Former Penn State right-hander Justin Hagenman has a chance to make history. On Tuesday, Hagenman signed a one-year Major League contract with the New York Mets. It’s a deal that, if he makes the 40-man roster, could make Hagenman the first major leaguer who finished his college career with the Nittany Lions since Nate Bump in 2005.
Hagenman spent three seasons at Penn State before he was selected in the 23rd round of the 2018 MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 2023, Hagenman was traded to the Boston Red Sox in a deal that sent Kike Hernandez to the Dodgers. Over six seasons in professional baseball, Hagenman has never cracked a major-league roster.
Hagenman pitched in 28 games for Boston’s Triple-A affiliate, the Worcester Red Sox, this past season. He compiled a 4-6 record with a 4.91 ERA, finishing third on the team with 98 strikeouts.
Across his 200-game minor-league career, Hagenman has a 3.87 ERA with 421 strikeouts.
With nine pitchers on the free-agent market, the Mets likely view Hagenman as a low-risk, high-reward option as they piece together their 2025 pitching staff. Hagenman had been used as both a starter and reliever in Worcester, and it remains unclear what role New York has in store for him.
Penn State’s last major-leaguer, to some degree, was David Aardsma, who pitched for the Nittany Lions for one season in 2001 before transferring to Rice. Aardsma last pitched for the Atlanta Braves in 2015 and announced his retirement from baseball in 2018.
A total of 10 Penn State players have been drafted to the majors since Hagenman was selected by the Dodgers. Jay Harry, a shortstop, and right-handed pitcher Daniel Ouderkirk were the last Nittany Lions to hear their names called, both drafted in 2023.
