Paul DeJong

Paul Sterling DeJong (born August 2, 1993) is an American professional baseball shortstop for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his major league debut on May 28, 2017.

Paul DeJong
DeJong with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2017
St. Louis Cardinals – No. 11
Shortstop
Born: (1993-08-02) August 2, 1993
Orlando, Florida
Bats: Right Throws: Right
MLB debut
May 28, 2017, for the St. Louis Cardinals
MLB statistics
(through 2020 season)
Batting average.251
Home runs77
Runs batted in236
Teams
Career highlights and awards

A native of Orlando, Florida, DeJong attended and played college baseball at Illinois State University (ISU). He was selected by the Cardinals in the fourth round of the 2015 MLB draft. In 2017, his rookie season, he led National League (NL) shortstops in home runs with 25.

Early life and amateur career

DeJong was born and raised in Orlando, Florida, before moving to Antioch, Illinois, at the age of 11.[1] He grew up an Atlanta Braves fan.[2] DeJong graduated from Antioch Community High School in 2011.[3] As a senior, he batted .430 with four home runs and 30 RBIs, leading his team to a 21-10 record.[4]

He attended Illinois State University where he played college baseball for the Redbirds. He was a preferred walk on.[5] As a freshman in 2013, he batted .260 in 100 at bats with no home runs. DeJong has said that he increased weight training between his freshman and sophomore years, gained about 20 pounds (9.1 kg) of muscle, increasing his strength and speed. In 2014, he played second base, third base, and catcher, batting .349 with nine home runs and 48 runs batted in (RBIs). After the 2014 season, the Pittsburgh Pirates chose DeJong in the 38th round of the Major League Baseball (MLB) draft as a catcher. He did not sign with the Pirates and returned to Illinois State.[6][7]

In 2015, DeJong batted .333 while leading the Redbirds in hits (70), runs scored (47), doubles, home runs (14), and RBIs (48). He played shortstop, second base, third base, and catcher, and also appeared at designated hitter. He was named All-Missouri Valley Conference first team as a utility player. He also earned Academic All-District honors for District 5.[3]

In 2015, DeJong graduated from ISU with a degree in biochemistry with a pre-medical emphasis. He had a 3.74 GPA and a plan to attend medical school in case a career in professional baseball would not have worked out.[8] He also still had one year of college baseball eligibility remaining.

Baseball America ranked him as the 108th-best prospect for the 2015 MLB draft.[3] The St. Louis Cardinals selected him in the fourth round (131st overall).[9][10][11]

Professional career

Minors
DeJong batting in 2017

DeJong signed with the Cardinals for $200,000, and made his professional debut with the Johnson City Cardinals of the Rookie-level Appalachian League. After ten games, he was promoted to the Peoria Chiefs of the Class A Midwest League.[12] In 66 games between the two teams, he batted .316/.394/.516 with nine home runs and 41 RBIs.[13] In 2016, he played for the Springfield Cardinals of the Class AA Texas League, and was selected as a Texas League All-Star.[14] He finished the 2016 season batting .260 with 22 home runs and 73 RBIs in 132 games.[15] After the season, the Cardinals assigned DeJong to the Glendale Desert Dogs of the Arizona Fall League (AFL).[16]

To begin the 2017 season, the Cardinals assigned DeJong to the Memphis Redbirds of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League (PCL). In 46 games, he batted .294 with 11 home runs and 31 RBIs before his first major league promotion. On defense, he made 37 appearances at shortstop, four at second base, and three at third base. The Cardinals promoted DeJong to the major leagues on May 28, 2017, as they moved second baseman Kolten Wong to the disabled list (DL).[17]

2017

DeJong made his major league debut on May 28, 2017, playing at Coors Field against the Colorado Rockies. Facing Greg Holland in his first at bat, DeJong hit a home run on his first swing, becoming the ninth Cardinals player to homer in his first at bat in the major leagues.[18] On July 8 against the New York Mets, he set both a Cardinals shortstop and a number eight hitter record with four extra base hits in one game, including three doubles and one home run.[19] The next day, DeJong became the first rookie in MLB history to get seven extra-base hits in a three-game series.[20] After batting .298/.347/.638 (.985 OPS) with eight home runs and 16 RBI in the month of July, DeJong was named the National League (NL) Rookie of the Month. He was the first Cardinals player to win the award since Wong in May 2014.[21] DeJong became the starting shortstop in June after Aledmys Diaz was optioned to Memphis.[22]

On August 19, DeJong hit his 20th home run, off Juan Nicasio, becoming the fourth Cardinals rookie to do so, in a 6−4 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates.[23] DeJong finished his 2017 rookie campaign with a .285 batting average, 65 RBIs, and 25 home runs — the latter more than any other National League shortstop that year.[24] Only Albert Pujols had hit more home runs as a rookie in club history, doing so in 2001. Overall, DeJong hit 38 home runs for Memphis and St. Louis.[25] He placed second in the 2017 NL Rookie of the Year balloting behind Cody Bellinger, who won unanimously.[26]

2018

On March 5, 2018, DeJong agreed to a six-year contract extension with St. Louis through the 2023 season worth a guaranteed total of $26 million. The deal also includes two option years for a maximum value of $51.5 million. It is the largest-ever agreement with a player who had not yet completed at least one full year of major league service.[27][28] [29][30][31] [32]

DeJong returned in 2018 as the Cardinals' starting shortstop. His first multi-home run game came on April 1, 2018, as he hit two home runs to help lead the Cardinals to a 5-1 victory over the New York Mets.[33] He was placed on the disabled list for the first time in his career on May 18 with a fractured left hand caused from being hit in that hand the previous night that required surgery.[34][35] Over 41 games prior to the injury, he slashed .260/.351/.473 with eight home runs and 19 RBIs.[36] He was activated on July 6, and returned to the lineup that night.[37] DeJong finished his 2018 campaign batting .241 with 19 home runs and 68 RBIs in 115 games.[38]

2019

Batting .261 with 13 home runs and 36 RBIs, DeJong was selected to represent the Cardinals at the All-Star Game in Cleveland.[39] On July 24, while playing the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park, DeJong hit three home runs, becoming the first St. Louis shortstop ever to accomplish that feat.[40] On August 19, DeJong hit a home run that struck the 'M' letter of Big Mac Land at Busch Stadium, knocking the neon bulb out of the letter.

DeJong finished the 2019 regular season slashing .233/.318/.762 with 30 home runs and 78 RBIs over 159 games. On defense, he had the best fielding percentage of all major league shortstops (.989).[41] Per Baseball-Reference.com, he led all National League fielders in defensive Wins Above Replacement (WAR) with 3.3[42] and assists (435), and NL shortstops in putouts (211) and double plays turned (119).[43] Following the season, he was nominated for his first Gold Glove Award.[44]

2020

On August 4, 2020, it was announced that DeJong had tested positive for COVID-19, and he was placed on the injured list.[45] He returned to the team on August 23 and finished the shortened season hitting .250/.322/.349 with three home runs and 25 RBIs in 45 games.

Personal life

DeJong has a younger sister, Emma.[46]

After the 2017 season, DeJong participated in a scientific study as laboratory assistant with Lawrence Rocks exploring the effects of differing temperatures on the flight of the path of the baseball.[24] DeJong and Rocks also appeared together on MLB Now at the 2017 winter meetings.[47][48] Lawrence Rocks is the father of Burton Rocks, who negotiated DeJong's first major league contract.

See also

References
  1. "Meet the newest Mets-killer, whom they nearly drafted". New York Post. July 21, 2017. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
  2. Bailey, Mike (2016-05-09). "Paul DeJong's patience and adaptability helped propel him to a top 20 prospect | Sports". kmov.com. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  3. News-Sun Staff (June 4, 2015). "Antioch grad Paul DeJong of Illinois State a likely MLB draft pick". Lake County News-Sun. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
  4. http://www.goredbirds.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=11
  5. Ryan Denham (2016-03-21). "Cardinals pick Paul DeJong ready for next step as minor-leaguer". News.illinoisstate.edu. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  6. Reinhardt, Randy (May 1, 2015). "Stock rising for versatile ISU slugger DeJong". The Pantagraph. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  7. Leusch, John (February 9, 2015). "Antioch's DeJong catching some national attention at Illinois State". Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  8. Knobler, Danny (August 4, 2017). "Paul DeJong is breakout MLB star thanks in part to man serving 4 years in prison". Bleacher Report. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
  9. Bonato, Jeff (June 10, 2015). "St. Louis Cardinals pick Antioch's Paul DeJong in MLB draft". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  10. Goold, Derrick (August 9, 2015). "Grichuk ranks among the best in 'exit velocity'". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  11. Davidoff, Ken (July 21, 2017). "Meet the newest Mets-killer, whom they nearly drafted". New York Post. Retrieved July 21, 2017.
  12. Reinhardt, Randy. "Former Redbird DeJong promoted to Peoria". The Pantagraph. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  13. "Paul DeJong minors & fall league statistics & history". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  14. Langosch, Jenifer (June 14, 2016). "Wong getting work in center field in minors". m.Cardinals.MLB.com. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
  15. "Paul DeJong Stats, Highlights, Bio - MiLB.com Stats - The Official Site of Minor League Baseball". MiLB.com. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  16. "Major League Baseball - Winter Leagues - Arizona Fall League". MLB.com. Retrieved November 19, 2016.
  17. Fox Sports Midwest (May 28, 2017). "Cardinals place Wong on DL, purchase DeJong's contract". Fox Sports. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  18. "DeJong homers in first at-bat". MLB.com. May 28, 2017. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  19. Getzenberg, Alaina; Latsch, Nate (July 8, 2017). "DeJong's monster day backs Waino vs. Mets". m.Cardinals.MLB.com. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
  20. ESPN.com News Services (July 9, 2017). "Paul DeJong sets rookie mark for extra-base hits in 3-game series". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
  21. Macklin, Oliver (August 2, 2017). "B-day boy DeJong named NL's top July rookie". MLB.com. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
  22. Post-Dispatch store. "Cardinals option Diaz to Memphis; infielder Mejia called up | St. Louis Cardinals". stltoday.com. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  23. Berry, Adam; Langosch, Jenifer (August 19, 2017). "Cards' late homers not enough after rain delay". m.Cardinals.MLB.com. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
  24. Overmyer, Steve (November 9, 2017). "Cardinals' DeJong joins renowned scientist to test effect of heat on baseball". WCBS-TV New York. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
  25. "DeJong in top three for NL Rookie of the Year". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Associated Press. November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
  26. Goold, Derrick (November 13, 2017). "DeJong finishes second in rookie voting; Cards shop for relief". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  27. Sheinin, Dave. "As chasm grows between MLB teams and players, Cardinals and Paul DeJong may have found a bridge". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  28. Goold, Derrick (March 5, 2018). "Cardinals lock in DeJong with 6-year extension worth $26 million". St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
  29. Goold, Derrick (March 5, 2018). "As DeJong and Cards commit to each other, Pham chooses to bet on himself". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
  30. Heyman, Jon (March 8, 2018). "Twins could still use starter". Fanrag Sports. Archived from the original on March 9, 2018. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
  31. Woods, Amy. "Meet the $26 million man". Florida Weekly. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  32. Ozanian, Mike. "PODCAST: Why Paul DeJong Got A Record-Breaking Contract From The Cardinals". Forbes. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
  33. RONALD BLUM, AP Baseball Writer. "Paul DeJong homers twice as Cardinals top Mets 5-1 - Sports - Journal Star - Peoria, IL". Pjstar.com. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  34. "Cardinals' Paul DeJong goes on DL with fractured left hand". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  35. RotoWire Staff (2018-05-19). "Cardinals' Paul DeJong: Undergoes successful surgery". CBSSports.com. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  36. "Cardinals' Paul DeJong (hand) completes light field work Monday". Numberfire.com. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  37. Trezza, Joe (2018-07-06). "Cardinals activate Paul DeJong from DL". MLB.com. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  38. "St. Louis Cardinals 2018 player grades: Infielders | Sports". kmov.com. 2018-10-05. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  39. Post-Dispatch store. "Backup lifts Cardinals back off the mat: Wieters' homer edges San Diego, 5-3 | Cardinal Beat". stltoday.com. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  40. Post-Dispatch store. "DeJong's three-homer game leads record romp against Pirates | St. Louis Cardinals". stltoday.com. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  41. "Major League Leaderboards » 2019 » Shortstops » Fielding Statistics | FanGraphs Baseball". Fangraphs.com. 2019-01-01. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  42. "2019 National League batting leaders". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 7, 2020.
  43. "2019 National League fielding leaders". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 7, 2020.
  44. https://kmox.radio.com/articles/news/st-louis-cardinals-have-six-gold-glove-finalists
  45. https://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/birdland/cardinals-all-stars-molina-dejong-and-four-other-players-reveal-positive-tests-for-covid-19/article_02b07772-d613-5945-be54-6b506a0b3fac.html
  46. https://www.mlb.com/news/paul-dejong-using-musical-background-to-give-back
  47. Goold, Derrick. "Cards' DeJong talks chemistry (not the clubhouse kind) at winter meetings". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  48. MLB Now: DeJong and Dr. Rocks. MLB.com. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
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