History of Marcus Stroman in Timeline

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

1968: Last Pitcher Under 5'8" to Hit a Home Run

In 1968, Tom Phoebus of the Baltimore Orioles became the last pitcher listed 5 feet 8 inches (1.73 m) or shorter to hit a home run in the majors until Marcus Stroman did so in 2017.

1970: Batterymates Hitting Back-to-Back Home Runs

In 1970, a pair of batterymates last hit back-to-back home runs before Stroman and Maile did it on May 18, 2017, an event relevant to Stroman's career milestones.

1971: Last Extra-Base Pinch Hit by an AL Pitcher Before Stroman

In 1971, Gary Peters recorded the last extra-base pinch hit by an American League pitcher before Marcus Stroman did so in 2017, an event relevant to Stroman's career milestones.

May 1, 1991: Marcus Stroman's Birth

On May 1, 1991, Marcus Earl Stroman was born. He is currently a professional baseball pitcher for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB).

Others born on this day/year

1997: Appearance on Figure It Out

In 1997, at the age of six, Marcus Stroman appeared on the Nickelodeon game show "Figure It Out".

June 21, 2003: Mark Hendrickson's Home Run

On June 21, 2003, Mark Hendrickson hit a home run, making him the first Blue Jays pitcher to do so, an event that is relevant when discussing Marcus Stroman hitting his first home run in 2017.

April 16, 2009: Notable High School Game

On April 16, 2009, a high school game between Patchogue-Medford, where Stroman played, and Ward Melville, where Steven Matz played, was attended by over 50 MLB scouts.

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.

2010: Cape Cod Baseball League All-Star

In 2010, Marcus Stroman was named an all-star in the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL), playing for the Orleans Firebirds.

2011: Continued Play in Cape Cod Baseball League

In 2011, Marcus Stroman continued to play collegiate summer baseball for the Orleans Firebirds of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL).

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.

August 28, 2012: Suspension for Banned Stimulant

On August 28, 2012, Marcus Stroman was suspended for 50 games after testing positive for methylhexanamine, a banned stimulant.

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.

July 26, 2013: Ranked as Top Prospect

On July 26, 2013, Marcus Stroman was ranked as the number three prospect in the Toronto Blue Jays organization.

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.

October 6, 2014: Uniform Number Change

On October 6, 2014, Marcus Stroman announced that he would change his uniform number from 54 to 6 in honor of his grandmother.

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: Torn ACL and Surgery

During the 2015 spring training, Marcus Stroman suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee, requiring surgery performed by Dr. James Andrews.

2015: Met Nikki Huffman

In 2015, Marcus Stroman first met Nikki Huffman at Duke University where she helped him recover from a torn ACL ahead of schedule.

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.

May 15, 2016: Graduation from Duke University

On May 15, 2016, Marcus Stroman graduated from Duke University with a bachelor's degree in sociology.

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.

December 2016: Nike Physical Examination

In December 2016, Stroman measured exactly 5 feet 7.25 inches (1.7082 m) during a physical examination for Nike.

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: Gold Glove Award and Pitcher of the Year

In 2017, Marcus Stroman was named a finalist for the American League pitcher's Gold Glove Award, won the award on November 7, and was unanimously voted the Blue Jays' Pitcher of the Year by the Toronto chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

2017: Gold Glove Award

In 2017, Marcus Stroman won a Gold Glove Award, recognizing his exceptional fielding skills as a pitcher.

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.

2017: World Baseball Classic MVP

In 2017, representing the United States in the World Baseball Classic, Marcus Stroman was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player (MVP).

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: Inducted into CCBL Hall of Fame

In 2022, Marcus Stroman was inducted into the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) Hall of Fame.

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.