95 ERA, needs two strikeouts to become the 94th player in MLB history and the ninth active pitcher to reach the 2,000-mark. This milestone opportunity follows a truncated outing on August 13, where deGrom threw only two innings in a 7-0 loss to the Los Angeles Angels. In that appearance, he surrendered two runs and five hits, including a 32-pitch second inning, while recording three strikeouts before exiting due to triceps fatigue.

Manager Skip Schumaker confirmed Wednesday that deGrom is cleared to start without specific limitations after a successful bullpen session on Tuesday. The two-time Cy Young Award winner has accumulated 147 strikeouts in 120 2/3 innings this season despite managing left hip and glute issues over the last month. By taking the mound Thursday, deGrom has the chance to become the second-fastest pitcher to reach 2,000 strikeouts by games played. Randy Johnson holds the record at 262 games, while Clayton Kershaw currently sits in second place at 277 games. DeGrom has made 271 starts since his major league debut in 2014.

Historical Strikeout Rankings and Milestones

If deGrom reaches the milestone on Thursday, he will be the fourth pitcher to do so during the 2026 season, joining Kevin Gausman, Sonny Gray, and Aaron Nola. While he chases the games-played mark, the record for fewest innings to reach 2,000 strikeouts belongs to Chris Sale at 1,626 innings, followed by Yu Darvish at 1,697 1/3. DeGrom’s current total of 1,660 1/3 innings places him in a position to potentially surpass Darvish for the second-fewest innings required for the feat. The all-time leader for career strikeouts remains Nolan Ryan, who retired in 1993 with 5,714 strikeouts over a 27-season career.

Among active players, Justin Verlander leads the majors with 3,554 strikeouts. The 43-year-old Detroit Tigers pitcher, who is the oldest player in the league, plans to retire following the conclusion of this season. Verlander has been limited to a single start on March 30 this year due to left hip inflammation and a subsequent left hamstring strain suffered during a mid-June bullpen session. Verlander currently sits eighth on the all-time list, trailing seventh-place Don Sutton by 20 strikeouts.

Injury History and Recent Recovery

DeGrom’s path to 2,000 strikeouts was delayed by significant time on the injured list, including missing the majority of the 2023 and 2024 seasons following elbow surgery. Between 2021 and 2024, the right-hander managed only 35 total starts. His first season with the Rangers was limited to just six appearances before the surgical intervention. These setbacks followed a dominant stretch with the New York Mets where he won consecutive Cy Young Awards in 2018 and 2019 and led the National League in strikeouts during the 2019 and 2020 seasons.

Schumaker noted that providing deGrom extra rest between starts is beneficial given the pitcher's recent physical challenges. Although the right-hander did not initially want the additional days off, the team prioritized recovery following the triceps fatigue reported last week. The Rangers staff will monitor deGrom’s condition through inning-by-inning communication during the matchup against Washington to ensure no recurrence of the fatigue or hip issues that have persisted throughout the late summer months.