| Paul DeJong | |
|---|---|
.jpg) DeJong with theSt. Louis Cardinals in 2021 | |
| Washington Nationals – No. 14 | |
| Shortstop /Third baseman | |
| Born: (1993-08-02)August 2, 1993 (age 31) Orlando, Florida, U.S. | |
Bats: Right Throws: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| May 28, 2017, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |
| MLB statistics (through 2024 season) | |
| Batting average | .229 |
| Home runs | 140 |
| Runs batted in | 400 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Paul Sterling DeJong (də-YUNG; born August 2, 1993) is an American professionalbaseballshortstop andthird baseman for theWashington Nationals ofMajor League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for theSt. Louis Cardinals,Toronto Blue Jays,San Francisco Giants,Chicago White Sox, andKansas City Royals.
A native ofOrlando, Florida, DeJong playedcollege baseball atIllinois State University (ISU). He was selected by the Cardinals in the fourth round of the2015 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut in 2017 with the Cardinals, and ledNational League (NL) shortstops inhome runs that season with 25. In 2019, he was anAll Star, and led NL shortstops infielding percentage,assists,putouts, anddouble plays.
DeJong was born and raised inOrlando, Florida, before moving toAntioch, Illinois, at the age of 11.[1] His parents are Keith and Andrea DeJong, and he has a brother, Matthew, and a sister, Emma.[2] As a child, his mother brought him to play Little League games, and remembers a coach telling her when Paul was age 5 that he would one day play in the major leagues.[3]
He grew up anAtlanta Braves fan.[4]
DeJong graduated fromAntioch Community High School in 2011.[5] As a senior, hebatted .430 with fourhome runs and 30runs batted in (RBIs), leading his team to a 21–10 record.[6] He was named All-area, All-Lake County First-Team, and All-North Suburban Conference First-Team.[2]
He attendedIllinois State University where he majored in biomedicine/pre-med, and playedcollege baseball for theRedbirds.[2] He was apreferred walk on.[7] As a freshman in 2013, he batted .260/.420(9th in theMissouri Valley Conference)/.320 in 100at bats with nohome runs.[8] He played 30 games at second base, 8 games at catcher, and two games at shortstop.[8]
DeJong 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 34 games atsecond base, 19 games atthird base, six atcatcher, and two at shortstop, batting .349(3rd in the conference)/.430(5th)/.596(3rd) in 218 at bats with 44 runs (6th), 21 doubles (leading the conference), three triples (4th), nine home runs (5th), and 48runs batted in (RBIs) (4th).[9] He was an All-MVC First-Team, and a unanimous MVC Scholar-Athlete First-Team selection.[2] After the 2014 season, thePittsburgh Pirates chose DeJong in the 38th round of theMajor League Baseball (MLB) draft as a catcher.[10] He did not sign with the Pirates and returned to Illinois State.[11][12]
In 2015, he was named a Louisville Slugger Preseason All-American byCollegiate Baseball, and a Preseason All-American by theNational Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.[2] DeJong batted .333(9th)/.427/.605(2nd) in 210 at bats while leading the Redbirds inhits (70),runs scored (47; 10th in the conference),doubles (15; 9th), home runs (14; leading the conference), and RBIs (48; 4th).[13] He played 27 games at second base, 20 at third base, 15 at catcher, four in right field, and also appeared atdesignated hitter.[8] He was named All-Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) first team as autility player, a Midseason All-American by D1Baseball.com, to theAmerican Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings Midwest All-Region Team, and a 2015 Capital One Academic All-American.[2] He also earned Academic All-District honors for District 5.[5]
In 2015, DeJong graduated from ISU with a degree inbiochemistry with apre-medical emphasis. He had a 3.74GPA, and planned to attendmedical school in the event a career in professionalbaseball did not work out.[14] He also still had one year of college baseball eligibility remaining.
Baseball America ranked him as the 108th-best prospect for the2015 MLB draft.[5] TheSt. Louis Cardinals selected him in the fourth round (131st overall).[15][16][17]
DeJong signed with the Cardinals for $200,000, and made his professional debut with theJohnson City Cardinals of theRookie-levelAppalachian League. After ten games, he was promoted to thePeoria Chiefs of theSingle–AMidwest League.[18] In 66 games between the two teams, he batted .316/.394/.516 in 256 at bats with 42 runs, nine home runs, and 41 RBIs.[19]
In 2016, he played for theSpringfield Cardinals of theDouble–ATexas League, and was selected as a Texas League Mid-Season All-Star.[20] He finished the 2016 season batting .260/.324/.460 in 496 at bats with 62 runs (7th in the league), 29 doubles (5th), 22 home runs (5th), 10 hit by pitch (2nd), 6 sacrifice flies (3rd), and 73 RBIs (5th) in 132 games.[21] He was named an MiLB Organization All Star.[22] After the season, the Cardinals assigned DeJong to theGlendale Desert Dogs of theArizona Fall League (AFL), with whom he was named an AFL Rising Star.[23][22]
To begin the 2017 season, the Cardinals assigned DeJong to theMemphis Redbirds of theTriple–APacific Coast League (PCL). In 46 games, he batted .294/.339/.571 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 basemanKolten Wong to thedisabled list (DL).[24]
DeJong made his major league debut on May 28, 2017, playing atCoors Field against theColorado Rockies. FacingGreg 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.[25] On July 8 against theNew York Mets, he set both a Cardinals shortstop and anumber eight hitter record with four extra base hits in one game, including three doubles and one home run.[26] The next day, DeJong became the first rookie in MLB history to get seven extra-base hits in a three-game series.[27]
After batting .298/.347/.638 (.985 OPS) with eight home runs and 16 RBI in the month of July, DeJong was named theNational League (NL)Rookie of the Month. He was the first Cardinals player to win the award since Wong in May2014.[28] DeJong became the starting shortstop in June afterAledmys Diaz was optioned to Memphis.[29] On August 19, DeJong hit his 20th home run, becoming the fourth Cardinals' rookie to do so, in a 6−4 loss to thePittsburgh Pirates.[30]
DeJong finished his 2017 rookie campaign batting .285./325/.532 with 65 RBIs, and 25 home runs — the latter more than any otherNational League shortstop that year.[31] OnlyAlbert Pujols had hit more home runs as a rookie in club history, doing so in2001. Overall, DeJong hit 38 home runs for Memphis and St. Louis.[32] He placed second in the 2017 NLRookie of the Year balloting behindCody Bellinger, who won unanimously.[33] He was named to theBaseball America Major League All-Rookie Team.[22]
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 included two option years for a maximum value of $51.5 million. It was at the time the largest-ever agreement with a player who had not yet completed at least one full year of major league service.[34][35][36][37][38][39]
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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 theNew York Mets.[40] He was placed on thedisabled list for the first time in his career on May 18, with a fractured left hand, after being hit in that hand the night before. DeJong underwent surgery, and did not return for seven weeks.[41][42] Over 41 games prior to the injury, he slashed .260/.351/.473, with eight home runs and 19 RBIs.[43] He was activated on July 6, and returned to the lineup that night.[44] DeJong finished his 2018 campaign batting .241 with 19 home runs and 68 RBIs in 115 games.[45]
Batting .261 with 13 home runs and 36 RBIs, DeJong was selected to represent the Cardinals at theAll-Star Game inCleveland.[46] On July 24, while playing thePittsburgh Pirates atPNC Park, DeJong hit three home runs, becoming the first everyday St. Louis shortstop to homer three times in a game.[47] On August 19, DeJong hit a home run that struck the 'M' letter of Big Mac Land atBusch 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 bestfielding percentage of all major league shortstops (.989).[48] PerBaseball-Reference.com, he led all National League fielders in defensiveWins Above Replacement (WAR) with 3.3[49] and assists (435), and NL shortstops in putouts (211) and double plays turned (119).[50] Following the season, he was nominated for his firstGold Glove Award.[51]
On August 4, 2020, it was announced that DeJong had tested positive forCOVID-19. He was placed on the injured list.[52] 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.[53]
DeJong returned as St. Louis' starting shortstop for the 2021 season.[54] On May 14, 2021, he was placed on the 10-dayinjured list due to a rib fracture.[55] He was activated on June 11.[56] After struggling at the plate, and combined with the positive play ofEdmundo Sosa, DeJong was eventually moved into a reserve role.[57] However, he moved back into a starting role after Sosa sustained a wrist injury in early September.[58] DeJong finished the 2021 season with 356at-bats over 113 games, slashing .197/.284/.390, with 19 home runs and 45 RBIs.[59]
Once again, DeJong returned as the Cardinals' starting shortstop for the 2022 season. On May 10, 2022, DeJong was demoted to the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds after batting .130/.209/.208 with one home run over 24 games to start the season.[60][61] On July 30, the Cardinals traded Sosa to thePhiladelphia Phillies. DeJong was recalled from Memphis the same day, and placed into the starting lineup as their shortstop.[62] He hit a two-run home run in his first game back, against theWashington Nationals.[63] On August 7, DeJong hit his 100th career home run, a three-run shot, to help lead the Cardinals to a 12–9 win and a sweep over theNew York Yankees.[64] DeJong finished the season hitting a paltry .157/.245/.286, to go with six home runs.
After starting the 2023 season on the IL,[65] DeJong made his season debut on April 23 against theSeattle Mariners, with two singles and a home run.[66] In 279 at-bats, he hit .233/.297/.412.
On August 1, 2023, DeJong was traded to theToronto Blue Jays in exchange for Matt Svanson.[67][68] In 13 games for Toronto, DeJong struggled immensely, going 3-for-44 (.068) with one RBI.[69] On August 19, DeJong wasdesignated for assignment followingBo Bichette's activation from the injured list.[70] He was released on August 21.
On August 22, 2023, theSan Francisco Giants, who had tried and failed to trade for DeJong before the shortstop was sent to Toronto, picked him up off the waiver wire after the Blue Jays' release, signing him to a major league contract.[71] DeJong made his debut for the Giants on August 23 against thePhiladelphia Phillies. In his Giants debut, DeJong notched as many hits as he had during his full time in Toronto, going 3–for–5 with 4 RBI and a run scored. In 18 games for the Giants, he batted .184/.180/.286 with one home run and five RBI. On September 21, DeJong was released by the Giants.[72]
On November 28, 2023, DeJong signed a one-year contract with theChicago White Sox for $1.75 million, with production incentives potentially increasing its value by an additional $250,000.[73] In 102 games for Chicago in 2024, DeJong batted .228/.275/.430, along with 18 home runs and 41 RBI.
On July 30, 2024, the White Sox traded DeJong to theKansas City Royals in exchange for pitcher Jarold Rosado.[74] In 37 games for Kansas City, DeJong batted .222/.277/.417, to go with six home runs and 15 RBI.
For the season, playing a combined 139 games between the White Sox and the Royals, DeJong slashed .227/.276/.427, to go with 24 home runs and 56 RBI.[75][76][77]
On February 16, 2025, DeJong signed a one-year contract with theWashington Nationals worth $1 million,[78] with performance incentives that could increase the pay by an additional $600,000.[79]
DeJong has a younger brother, Matthew, and a younger sister, Emma.[80] He lives inRiviera Beach, Florida.[10]
After the 2017 season, DeJong participated in a scientific study aslaboratory assistant withLawrence Rocks exploring the effects of differing temperatures on the flight of the path of the baseball.[31] DeJong and Rocks also appeared together onMLB Now at the 2017 winter meetings.[81][82] Lawrence Rocks is the father ofBurton Rocks, who negotiated DeJong's first major league contract.
In 2022, Illinois State University announced that its baseball hitting facility would be named the "Paul DeJong Baseball Training Facility" to recognize DeJong's financial support of Redbird Athletics and the university.[83]
