History of Marcus Stroman in Timeline

Marcus Stroman is an American professional baseball pitcher currently playing for the New York Yankees. He has previously played for the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, and Chicago Cubs. Notably, at 5'7", he is one of the shortest pitchers to start an MLB game in the 21st century.

Sections (2)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements

1968: Shortest Home Run Hitter

In 1968, Tom Phoebus of the Baltimore Orioles became the shortest player to hit a home run in the majors.

1970: Batterymates Hit Back-to-Back

In 1970, Stroman's home run followed Luke Maile's solo shot, making the batterymates the first to hit back-to-back home runs.

1971: Extra Base Pinch Hit

In 1971, Gary Peters had the first extra-base pinch hit by an American League pitcher.

May 1, 1991: Marcus Stroman's Birth

On May 1, 1991, Marcus Earl Stroman was born. He is now an American 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, a six-year-old Marcus Stroman appeared on the Nickelodeon game show, "Figure It Out."

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June 21, 2003: Mark Hendrickson HR

On June 21, 2003, Mark Hendrickson, a Blue Jays pitcher, hit a home run.

April 16, 2009: Notable High School Game

On April 16, 2009, a notable high school game between Stroman and Steven Matz was attended by more than 50 scouts from every MLB team.

2009: Drafted by the Washington Nationals

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

2010: Orleans Firebirds

In 2010, Stroman played collegiate summer baseball for the Orleans Firebirds of the Cape Cod Baseball League and was named a league all-star.

2011: Orleans Firebirds

In 2011, Stroman played collegiate summer baseball for the Orleans Firebirds of the Cape Cod Baseball League.

August 1, 2012: Promotion to Double-A

On August 1, 2012, after starting his professional career with the Low-A Vancouver Canadians, the Blue Jays promoted Stroman to the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats.

August 28, 2012: Suspension for Banned Substance

On August 28, 2012, Stroman was suspended for 50 games for testing positive for methylhexanamine, a banned stimulant, which he claimed to unknowingly consume in an over the counter supplement.

2012: Drafted by the Blue Jays

In 2012, Stroman was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the first round of the MLB draft after attending Duke University and playing college baseball for the Duke Blue Devils.

May 19, 2013: Win After Suspension

On May 19, 2013, having completed his suspension, Stroman started and pitched five scoreless innings to get the win in the game for the Fisher Cats.

July 2, 2013: 13 Strikeouts

On July 2, 2013, Stroman struck out 13 batters over 6 2⁄3 innings in a 3–1 loss to the New Britain Rock Cats.

July 26, 2013: Number Three Prospect

On July 26, 2013, Stroman was ranked as the number three prospect in the Blue Jays organization when the revised Top 100 Prospects list was released.

May 3, 2014: Called Up to the Blue Jays

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

October 6, 2014: Changed Uniform Number

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

2014: MLB Debut with the Blue Jays

In 2014, Stroman made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut with the Toronto Blue Jays.

2014: Suspension and Save

In 2014, Stroman was suspended six games for intentionally throwing at Caleb Joseph. After returning, he earned his first career save on September 26. He finished the 2014 season with an 11–6 record.

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

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

2015: Knee Injury

During 2015 spring training, Stroman suffered a torn ACL in his left knee and underwent surgery. He was placed on the 60-day disabled list and returned to Duke University to finish his degree.

2015: Met Nikki Huffman

In 2015, Marcus Stroman first met Nikki Huffman at Duke University, where she assisted in his recovery from a torn ACL ahead of schedule.

2015: Rehab Assignment and Return

In 2015, Stroman began a rehab assignment in August, throwing off a mound on August 11. He made rehab starts with the Lansing Lugnuts and Buffalo Bisons. On September 12, Stroman made his 2015 debut against the New York Yankees, earning the win after returning from injury.

2015: Postseason Debut

In 2015, Stroman played his first career postseason game in Game 2 of the American League Division Series against the Texas Rangers, receiving a no-decision. He also started in Game 5 of the same series.

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.

March 23, 2016: Opening Day Starter

On March 23, 2016, Stroman was named the Opening Day starter for the Toronto Blue Jays.

May 15, 2016: Graduated from Duke University

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

December 2016: Announced Participation in World Baseball Classic

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, Marcus Stroman stated that he measured exactly 5 feet 7.25 inches for a physical examination for Nike.

2016: Appeared on Mike Stud's Remix

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

2016: Wild Card and ALCS Games

In 2016, Stroman started the Wild Card game against the Baltimore Orioles, pitching six innings. The Blue Jays won and advanced to the ALDS. He later pitched in Game 3 of the ALCS.

February 14, 2017: Arbitration Case Win

On February 14, 2017, it was announced that Stroman had won his arbitration case and would receive a $3.4 million salary for the 2017 season.

May 18, 2017: First MLB Home Run

On May 18, 2017, Stroman hit his first Major League Baseball home run off Julio Teherán in a game against the Atlanta Braves.

2017: Won the World Baseball Classic

In 2017, Marcus Stroman led Team USA to an 8-0 victory and their first WBC championship, holding Team Puerto Rico scoreless and without a hit through six innings in the final game. Stroman was named the tournament's MVP and to the All-World Baseball Classic team.

2017: Gold Glove and Pitcher of the Year

In 2017, Stroman won the American League pitcher's Gold Glove 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: 200 Innings

Stroman finished the 2017 season with 13 wins, 164 strikeouts, and a 3.09 ERA in 201 innings, marking his seventh consecutive 200-inning season as a Blue Jays pitcher in the last 20 years.

2017: Gold Glove Award

Stroman won a Gold Glove Award in 2017.

February 15, 2018: Lost Arbitration Case

On February 15, 2018, Marcus Stroman announced via Twitter that he lost his arbitration case, resulting in a salary of $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 that Marcus Stroman would be the Opening Day starter for the team.

July 28, 2019: Traded to the New York Mets

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

November 15, 2019: Number Change Announcement

On November 15, 2019, Marcus Stroman announced on Twitter that he was switching to jersey number 0 for the 2020 season and changed his Twitter handle to @STR0, wanting to give up No. 7 in honor of Jose Reyes.

2019: All-Star and Trade to the Mets

In 2019, Stroman was named an All-Star, and later in the same year, the Blue Jays traded him to the New York Mets.

August 10, 2020: Opted Out of Season

On August 10, 2020, Marcus Stroman announced that he would opt out of the 2020 season before his return from a torn left calf muscle.

2022: CCBL Hall of Fame

In 2022, Stroman became a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) Hall of Fame class.

2022: Signed with the Cubs

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

2023: Opted out of contract with Cubs

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

2023: Represented Puerto Rico at World Baseball Classic

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

January 17, 2024: Signed with the New York Yankees

On January 17, 2024, Marcus Stroman signed a two-year, $37 million contract with the New York Yankees, including a conditional player option for the 2026 season that will vest at $18 million if Stroman pitches 140 innings in 2025.