DeGrom wants to win 3rd Cy Young, spend whole career with Mets

New York Mets right-hander Jacob deGrom isn't satisfied with the two NL Cy Young trophies on his mantel. The ace told reporters Friday that while winning a championship is a major priority, it's not the only thing on his mind entering the 2021 season.

"I think I say it every year that the goal for me is to be the best pitcher I can be and that's going to help us win baseball games," he said. "You set individual goals. Ultimately, the team goal is to win the World Series. ... You still set personal goals and my goal is to win another Cy Young."

The 32-year-old is signed through the 2024 season, but he can opt out after 2022. He said he hasn't thought much about the opt-out clause yet.

Still, he likes the idea of spending his entire professional career in one uniform.

"One thing I do think's really, really cool is whenever somebody spends their entire career with one team," deGrom said, according to MLB.com's Anthony DiComo. "You don't see it happen a whole lot anymore. So it's definitely something I've thought about and I guess we'll just have to see when that time comes."

For now, he's focused on his more immediate goals, including collecting more hardware.

DeGrom won back-to-back Cy Young Awards in 2018-19. In 2018, he posted a dominant 1.70 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and 1.98 FIP while throwing 217 innings. The following season he authored a 2.43 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, and 2.67 FIP in 204 innings.

Though he didn't win another in 2020, he finished third in voting behind winner Trevor Bauer and right-hander Yu Darvish.

If deGrom secures another Cy Young, he will join Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer as the only active pitchers with three. Every retired pitcher who won the award at least three times - minus Roger Clemens - has been enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown.