Shoeless Joe Jackson, Black Sox Removed From MLB's Banned List

For over a century, the story of outfielder Joe Jackson, the 1919 Chicago White Sox and eight of their members' bans from baseball has gripped the imagination of sports fans across North America. Now, 74 years after Jackson's death, it has taken a new twist.

Jackson and the rest of the Black Sox are being reinstated from baseball's lifetime ban list with immediate effect, according to baseball commissioner Rob Manfred. Manfred made the announcement in a Tuesday letter, as first reported by ESPN's Don Van Natta Jr.

The decision clears the way for Jackson—a terrific talent for the Philadelphia Athletics, Cleveland and the Chicago White Sox—to potentially enter the Hall of Fame.

Jackson and seven teammates on the 1919 White Sox—pitcher Eddie Cicotte, center fielder Happy Felsch, first baseman Chick Gandil, utilityman Fred McMullin, shortstop Swede Risberg, third baseman Buck Weaver and pitcher Lefty Williams—were banned for life in 1921 by commissioner Kennesaw Mountain Landis on charges of throwing the '19 World Series.

"No player who throws a ball game, no player who undertakes or promises to throw a ball game, no player who sits in confidence with a bunch of crooked ballplayers and gamblers, where the ways and means of throwing a game are discussed and does not promptly tell his club about it, will ever play professional baseball," Landis wrote in '21 despite the eight players' acquittal on nine counts of conspiracy to defraud.

In the aftermath of the highly public trial, the Black Sox entered American legend. Jackson and Weaver's images were gradually rehabilitated and their innocences protested; they died in 1951 and 1956, respectively. Risberg, the last living member of the eight, died in 1975.

The scandal eventually became fertile ground for artwork; two of cinema's most celebrated baseball movies, and , center around its events.

Pete Rose, baseball's all-time hits leader, also received posthumous reinstatement Tuesday.

He's "much better" than Sesko: Man Utd pursuing "one of the best CFs in PL"

Manchester United has been the home to so many iconic centre-forwards over the years, with the fanbase often blessed by numerous elite-level talents at Old Trafford.

Players like Wayne Rooney so often caught the eye during their time as a Red Devil, with the Englishman undoubtedly leaving a lasting impression on the club’s history.

He registered a total of 253 goals for the club, subsequently sitting at the top of their goalscoring charts and beating the record set by the great Sir Bobby Charlton.

Rooney was partnered by numerous legendary players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Robin van Persie, subsequently helping Sir Alex Ferguson win 13 Premier League titles along the way.

However, no manager has been able to achieve such a feat since, with Ruben Amorim wanting to land another talisman to his ranks to boost any title success in the near future.

Man Utd’s hunt for a new striker in January

Over the last couple of weeks, United have been strongly touted with a potential winter deal to land Serhou Guirassy from Bundesliga outfit Borussia Dortmund.

The Guinean international has caught the eye of the last couple of years with his goalscoring exploits, subsequently registering 45 goals in just 65 appearances for the German club.

However, any deal would likely be an expensive one, as his current employers are demanding a fee in the region of £70m to part ways with the 29-year-old frontman.

He’s not the only name currently on their shortlist, with Crystal Palace star Jean-Philippe Mateta another talisman the hierarchy have set their sights on for the near future.

According to one Spanish outlet, the Red Devils’ hierarchy are considering a move to land the Frenchman and could present an offer to the Eagles in January.

The report also states that the player is understood to be frustrated over the lack of contract talks at Selhurst Park, which could lead to a £40m departure in the coming months.

Why United’s latest target is an upgrade on Sesko

The thought of talking about a new striker in December would have been a shock to many associated with United – especially after their move to land Benjamin Sesko in the summer.

Amorim and the board forked out a total of £74m, including add-ons on the Slovenian international after he netted 21 goals across all competitions for RB Leipzig last campaign.

Such a deal generated huge excitement and handed the supporters hope that they had found their new number nine, but ultimately, the move has struggled to lift off in recent months.

The 22-year-old has only managed to find the net twice for the Red Devils, with central midfielder Casemiro scoring more to date – subsequently highlighting his struggles in the Premier League.

Obviously, Sesko will need time to settle into life in England, but the early signs don’t appear to be promising, especially considering the fee paid for his services.

His lack of form has fuelled speculation over a deal for Mateta, with the Frenchman undoubtedly providing Amorim with the needed Premier League-proven star he craves.

He netted a total of 14 goals in his 37 league outings throughout 2024/25, but he’s continued his remarkable goalscoring feats into the current campaign – leading to Paul Merson labelling him “much better” than Sesko.

When comparing his stats to those of Sesko, he’s managed to outperform him in key areas, with his potential move undoubtedly an excellent pickup for United.

Mateta, who’s been dubbed “one of the best strikers in the Premier League” by Ben Mattinson, has scored three times more goals than Sesko, whilst also achieving a better shot on target accuracy rate.

Games played

11

11

Goals & assists

6

3

Shot on target accuracy

50%

38%

Take-on success

55%

20%

Carries into final third

0.8

0.4

Aerials won

51%

48%

Shots on target per 90

1.4

0.9

Pass accuracy

65%

63%

Such numbers showcase his clinical nature within the final third, often able to take advantage of more of the opportunities that have fallen his way in front of goal.

He’s also completed more take-ons in the Premier League, whilst completing more carries into the final third per 90, which has certainly made him a more all-round threat.

Aerially, Mateta has dominated, subsequently winning more of the battles he’s entered – making him the perfect target man in Amorim’s current system at Old Trafford.

£40m in today’s market would be an absolute steal for a striker who’s been producing incredible goalscoring numbers at the top level over multiple years.

As for Sesko, he desperately needs to find form in the Premier League to avoid losing his place in the side at Mateta’s expense ahead of January and beyond.

Sesko repeat: Wilcox plotting Man Utd move for “world-class” £70m talent

Manchester United look set to make yet another big-money transfer in January.

ByEthan Lamb Nov 21, 2025

Wellalage to lead Sri Lanka A in Rising Stars T20 Asia Cup

Nishan Madushka, Nuwanidu Fernando and Milan Rathnayake are some of the other prominent names in the squad

Andrew Fidel Fernando05-Nov-2025Left-arm spinning allrounder Dunith Wellalage will lead Sri Lanka A in the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Rising Stars T20 tournament, in Doha later this month.Also in the squad are legspinners Vijayakanth Viyaskanth and Sahan Arachchige, allrounders Milan Rathnayake and Ramesh Mendis, and top-order batters Nuwanidu Fernando and Nishan Madushka, and seamer Pramod Madushan.Though none of the players in this squad have consistent places in the senior XI, Wellalage, Nuwanidu, and Madushka have all played white-ball cricket for Sri Lanka in the last few months. Rathnayake also played in Sri Lanka’s most recent Test series, against Bangladesh in June. Madushan has not played for Sri Lanka since 2024.Elsewhere in the squad is 20-year-old batting allrounder Vishen Halambage, who has been called up to the Sri Lanka senior squad, though has yet to play a match for the national team. Ramesh Mendis, meanwhile, last played for Sri Lanka in February this year, in a Test against Australia.ACC Rising Stars tournament schedule

Nov 14 – Oman vs Pak; Ind vs UAE
Nov 15 – Ban vs HK; Afg vs SL
Nov 16 – Oman vs UAE; Ind vs Pak
Nov 17 – HK vs SL; Afg vs Ban
Nov 18 – Pak vs UAE; Ind vs Oman
Nov 19 – Afg vs HK; Ban vs SL
Nov 21 – Semi-finals: A1 vs B2; B1 vs A2
Nov 23 – Final

Viyaskanth, 23, has also been on the fringes of the national team for several years, though the presence of Wanindu Hasaranga, and more recently Jeffrey Vandersay, has kept him out. He has continued to do well domestically however, including in the recent SLC T20 competition – the top T20 domestic tournament this year, in the absence of the postponed Lanka Premier League.The Rising Stars tournament begins on November 14. Sri Lanka A play Afghanistan A, Hong Kong, and Bangladesh A in the group stage. Group B comprises India A, Oman, Pakistan A and UAE. Two teams from each group will then qualify for the semi finals.Sri Lanka A squad for Rising Stars Asia Cup T20 tournamentDunith Wellalage (capt.), Vishen Halambage, Nishan Madushka (wk), Nuwanidu Fernando, Lasith Croospulle, Ramesh Mendis, Kavindu de Livera, Sahan Arachchige, Ahan Wickramasinghe, Pramod Madushan, Garuka Sanketh, Isitha Wijesundara, Milan Rathnayake, V Viyaskanth, Traveen Mathew

More trouble for Liverpool! New signing forced off injured as Reds toil in disastrous PSV defeat in another blow to Arne Slot's wretched Reds

Liverpool have been hit by more problems after suffering yet another defeat, going down 4-1 to PSV at Anfield in the Champions League. The loss continues a dreadful run of form for Arne Slot's side and will raise more questions about the Dutchman's position at the club. Slot also lost one of his new signings to injury on another difficult night for the Reds.

Another Liverpool horror show

PSV took home all three points from Anfield to hand Liverpool a ninth defeat from their last 12 matches in all competitions. Their Premier League form has been dreadful but they had been faring better in Europe until Wednesday's loss to the Eredivisie side. Goals from Ivan Perisic, Guus Til and a Couhaib Driouech brace made it another wretched night for the Merseysiders which has dropped the team into 13th place in the Champions League standings. The result also piles more pressure on Slot, with fans now wondering how the manager can turn around his team's dismal form.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportEkitike injury hands Slot yet another problem

Slot also lost summer signing Hugo Ekitike to injury during the match. The France international, who has scored six times for his new club so far this season in all competitions, was forced off just after the hour mark in a worrying development for Slot and was replaced by Alexander Isak, who had started the game on the bench. Slot revealed before kick-off why he'd left Isak out of his XI, telling TNT Sports: "Alex, I think in the last four weeks, he played 30 minutes. Then he played with us for 70 minutes in a game that wasn't so intense, I would say, because we dominated ball possession so much. But I think I could see that it wasn't easy for him to manage himself through those 70 minutes. So then, if you have another number nine also, who is very good, then it makes sense to play the other one, and that's Hugo [Ekitike] tonight."

The Sweden striker has endured a poor start to his career at Anfield following his big-money move from Newcastle United and once again failed to find the back of the net against PSV. Isak has now failed to score in nine Premier League and Champions League outings, with his only goal for the Merseysiders coming against Southampton in the League Cup.

Slot reacts to PSV defeat

Slot spoke to TNT Sports after the match and admits it's a tough result to take. He said: "I want to be positive about the players after we went 1-0 down. We came back into the game and had enough chances to go 2-1 up and at half-time I don't think anyone would have expected us to lose 4-1. After conceding to make it 2-1, we had chances to make it 2-2, and then we conceded another goal. It's hard to take. The only way to go is go through now. We have to face what we're in and fight really hard."

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Liverpool legend blasts defence

Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard has shared his thoughts on the team's current struggles and feel the backline is a problem. He said on TNT Sports: "They’re conceding too many goals, they’re wide open in transition, look very vulnerable and unstable as soon as the ball turns over. Anfield tells the story, the seats were empty with 10 minutes to go, as soon as the third went in the game was over. PSV were excellent, by the way, and totally deserved the victory. Liverpool’s problems become deeper, the pressure intensifies even more and there needs to be a lot of soul searching tonight, for sure. They need to stop the bleeding, they’re conceding too many chances They look wide open.

"The personnel’s not right in the back four. It’s going to be like deja vu for Arne Slot tonight because he’s going to watch it back and go: 'Yeah we had periods of control, we looked okay at times'. But individual mistakes again, wide open on transition, wide open for counter-attacks and conceding too many goals."

Rockies Down Marlins for First Series Sweep in Over a Calendar Year

Break up the Colorado Rockies.

The much-maligned squad entered their series against the Miami Marlins this week carrying a record of 9-50. Somehow, some way, the Rockies defied their sad-sack reputation and swept the Marlins to move to 12-50 on the year. Just days ago they became the fastest team to ever get to 50 losses in a season.

Colorado finished off the sweep—its first of any team since May 2024—with a 3–2 win Wednesday afternoon. Left fielder Jordan Beck, center fielder Brenton Doyle, and designated hitter Hunter Goodman each drove in runs. Fittingly, pitcher Kyle Freeland—a franchise lifer who helped fuel the team's long-ago 2010s success—took the win.

The Rockies won the first game of the series 6–4 and the second game 3–2. With the losses, Miami dropped to 23-37 on the year—last in the National League East Division.

Colorado remains on pace to go 31-131, which would be the worst season in modern MLB history by leaps and bounds. Last year's Chicago White Sox, for comparison's sake, went 41-121.

However, as the saying goes, a journey of 1,000 miles—or in the Rockies' case, 25.5 games between them and the Los Angeles Dodgers—begins with a single step.

FSG could see £75m bid accepted to sign Liverpool their best LW since Mane

The 2025/26 campaign has deepened and we now have a clear picture of how things are going. For Liverpool, improvements are needed across the board.

Arne Slot has cut a dismayed figure over the past several months, unable to grasp how his high-flying squad have been grounded so miserably. A run of six defeats from seven in the Premier League before the weekend win over West Ham United has cast doubt over his tenure.

With the January transfer window less than a month away, FSG are attentive to potential opportunities, and it’s no secret that Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo is at the top of the Merseysiders’ Christmas list.

Liverpool's winter transfer plans

While the thought of activating Semenyo’s £65m release clause next month is tempting, he is not the only talented (and versatile) winger on the market.

And Liverpool are not the only club looking to seal his signature. Semenyo is also on Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur’s radar, with the latter “intensifying their interest”, according to Sky Sports.

But Liverpool have earmarked a number of potential signings, and Caught Offside have revealed that they have been boosted by Real Madrid’s transfer-listing of rogue winger Rodrygo for around €85m (£75m), whose fortunes at the Santiago Bernabeu have been sour for a while now, and is surely set for an exit in 2026.

Real Madrid's Rodrygo looks on

Rodrygo has not been in good form for Los Blancos this season or last, but there remains a world-class talent in there, and he could finally reach his potential in a leading role at Liverpool.

Why Liverpool want Rodrygo

Rodrygo is one of the most talented forwards in the world. Rodrygo has also gone 30 La Liga matches without a goal.

It’s clear that he needs to leave Real Madrid and restore his reputation as a “world-class superstar”, as he has been called in the past by former teammate Luka Modric. This is a versatile and multi-faceted forward who has proved himself on the biggest stages time and time again.

Cody Gakpo is a consistent force down the left for Liverpool, but he’s not Sadio Mane, who was one of the best players in the world when in his prime. Now, Slot could land such a player in Rodrygo, who is out of sorts under Xabi Alonso’s wing but still, even at an ebb tide, ranks among the top 14% of positional peers for shot-creating actions, the top 6% for progressive carries and the top 10% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.

The Brazil international hasn’t actually played that much football on the left flank, but that is his preferred position. Right-footed, he is at his most prolific when cutting inside and striking on goal, all the while retaining a creative flair that sets him apart from so many other talented wingers.

Right winger

148

34

31

Left winger

89

23

18

Centre-forward

85

22

8

Attacking midfield

4

1

Mane was also a versatile and dynamic forward, devastating in the final third. Now 33 and playing in Saudi Arabia, Liverpool have sorely missed their one-time talisman’s presence, accentuated by the sale of Luis Diaz this summer, who was never quite on his predecessor’s level.

Liverpool’s data analysts are among the finest in the game. They will know to overlook Rodrygo’s woes in recent times and look at the wider picture. For example, he scored only five goals in La Liga last season, but Sofascore show that he missed only one big chance, emphasising the kind of clinical, Mane-like returns Slot would receive.

Sadio Mane Liverpool graphic

Big boots to fill, but the South American is one of the most accomplished wingers in the game,

Rodrygo is still young – the same age, in fact, as Mane when the Senegalese completed his move to Merseyside.

The fact he has accomplished so much already is a testament to his quality and will to win. Liverpool could do with a bit of that, and if they bring such a complete and dangerous player to Anfield, it might prove to be the catalyst for sustained change.

He's like Arteta: Liverpool line up "best coach in the PL" to replace Slot

Arne Slot is under intense pressure at Liverpool after a shocking run of form.

2 ByAngus Sinclair Dec 2, 2025

Webster, Weatherald miss out as Doggett bags five

Test hopefuls Jake Weatherald and Beau Webster missed out for Tasmania as Australia squad member Brendan Doggett claimed 5 for 66

AAP10-Nov-2025Australia’s top six for the first Ashes Test became no clearer after Tasmania duo Jake Weatherald and Beau Webster failed to stake compelling claims against South Australia.South Australia pacer Brendan Doggett, also in the 15-man Ashes squad for Perth, showcased why he is regarded as next cab off the rank for Australia with 5 for 66 in a superb exhibition of seam bowling on a green Bellerive Oval deck.Weatherald, hoping to make his Test debut as an opener, fell for 23 in Tasmania’s total of 209 after being sent in to bat.Allrounder Webster has been superb in his opening seven Tests for Australia but his desire to hang onto his No.6 position in Perth next week was not enhanced by his knock of 13. The 31-year-old missed a month of cricket at the start of the summer with a calf injury and made just 11 and six in his only other Shield appearance this season.His chances of featuring in the Australia side for the first Test in Perth could depend on whether selectors opt to bat Weatherald or Marnus Labuschagne as an opener. If it is the latter then Webster would stay at No.6 with fellow allrounder Cameron Green likely slotting in at No.3.Weatherald dispatched Liam Scott for back-to-back boundaries and was aiming for a third but chopped an attempted cut shot onto his stumps.Webster had just struck a fierce pull to the boundary before attempting to hook Henry Thornton. He only succeeded in getting a feather through to Alex Carey.Tasmania skipper Jordan Silk brought up his 6000th Shield run in his innings of 64. Silk was severe through the off side and brought up his 50 with a rollicking slap through point off Nathan McAndrew straight after he had caressed a cover drive to the boundary.Brendan Doggett took 5 for 66•Getty ImagesDoggett dismissed Silk with a full delivery that moved off the seam and was brilliantly caught by a diving Carey. He then ripped through the lower order for his second five-wicket haul of the Shield season.South Australia were 88 for 3 at stumps. Australia No.5 batter Travis Head made just nine before falling to Webster. Carey had raced to an unbeaten 25 off just 20 balls and will resume on Tuesday alongside Henry Hunt.Australia chair of selectors George Bailey said there was “still some information to gather” from the fourth round of the Sheffield Shield before settling on the playing 11 against England.Bailey said Weatherald, who was aggressive in his knock on Monday, had the approach Australia’s brains trust admired.”There is a method [about his batting] that we like and that is complementary to the other players around him in the squad,” Bailey said.”We have been chatting a lot to Jake. He has been in quite a few [Australia] A teams and there has been a lot of communication with him throughout the summer. The feedback has always been to keep doing it his way.”That is what is attractive to us, that he scores at a nice rate and puts bad balls away. He is aggressive with his outlook without being over the top.”

'Not used to it' – Harry Kane reveals why he was benched for Bayern Munich after coming on as a substitute and scoring hat-trick in Stuttgart romp

Harry Kane has explained why he was surprisingly named as a substitute before scoring a hat-trick in Bayern Munich’s thumping 5-0 win over Stuttgart on Saturday. The England captain continued his rich vein of goalscoring form in his side’s latest Bundesliga victory, but he admits he was as shocked as anybody that he had to emerge from the bench to do so.

Eyebrows raised as Kompany starts Jackson ahead of Kane

Returning to league action following Wednesday’s triumph over Union Berlin in the last 16 of the DFB-Pokal, Bayern travelled to sixth-placed Stuttgart for what looked to be a tricky test on paper. One of the strongest teams in German football, Sebastian Hoeness’ hosts were also victorious in midweek, downing VFL Bochum 2-0 to book their place in the quarter-finals of the domestic cup.

However, one or two eyebrows were raised before kick-off when the news emerged that Bayern star Kane would start the match on the bench. After scoring in the victory over Union, the former Tottenham forward took his goal tally to 25 in just 21 fixtures in all competitions for Vincent Kompany’s side, who opted to field Chelsea loanee Nicolas Jackson up top.

AdvertisementAFPFormer Tottenham striker shows class with stunning hat-trick

Ever the consummate professional, though, Kane showed no signs of frustration after being introduced on the hour mark, replacing fellow striker Jackson who was unable to find the back of the net for Bayern.

Already in front thanks to midfielder Konrad Laimer’s opener, Kane doubled Bayern’s lead just six minutes after being brought on, before going on to grab his second of the game from the penalty spot.

And to cap off a remarkable 30-minute display, Kane followed up Josip Stanisic scoring Bayern’s fourth by completing his hat-trick on the 88th-minute mark. The win saw Kompany’s side move 11 points clear at the top of the league table ahead of second-placed RB Leipzig’s clash with Eintracht Frankfurt later in the day.

Bayern star man Kane reveals why he started on the bench

When asked about starting the match among the substitutes, Kane lifted the lid on manager Kompany’s thinking, saying the Bayern head coach wanted to keep him “fresh” ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League clash with Portuguese giants Sporting CP at the Allianz Arena.

Speaking after the full-time whistle, Kane said: “It's something I'm not used to, but I did it a couple of times this season. The boss wanted to keep me fresh and save energy. 

“I came on after 60 minutes with a couple of other guys and we were able to exploit the space and get the goals. 

“We had a tough battle in the cup midweek and today we faced one of the best teams in the league away, but we looked stronger in the last half an hour and punished them.”

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Getty Images SportManager Kompany also opens up about his gutsy decision

And when Kompany was asked about the gutsy decision to rest Kane, the former Burnley manager revealed the plan was to always introduce the talisman around the hour mark.

“I had this change in mind before the game started,” said Kompany. “We have 4 games in 11 days. If I start Harry every game and he plays 90 minutes, I'll get questions about why he always plays. 

“Every time we played Stuttgart we've always grown stronger as the game progressed. I felt the spaces would be bigger when Harry came on, it was a good moment for him to come on. And he did what he does.”

Dodgers Veteran Starter Clayton Kershaw Joins 3,000 Strikeout Club

Longtime Los Angeles Dodgers great Clayton Kershaw further cemented his legacy as one of the best pitchers of his era by recording his 3,000th strikeout on Wednesday night against the Chicago White Sox.

The 37-year-old Kershaw entered Wednesday night's contest against the White Sox needing just three strikeouts to make history. He recorded his 3,000th strikeout in the sixth inning, fanning White Sox third baseman Vinny Capra looking to reach the epic milestone.

Kershaw is the 20th pitcher in major league history to accomplish the feat, and the first since Max Scherzer eclipsed the 3,000 strikeout mark in 2021.

Inside the Numbers of Jacob deGrom’s Remarkable Return to Dominance

Jacob deGrom is back.

The Texas Rangers right-hander was named to the American League All-Star team last week in recognition of what is turning into a brilliant comeback season. A two-time Cy Young Award winner, deGrom has battled injuries since the 2021 season but is finally healthy again in 2025.

The 37-year-old had a dominant 2021 campaign ended by elbow inflammation, and missed much of the 2022 campaign due to a stress reaction in his right scapula. After leaving the New York Mets to sign a five-year, $185 million deal with the Rangers in December of 2022, he made just six starts for his new team before needing Tommy John surgery. He didn't start another major league game until September 13, 2024.

This season, deGrom has returned to form, and while he's not notching as many strikeouts as he used to, he has been excellent. Through 18 starts, he's 9-2 with a 2.29 ERA, a 0.91 WHIP, and 105 punchouts against 23 walks in 106 1/3 innings. He's currently eighth among AL pitchers in fWAR (2.6).

Though it has been years since he was at his peak, deGrom has a legitimate claim to being the most dominant pitcher of his generation. What follows is a look inside the numbers of his comeback season and his brilliant career. It should serve as a reminder of just how great he is.

1 — Pitchers with more WAR than deGrom since he broke into the big leagues in 2014. Only Max Scherzer's total of 56.3 tops deGrom's 45.4

2 — Pitchers with more fWAR than deGrom since 2014. Scherzer (52.7) and Clayton Kershaw (46.4) top deGrom's total of 45.6.

21 — More appearances (20 starts) Kershaw has had than deGrom in that time.

60 — More appearances (all starts) Scherzer has had than deGrom in that time.

0.99 — deGrom's career WHIP, second to Kershaw's 0.96 since 2014.

2.50 — deGrom's career ERA, second to Kershaw's 2.45 since 2014.

2.63 — deGrom's FIP since 2014, best among pitchers with at least 50 starts. Spencer Strider second by a significant margin (2.78), followed by Chris Sale (2.79) and Kershaw (2.83).

156 — deGrom's career ERA+, second to Kershaw's 162 since 2014. (Side note: Clayton Kershaw was really good. He was also a six-year veteran when deGrom debuted.)

1.08 — deGrom's ERA in 2021. He only made 15 starts, which prevents it from being considered one of the greatest seasons of all-time, but he had a WHIP of 0.75 and 146 strikeouts and 11 walks in 92 innings. An elbow injury ended his season on July 18.

373 — deGrom's ERA+ during that season, the best in MLB history for a pitcher making 15 or more starts by nearly. Pedro Martinez finished at 291 during his legendary 2000 season. When factoring in the Negro Leagues, deGrom's 2021 season is still the best by 50 points, topping Slim Jones's 1934 season for the Philadelphia Stars where he finished at 323.

1.98 — deGrom's combined ERA from 2018 through the '21 season. In that time, he made 91 starts and went 32-21 with 774 strikeouts in 581 innings pitched with a 0.88 WHIP.

205 — His ERA+ in that time, one of the most dominant four-year stretches for a pitcher in baseball history.

4 — deGrom's leaguewide rank in WHIP (0.91) among starting pitchers this season.

6 — His leaguewide rank in ERA (2.29) among starters.

20 — Combined starts by deGrom from 2022 through '24.

18 — Starts he has made this season.

15 — Starts in which he has allowed two or fewer runs in 2025.

14 — Consecutive starts in which deGrom went at least 5 innings while allowing two or fewer runs, which lasted from April 18 through July 7. It was the longest such streak in the American League since 2014.

97.4 — Average miles per hour of deGrom's four-seam fastball in 2025, which ranks fourth among qualified starters in MLB. A reminder: he's 37 years old.

Injuries cost deGrom the better part of four seasons, but that shouldn't taint his legacy. He remains one of the best pitchers of his generation and has reminded everyone of his greatness again this season.

His first All-Star selection since 2021 might be deGrom's greatest, given all he's been through in the past four seasons. He's back where he belongs, among the best pitchers in the sport.

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