It was the summer of 2016. Springfield. Matt Carpenter was recovering from an oblique injury, so he headed down to Class AA for some at-bats. That’s where he noticed the kid.
DeJong is a lot like another 25-year-old St. Louis athlete — Blues goalie Jordan Binnington. Born 22 days apart in 1993, the two carry themselves in unflappable manners, speaking in humbled, quiet tones, whether they won or lost to the Cubs or Bruins.
Last season, DeJong battled a hand injury and the recovery from it, and he still had the 11th-highest shortstop slugging percentage in baseball.