Chase De Jong Stats & Scouting Report — College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects

IP	181
ERA	5.42
WHIP	1.459
BB/9	4.028
SO/9	6.961

Full name Chase Louis De Jong
Born 12/29/1993 in Long Beach, CA
Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 230 / Bats: L / Throws: R
School Woodrow Wilson
Debut 04/05/2017
Drafted in the 2nd round (81st overall) by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2012 (signed for $860,000).

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DeJong shined in front of a huge crowd at Blair Field in a matchup against Shane Watson of rival Lakewood on March 30, striking out 12 batters and allowing just one run but losing 1-0. He threw 8 2/3 shutout innings in the rematch a month later, a 3-0 Wilson victory. DeJong isn't quite as electric as Watson and doesn't have as clean a delivery, but he has more advanced feel for pitching. His fastball sits comfortably in the 87-91 range but can reach 92-93 at times, and his downer curveball is a plus pitch at times. He also has good feel for a changeup that has a chance to be better than average. DeJong has a physical 6-foot-5 frame, but scouts don't care for his one-piece arm action and head movement. He has cleaned up his delivery somewhat, not throwing across his body as much and softening his landing, which has freed him up a bit. DeJong's toughness and moxie are among his best assets. The Southern California recruit could be drafted between the second and fourth round.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

De Jong won Dodgers minor league pitcher of the year honors in 2016 and was acquired by the Mariners that offseason for minor league shortstop Drew Jackson and righthander Aneurys Zabala. De Jong made the Mariners' Opening Day roster in 2017 because of injuries to other staff members, his first of multiple stints in the big leagues. Despite three good outings out of his seven big league games, the rest of De Jong's season was shaky because he failed to regroup and get his footing at Triple-A Tacoma, where he posted a 6.00 ERA in 15 starts. He finished the year with five mostly ineffective starts at Double-A Arkansas. De Jong is a finesse righthander with average stuff who relies on pitching acumen and his ability to throw his four pitches for strikes. He's a flyball pitcher who needs to get the extension and rise he had in 2016 for his average 90-91 mph fastball to play up. He adds an average curveball and fringy changeup and slider, but his execution must be more precise in the strike zone. De Jong will head to spring training with a chance to make up for a lackluster 2017 season. He has a chance to make it as a spot starter or swingman.
When the Dodgers blasted through their 2015-16 international bonus pool, they decided it would be better to trade away their international slot values, even if it meant paying a higher overage tax as a result. When the Blue Jays were looking to sign Vladimir Guerrero Jr. but wanted to trade for enough pool space to only take one year of signing penalties instead of two, the Dodgers shipped three slots to Toronto in exchange for De Jong and second baseman Tim Locastro. After De Jong tamed the Double-A Texas League in 2016, the Dodgers put him on the 40-man roster. There's nothing better than average in De Jong's repertoire, but he's a smart pitcher who understands how to attack hitters. His fastball sits at 88-92 mph and touches 93 and his curveball is an average pitch. His changeup, slider and cutter are all below-average to fringy, but he's been able to have success by using an efficient delivery to throw strikes, change speeds and move the ball around to keep hitters off balance. De Jong's stuff leaves him with little margin for error, but he will go to Triple-A in 2017 with a chance to become a starter in the back of a rotation.
The Dodgers went well over their 2015-16 international bonus pool, so they decided to trade away their slot values for prospects and pay more in overage taxes. They found a taker in the Blue Jays, who needed more pool space to sign Vladimir Guerrero Jr. without going into the maximum penalty territory. So the Dodgers sent Toronto two international slot values worth $1,071,300 and in return acquired DeJong and second baseman Tim Locastro. Without sacrificing a player, the Dodgers were able to net a quality prospect in DeJong, a 2012 second-rounder who rebounded from a challenging 2014 season. DeJong started missing more bats in 2015, with his strikeout rate jumping from 17 percent in 2014 to 23 percent in 2015. During the season, his fastball sat at 88-92 mph. While his arm slot is lower than the near over-the-top angle he had out of high school, his fastball still is fairly straight. DeJong is a short strider who throws across his body, so during instructional league he worked to get more online to the plate and get more extension, and he touched 94 mph there. He always has had feel to spin a solid-average curveball with good depth, while his changeup is fringe-average. He's a good athlete who fields his position well. DeJong has a chance to open 2016 at Double-A Tulsa and develop into a back-end starter.
After two Rookie-ball campaigns, DeJong made his full-season debut in 2014. While he continued to fill up the strike zone at low Class A Lansing, he didn't miss many bats and will need to sharpen his command. DeJong's fastball sat between 88-91 mph and touched 92, though his velocity could improve as he fills his athletic, angular build. His curveball is inconsistent and can range from average to plus, while his straight changeup shows average potential and flashes plus. His cross-body delivery has a short stride, causing his fastball to play below its pure velocity. He is an extremely flyball-oriented pitcher who will probably be homer-prone. The Jays have worked to try to lengthen his stride. DeJong is a good fielder who also controls the running game well. He likely will begin 2015 at high Class A Dunedin.
DeJong was the third righthander the Blue Jays selected in the 2012 draft. After pitching 12 innings in 2012, he had a standout season in the Rookie-level Appalachian League, finishing fifth in strikeout rate (28 percent) and second in strikeout-walk ratio (6.6). DeJong, who gets downhill plane from a high three-quarters slot, relies almost exclusively on a four-seam fastball. Though his fastball sat 88-92 mph last summer, evaluators project him to pitch at 90-94 or better because of his arm action and physical projection. He has a large frame with a lean, angular build that should allow him to carry significantly more weight. He has a plus curveball with 12-to-6 action, but can be inconsistent. He gained greater feel for his changeup last summer, and it flashes plus. He has a repeatable delivery that could give him plus command, and he finished with the Appy League's fourth-lowest walk rate (4 percent). The Blue Jays have worked with him to make his lower half more athletic, lengthen his stride and maintain better direction to the plate, although his stride length remains below-average. He will likely to be a fly-ball pitcher as his slot occasionally leaves his pitches flat. DeJong should make the Lansing rotation this season and projects as a No. 3 starter long-term.
DeJong is a product of Long Beach's Wilson High, which has sent 13 players to the big leagues, including Hall of Famer Bob Lemon, six-time all-star Bobby Grich and former American League MVP Jeff Burroughs. DeJong helped his 2012 draft cause with a pair of stellar outings against Lakewood (Calif.) High and righthander Shane Watson, who went on to become a Phillies supplemental first-rounder. DeJong struck out 12 while taking a tough 1-0 loss in the first matchup, then threw 8 2/3 shutout innings to secure a 3-0 win in the rematch. The Blue Jays selected him 81st overall and lured him away from a commitment to Southern California with an $860,000 bonus. DeJong has the projectable frame that scouts look for in high school righthanders, but he's highly regarded more for his feel for pitching than his pure stuff. His fastball sits at 87-91 mph and peaks at 93. He has a sharp downer curveball that shows the potential to be a plus pitch, and his changeup has similar upside. His delivery still needs cleaning up, but he's doing a better job of throwing less across his body and landing softer on his front leg. DeJong has the ceiling of a mid-rotation starter if everything comes together. Toronto is conservative with its young arms, so he'll likely open 2013 at one of the organization's more advanced short-season stops.

Draft Prospects

DeJong shined in front of a huge crowd at Blair Field in a matchup against Shane Watson of rival Lakewood on March 30, striking out 12 batters and allowing just one run but losing 1-0. He threw 8 2/3 shutout innings in the rematch a month later, a 3-0 Wilson victory. DeJong isn't quite as electric as Watson and doesn't have as clean a delivery, but he has more advanced feel for pitching. His fastball sits comfortably in the 87-91 range but can reach 92-93 at times, and his downer curveball is a plus pitch at times. He also has good feel for a changeup that has a chance to be better than average. DeJong has a physical 6-foot-5 frame, but scouts don't care for his one-piece arm action and head movement. He has cleaned up his delivery somewhat, not throwing across his body as much and softening his landing, which has freed him up a bit. DeJong's toughness and moxie are among his best assets. The Southern California recruit could be drafted between the second and fourth round.

Minor League Top Prospects

In extended spring training, the Blue Jays worked on making DeJong?s lower half more athletic, lengthening his stride and keeping him on line to the plate. He put those lessons to use and dominated in the Appy League, finishing second in K-BB ratio (6.6) and fifth in strikeout rate (28 percent of batters). DeJong pitched with average fastball velocity and touched 94 mph with downhill plane, and he could sit 90-94 once he maxes out his lean, angular build. He has an out-pitch in his plus 74-78 mph curveball, and his changeup, which flashes plus, improved as well. DeJong has a starter?s delivery that he repeats well, and he should eventually have above-average command. He throws from a high three-quarters slot and at times worked up in the zone. He will work on quieting his delivery to eliminate a head snap.

Career Transactions

Indianapolis Indians placed RHP Chase De Jong on the 7-day injured list.
Indianapolis Indians activated RHP Chase De Jong.
Pittsburgh Pirates sent RHP Chase De Jong outright to Indianapolis Indians.
Pittsburgh Pirates sent RHP Chase De Jong outright to Indianapolis Indians.
Pittsburgh Pirates designated RHP Chase De Jong for assignment.
Pittsburgh Pirates selected the contract of RHP Chase De Jong from Indianapolis Indians.
Pittsburgh Pirates selected the contract of RHP Chase De Jong from Indianapolis Indians.
Indianapolis Indians activated RHP Chase De Jong from the temporarily inactive list.
Indianapolis Indians placed RHP Chase De Jong on the temporarily inactive list.
Pittsburgh Pirates sent RHP Chase De Jong outright to Indianapolis Indians.
Pittsburgh Pirates sent RHP Chase De Jong outright to Indianapolis Indians.
Pittsburgh Pirates designated RHP Chase De Jong for assignment.
Pittsburgh Pirates sent RHP Chase De Jong on a rehab assignment to Indianapolis Indians.
Pittsburgh Pirates sent RHP Chase De Jong on a rehab assignment to Indianapolis Indians.
Pittsburgh Pirates placed RHP Chase De Jong on the 15-day injured list retroactive to April 13, 2023. Lumbar spine muscle sprain.

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