Jacob deGrom’s Stunning Return Sends a Jolt Through MLB as the Rangers Star Claims Comeback Player of the Year.yv

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ARLINGTON, Texas – Texas Rangers pitcher Jacob deGrom has been named the American League (A.L.) Comeback Player of the Year. 

MLB made the announcement on Tuesday night during its televised MLB Awards show on MLB Network. The award is voted on every year by MLB.com beat reporters from all 30 clubs, recognizing one player in each league who has re-emerged after a period of adversity.

Earlier this month, deGrom was also selected as the A.L. Comeback Player of the Year in the MLB Players Association’s Players Choice Awards.

Rebound from injury

What we know:

37-year-old Jacob deGrom rebounded from back-to-back injury-shortened seasons in 2023 and 2024 to lead the Rangers in innings, strikeouts and starts. 

The right-handed pitcher went 12–8 with a 2.97 ERA, striking out 185 batters across 172 2/3 innings in 30 starts. He was the team’s lone representative at the 2025 All-Star Game. 

Surpassing Nolan Ryan

The Rangers’ pitcher ranked among the A.L.’s best in several categories, finishing second in Wals plus Hits per Inning Pitched (WHIP) and opponent batting average, while ranking sixth in ERA. His WHIP (0.92) was the lowest by any qualified pitcher in franchise history, surpassing Nolan Ryan’s 1.01 mark set in 1991.

DeGrom allowed one run over five innings in his final appearance of the season on Sept. 24 against Minnesota, completing one of the rarest pitching seasons in club history. He became just the eighth pitcher in club history to post a 30-start season with an ERA under 3.00, and the first since Martín Pérez in 2022. 

He is also the first MLB pitcher since Ryan Dempster in 2008 to record such a season after making three or fewer major league starts in the previous year.

An all-time career

Dig deeper:

The five-time All-Star and two-time Cy Young Award winner reached 30 starts for the first time since 2019, when he won the N.L. Cy Young with the New York Mets. 

His career 2.57 ERA ranks third lowest in the Expansion Era (since 1961) among pitchers with at least 200 starts, trailing only Sandy Koufax (2.19) and Clayton Kershaw (2.53).

Joining the Rangers’ CPOY History

deGrom is the Rangers’ second recipient of the award since its inception in 2005, joining first baseman Prince Fielder, who won in 2015. Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young also won the honor in 2014 while pitching for Seattle.