Paul DeJong

DeJong batted .333(9th)/.427/.605(2nd) in 210 at bats while leading the Redbirds in hits (70), runs scored (47; 10th in the conference), doubles (15; 9th), home runs (14; leading the conference), and RBIs (48; 4th).

He played 27 games at second base, 20 at third base, 15 at catcher, four in right field, and also appeared at designated hitter.

Paul Sterling DeJong (born August 2, 1993) is an American professional baseball shortstop for the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB).

He has previously played in MLB for the St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays, and San Francisco Giants.

A native of Orlando, Florida, DeJong played college baseball at Illinois State University (ISU).

DeJong graduated from Antioch Community High School in 2011.

As a senior, he batted .430 with four home runs and 30 runs batted in (RBIs), leading his team to a 21–10 record.

He was named All-area, All-Lake County First-Team, and All-North Suburban Conference First-Team.

He attended Illinois State University where he majored in biomedicine/pre-med, and played college baseball for the Redbirds.

He was a preferred walk on.

As a freshman in 2013, he batted .260/.420(9th in the Missouri Valley Conference)/.320 in 100 at bats with no home runs.

He played 30 games at second base, 8 games at catcher, and two games at shortstop.

DeJong said that he increased weight training between his freshman and sophomore years, gained about 20 lb of muscle, increasing his strength and speed.

The St. Louis Cardinals selected him in the fourth round (131st overall).

DeJong signed with the Cardinals for $200,000, and made his professional debut with the Johnson City Cardinals of the Rookie-level Appalachian League.

After ten games, he was promoted to the Peoria Chiefs of the Single–A Midwest League.

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.

In 2014, he played 34 games at second base, 19 games at third base, six at catcher, 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 48 runs batted in (RBIs) (4th).

He was an All-MVC First-Team, and a unanimous MVC Scholar-Athlete First-Team selection.

After the 2014 season, the Pittsburgh Pirates chose DeJong in the 38th round of the Major League Baseball (MLB) draft as a catcher.

He did not sign with the Pirates and returned to Illinois State.

He was selected by the Cardinals in the fourth round of the 2015 MLB draft.

In 2015, he was named a Louisville Slugger Preseason All-American by Collegiate Baseball, and a Preseason All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.

He was named All-Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) first team as a utility player, a Midseason All-American by D1Baseball.com, to the American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings Midwest All-Region Team, and a 2015 Capital One Academic All-American.

He also earned Academic All-District honors for District 5.

In 2015, DeJong graduated from ISU with a degree in biochemistry with a pre-medical emphasis.

He had a 3.74 GPA, and planned to attend medical school in the event a career in professional baseball did not work out.

He also still had one year of college baseball eligibility remaining.

Baseball America ranked him as the 108th-best prospect for the 2015 MLB draft.

In 2016, he played for the Springfield Cardinals of the Double–A Texas League, and was selected as a Texas League Mid-Season All-Star.

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.

He was named an MiLB Organization All Star.

After the season, the Cardinals assigned DeJong to the Glendale Desert Dogs of the Arizona Fall League (AFL), with whom he was named an AFL Rising Star.

He made his MLB debut in 2017 with the Cardinals, and led National League (NL) shortstops in home runs that season with 25.

To begin the 2017 season, the Cardinals assigned DeJong to the Memphis Redbirds of the Triple–A Pacific Coast League (PCL).

In 46 games, he batted .294/.339/.571 with 11 home runs and 31 RBIs before his first major league promotion.

In 2019, he was an All Star, and led NL shortstops in fielding percentage, assists, putouts, and double plays.

DeJong was born and raised in Orlando, Florida, before moving to Antioch, Illinois, at the age of 11.

His parents are Keith and Andrea DeJong, an he has a brother, Matthew, and a sister, Emma.

He grew up an Atlanta Braves fan.