Career Timeline of Marcus Stroman: Major Achievements and Milestones

Discover the career path of Marcus Stroman, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Marcus Stroman is an American professional baseball pitcher currently playing for the New York Yankees in MLB. Previously, he played for the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, and Chicago Cubs. Notably, Stroman is one of the shorter pitchers in MLB, standing at 5'7", making him a relative outlier in a league dominated by taller players. His career has spanned multiple teams in the league.

Sections (2)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements

2009: Drafted by the Washington Nationals

In 2009, Marcus Stroman was drafted in the 18th round of the MLB draft by the Washington Nationals but chose not to sign, opting instead to attend Duke University.

August 1, 2012: Promotion to New Hampshire Fisher Cats

On August 1, 2012, the Toronto Blue Jays promoted Marcus Stroman from the Low-A Vancouver Canadians to the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats.

2012: Drafted by the Blue Jays

In 2012, Marcus Stroman was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the first round of the MLB draft, marking the beginning of his professional baseball career.

May 19, 2013: Win After Suspension

On May 19, 2013, after completing his suspension, Marcus Stroman started and pitched five scoreless innings to secure the win for the Fisher Cats.

July 2, 2013: 13 Strikeouts in a Game

On July 2, 2013, Marcus Stroman struck out 13 batters over 6 2/3 innings in a game against the New Britain Rock Cats.

May 3, 2014: Called Up to the Blue Jays

On May 3, 2014, Marcus Stroman was called up to the Toronto Blue Jays after Brandon Morrow was placed on the 60-day injured list.

2014: Assigned to Minor League Camp

In 2014, Marcus Stroman attended the Blue Jays' major league spring training camp and was subsequently assigned to the minor league camp on March 19. He became the Opening Day starting pitcher for the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons.

2014: MLB Debut with the Blue Jays

In 2014, Marcus Stroman made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut with the Toronto Blue Jays, marking a significant milestone in his career.

2014: Suspension and First Career Save

In 2014, Marcus Stroman was suspended for intentionally throwing at Caleb Joseph, though the suspension was later reduced. Upon his return, he was moved to the bullpen and earned his first career save on September 26.

January 9, 2015: Trademarked "Height Doesn't Measure Heart"

On January 9, 2015, Stroman completed the legal process for trademarking "Height Doesn't Measure Heart" and "HDMH".

2015: First Postseason Game

In 2015, Marcus Stroman played his first career postseason game in Game 2 of the American League Division Series against the Texas Rangers.

2015: Increased Reliance on Two-Seam Fastball

Since the 2015 season, Marcus Stroman has relied more on his two-seam fastball, using it approximately 41-44% of the time.

2015: Rehab Assignment and Return to Pitching

Throughout 2015, Marcus Stroman underwent a rehab assignment, threw off a mound for the first time after injury on August 11, pitched simulated games, and made rehab starts in Class-A and Triple-A before returning to the Blue Jays as a starting pitcher on September 12.

March 23, 2016: Opening Day Starter

On March 23, 2016, Marcus Stroman was named the Opening Day starter for the Toronto Blue Jays, pitching into the ninth inning and securing a 5–3 win against the Tampa Bay Rays.

December 2016: Announced WBC Participation

In December 2016, Marcus Stroman announced that he would play for the United States national baseball team at the 2017 World Baseball Classic.

2016: Appeared on Mike Stud Remix

In 2016, Marcus Stroman appeared on the remix of the title track of rapper Mike Stud's 2016 album These Days.

2016: Wild Card Game Start

In 2016, Marcus Stroman started the Wild Card game against the Baltimore Orioles, pitching six innings and helping the Blue Jays advance to the American League Division Series.

February 14, 2017: Arbitration Case Win

On February 14, 2017, Marcus Stroman won his arbitration case and was awarded a $3.4 million salary for the season.

May 18, 2017: First Career Home Run

On May 18, 2017, Marcus Stroman hit his first career home run against Julio Teherán of the Atlanta Braves, becoming the second Blue Jays pitcher to achieve this and the first pitcher shorter than 5'8" to do so since 1968.

2017: 200 Innings Pitched

In 2017, Marcus Stroman finished the season with 13 wins, 164 strikeouts, a 3.09 ERA and surpassing 200 innings pitched, he became the seventh Blue Jays pitcher in the prior 20 years to have consecutive 200-inning seasons. He also had the highest ground ball percentage among major league pitchers (62.1%).

2017: Won WBC MVP

In 2017, Stroman was named the World Baseball Classic's Most Valuable Player (MVP) after leading Team USA to victory, holding Team Puerto Rico scoreless through six innings in the final game.

February 15, 2018: Arbitration Case Loss

On February 15, 2018, Marcus Stroman announced via Twitter that he lost his arbitration case and would earn $6.5 million for the season, less than his requested $6.9 million.

March 13, 2019: Named Opening Day Starter

On March 13, 2019, Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo announced Stroman as the Opening Day starter for the team.

July 28, 2019: Traded to New York Mets

On July 28, 2019, the Toronto Blue Jays traded Marcus Stroman, along with cash considerations, to the New York Mets for pitching prospects Anthony Kay and Simeon Woods Richardson.

November 15, 2019: Number and Handle Change

On November 15, 2019, Marcus Stroman announced via Twitter that he was switching to number 0 for the 2020 season and changed his Twitter handle to @STR0.

2019: All-Star and Trade to the Mets

In 2019, Marcus Stroman was named an All-Star and was traded by the Toronto Blue Jays to the New York Mets later in the season.

August 10, 2020: Opted out of the Season

On August 10, 2020, Marcus Stroman announced that he would opt out of the 2020 season.

2020: Qualifying Offer Extended

After the 2020 season, the Mets extended a qualifying offer to Stroman worth $18.9 million for the 2021 season.

December 1, 2021: Signed with Chicago Cubs

On December 1, 2021, Marcus Stroman signed a two-year contract worth $71 million to play for the Chicago Cubs and became the first ever Cub to wear the uniform number 0.

2021: Accepted Qualifying Offer

In 2021, Marcus Stroman accepted the Mets' qualifying offer of $18.9 million for the 2021 season.

2021: Led Mets' Starting Rotation

In 2021, Stroman led the Mets' starting rotation with 10 wins, 158 strikeouts and 179 innings pitched.

2022: Signed with the Cubs

Prior to the 2022 season, Marcus Stroman signed a three-year contract with the Chicago Cubs.

2023: Opted Out of Contract with Cubs

At the end of the 2023 season, Marcus Stroman opted out of the third year of his contract with the Chicago Cubs.

2023: Opening Day Pitch Clock Violation

In 2023, Marcus Stroman started for the Cubs on Opening Day and became the first pitcher to be called for a pitch clock violation.

2023: Represented Puerto Rico in WBC

In 2023, Stroman represented the Puerto Rico national baseball team at the World Baseball Classic.

2023: All-Star Selection and Injury

In 2023, Stroman was named to the MLB All-Star Game but opted out to rest and was later placed on the injured list due to hip inflammation, later diagnosed as a rib cage cartilage fracture, but returned in mid-September.

January 17, 2024: Signed with New York Yankees

On January 17, 2024, Stroman signed a two-year, $37 million contract with the New York Yankees including a conditional player option for the 2026 season.