Right-Handed Pitcher Chase De Jong
Pitcher Chase De Jong was one of the final cuts the Pittsburgh Pirates made this spring. With his performance in the Grapefruit League De Jong earned the right to nearly make the Opening Day roster and pitched himself into being a player who will likely see MLB time this season.
De Jong was a one-time highly touted prospect. However, after bouncing around four organizations he was never able to reach his full potential. In 2020 De Jong started to scratch the surface of this potential when he made the ALCS roster of the Houston Astros, but he was not brought back by the Astros following the season.
This spring De Jong showed why he was once considered to be a highly touted minor leaguer. He displayed a fastball with movement that opposing batters struggled to square up and a sharp curveball that was nearly un-hittable.
In five Grapefruit League games pitched De Jong posted a 1.77 ERA in 14.1 innings of work. De Jong allowed just nine hits, one home run, he walked three and struck out seven in his 14.1 innings of work down in Florida.
De Jong will work at the Pirates’ alternate training site to remain stretched out. When the minor league season begins De Jong will likely join the starting rotation at Triple-A Indianapolis. Regardless if it is as a starter or a reliever, odds are, De Jong will see Major League time with the Pittsburgh Pirates at some point this season.