History of Paul DeJong in Timeline
Paul DeJong is an American professional baseball player, primarily a shortstop and third baseman, currently in the New York Yankees organization. He has played in MLB for several teams, including the St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays, San Francisco Giants, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals, and Washington Nationals. DeJong is known for his career as a versatile infielder in Major League Baseball.
4 hours ago : Paul DeJong's Season Ends with Hamstring Surgery After Tigers Signing.
Veteran shortstop Paul DeJong, recently signed by the Tigers, is out for the season due to a hamstring injury requiring surgery. The former All-Star's season ends prematurely.
August 2, 1993: Paul DeJong's Birth
On August 2, 1993, Paul Sterling DeJong was born. He is an American professional baseball shortstop and third baseman.
2001: Pujols' Rookie Home Run Record
In 2001, Albert Pujols set a club record for most home runs by a rookie, a record that Paul DeJong nearly surpassed in 2017.
2013: Freshman Year at Illinois State University
In 2013, as a freshman at Illinois State University, Paul DeJong batted .260/.420/.320 with no home runs in 100 at-bats. He played 30 games at second base, eight games at catcher, and two games at shortstop.
May 2014: Wong Wins Rookie of the Month
In May 2014, Kolten Wong won the National League Rookie of the Month. Later, Paul DeJong would be the first Cardinals player to win the award since Wong.
2014: Improved Performance and Draft Consideration
In 2014, Paul DeJong improved his performance, batting .349/.430/.596 with nine home runs and 48 RBIs, earning All-MVC First-Team and MVC Scholar-Athlete First-Team honors. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 38th round of the MLB draft but did not sign, returning to Illinois State.
2014: Summer League Baseball
In 2014, Paul DeJong played summer league baseball for the Wisconsin Woodchucks of the Northwoods League.
2015: Graduation from ISU
In 2015, Paul DeJong graduated from Illinois State University with a degree in biochemistry with a pre-medical emphasis, maintaining a 3.74 GPA. He planned to attend medical school if baseball did not work out.
2015: Preseason and Regular Season Success at ISU
In 2015, Paul DeJong was named a Louisville Slugger Preseason All-American and a Preseason All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. He batted .333/.427/.605 with 14 home runs and 48 RBIs, earning All-Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) first team honors and other accolades.
2015: Drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals
In 2015, Paul DeJong was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the fourth round (131st overall) of the MLB draft.
2016: Texas League All-Star Selection
In 2016, Paul DeJong played for the Springfield Cardinals in the Double-A Texas League and was selected as a Texas League Mid-Season All-Star. He finished the season with a .260/.324/.460 batting average, 22 home runs, and 73 RBIs in 132 games. He was also named an MiLB Organization All-Star and an AFL Rising Star.
May 28, 2017: Major League Promotion
On May 28, 2017, Paul DeJong was promoted to the major leagues by the St. Louis Cardinals after playing for the Memphis Redbirds. This promotion happened as Kolten Wong was moved to the disabled list.
2017: Successful Rookie Season
In 2017, Paul DeJong finished his rookie campaign with a .285 batting average, 65 RBIs, and 25 home runs, leading all National League shortstops. He placed second in the NL Rookie of the Year voting and was named to the Baseball America Major League All-Rookie Team.
2017: MLB Debut
In 2017, Paul DeJong made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut with the St. Louis Cardinals, and he led National League (NL) shortstops in home runs with 25 that season.
2017: Participated in a scientific study and appeared on MLB Now
In 2017, Paul DeJong worked as a laboratory assistant with Lawrence Rocks, studying the impact of temperature on baseball flight paths. In 2017, DeJong and Rocks were also featured on MLB Now during the winter meetings.
March 5, 2018: Contract Extension with St. Louis
On March 5, 2018, Paul DeJong agreed to a six-year contract extension with the St. Louis Cardinals through the 2023 season, worth $26 million guaranteed, with options for additional years. This deal was the largest ever for a player with less than one full year of major league service at the time.
April 1, 2018: Multi-Home Run Game
On April 1, 2018, Paul DeJong had his first multi-home run game, hitting two home runs in a 5–1 victory for the Cardinals over the New York Mets.
2019: Statistical Achievements and Gold Glove Nomination
In 2019, Paul DeJong finished the regular season with 30 home runs and 78 RBIs. He also led major league shortstops in fielding percentage (.989) and National League fielders in defensive WAR (3.3), assists (435), putouts (211), and double plays turned (119). He was nominated for his first Gold Glove Award.
2019: All-Star and Fielding Leader
In 2019, Paul DeJong was named an All-Star and led National League shortstops in fielding percentage, assists, putouts, and double plays.
August 4, 2020: COVID-19 Positive Test
On August 4, 2020, it was announced that Paul DeJong tested positive for COVID-19 and was placed on the injured list.
May 14, 2021: Injured List Placement
On May 14, 2021, Paul DeJong was placed on the 10-day injured list due to a rib fracture.
May 10, 2022: Demotion to Triple-A Memphis
On May 10, 2022, Paul DeJong was demoted to the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds after batting .130 over 24 games to start the season.
2022: Illinois State University named baseball facility after DeJong
In 2022, Illinois State University announced the naming of its baseball hitting facility as the "Paul DeJong Baseball Training Facility" in recognition of DeJong's financial contributions to Redbird Athletics and the university.
August 1, 2023: Trade to the Toronto Blue Jays
On August 1, 2023, Paul DeJong was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for Matt Svanson.
August 22, 2023: Signed by the San Francisco Giants
On August 22, 2023, after being released by the Toronto Blue Jays, Paul DeJong was signed by the San Francisco Giants to a major league contract.
November 28, 2023: Signed with the Chicago White Sox
On November 28, 2023, Paul DeJong signed a one-year contract with the Chicago White Sox for $1.75 million, with potential production incentives.
2023: 2023 Season
In the 2023 season, Paul DeJong made his season debut on April 23 against the Seattle Mariners, with two singles and a home run. In 279 at-bats, he hit .233/.297/.412.
2023: Contract End Year
Paul DeJong's six-year contract extension with St. Louis agreed to on March 5, 2018 was through the 2023 season.
July 30, 2024: Traded to the Kansas City Royals
On July 30, 2024, Paul DeJong was traded by the White Sox to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for pitcher Jarold Rosado.
2024: Performance with the White Sox
In 2024, Paul DeJong batted .228/.275/.430 with 18 home runs and 41 RBIs in 102 games for the Chicago White Sox.
February 16, 2025: Signed with the Washington Nationals
On February 16, 2025, Paul DeJong signed a one-year contract with the Washington Nationals worth $1 million, with possible performance incentives.
January 4, 2026: Signed Minor League Contract with Yankees
On January 4, 2026, Paul DeJong signed a minor league contract with the New York Yankees.
Mentioned in this timeline
Albert Pujols nicknamed the Machine is a Dominican-American former MLB...
San Francisco is the fourth-most populous city in California and...
Seattle is the most populous city in Washington and the...
Chicago situated on Lake Michigan's western shore is the most...
Illinois is a Midwestern state in the United States bordered...
Pittsburgh is a city in southwestern Pennsylvania situated at the...
Trending
1 hour ago F1 drivers' Indy 500 opinions: Ricciardo defends, Schumacher's takedown, Hamilton's view.
2 hours ago Royals defeat LSG, Sooryavanshi shines, playoff implications for PBKS, CSK, DC, KKR.
3 hours ago Zverev vs. Bonzi: French Open 2026 Prediction and Best Bets for Saturday.
4 hours ago Paul DeJong's Season Ends with Hamstring Surgery After Tigers Signing.
5 hours ago Caty McNally faces Ajla Tomljanovic in the French Open 2026: Predictions and Odds.
5 hours ago Retired Navy SEAL's Masked Fox News Interview Goes Viral Amidst Trump-Iran Discussion.
Popular
Thomas Massie is a Republican politician and engineer representing Kentucky's...
Ken Paxton is an American politician and lawyer serving as...
William Franklin Graham III known as Franklin Graham is an...
Michael Joseph Jackson the King of Pop was a highly...
Tulsi Gabbard is an American politician and U S military...
Chip Roy is an American attorney and politician currently serving...