Woodchucks Legends

Paul DeJong.

In the summer of 2013, the Woodchucks welcomed DeJong to their team. The young player quickly made an impression on the coaching staff with his powerful hitting and solid defense.

DeJong was a standout player for the Woodchucks, and his impressive statistics proved it. In his 70 games with the team, he recorded a .322 batting average, hit 8 home runs, and had 41 RBIs.

In 2015, DeJong was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 4th round of the MLB draft. He made his professional debut that same year with the State College Spikes, the Cardinals’ affiliate team in the New York-Penn League. He played in 57 games, hitting .260 with 6 home runs and 33 RBIs.

The following year, DeJong was promoted to the Peoria Chiefs, the Cardinals’ Class A affiliate team in the Midwest League. In 122 games, he recorded a .260 batting average, 22 home runs, and 73 RBIs.

In 2017, DeJong made his major league debut with the Cardinals, replacing an injured player. He hit a home run in his first at-bat and eventually became the team’s starting shortstop. He finished the season with a .285 batting average, 25 home runs, and 65 RBIs, earning him a fourth-place finish in the National League Rookie of the Year voting.

DeJong continued to perform well in the following years, hitting 19 home runs in 2018 and 30 home runs in 2019. In 2020, he hit .250 with 3 home runs and 25 RBIs in 45 games, a shortened season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Throughout his career, DeJong has also been recognized for his defensive skills, being named an All-Star in 2019, winning the National League Rookie of the Month award for August 2017 and getting second place in voting for the National League Gold Glove award for a shortstop in 2019.

As of now, DeJong has played in 617 major league games, hitting .233 with 102 home runs and 306 RBIs. He remains a key player for the St. Louis Cardinals and is widely regarded as one of the best shortstops in the league.