Biography
Chayce Michael McDermott (born August 22, 1998) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball (MLB).
Amateur career
McDermott grew up in Anderson, Indiana, and attended Pendleton Heights High School.
McDermott played college baseball at Ball State University. He tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow prior to the start of his freshman season, requiring him to undergo Tommy John surgery and redshirt the year. McDermott was limited in his redshirt freshman season due to post-surgery restrictions. As a redshirt junior, McDermott went 8–2 with a 3.05 ERA and 125 strikeouts in 82+2⁄2 innings pitched and was named second team All-Mid-American Conference.
Professional career
Houston Astros
McDermott was selected in the 4th round, with the 132nd overall selection, by the Houston Astros in the 2021 Major League Baseball draft. He signed with the team on July 17, 2021, and received a $375,000 signing bonus. After signing, McDermott was assigned to the Rookie League Florida Complex League Astros, where he made one appearance before being promoted to the Low-A Fayetteville Woodpeckers.
McDermott began the 2022 campaign with the High–A Asheville Tourists. In 19 games (10 starts), he compiled a 6–1 record and 5.50 ERA with 114 strikeouts over 72 innings pitched.
Baltimore Orioles
The Astros traded McDermott to the Baltimore Orioles in a three-team trade on August 1, 2022, in which the Houston Astros acquired Trey Mancini from Baltimore and Jayden Murray from the Tampa Bay Rays, the Rays acquired José Siri from the Houston Astros, and the Orioles also acquired Seth Johnson from the Rays. The Orioles assigned him to the Aberdeen Ironbirds of the High-A South Atlantic League.
On May 19, 2023, while with the Double-A Bowie Baysox, McDermott was part of a combined no-hitter that was thrown against the Altoona Curve. McDermott was the starting pitcher for Bowie, with Nolan Hoffman and Easton Lucas pitching in relief to seal the no-hit bid. He made 26 appearances (20 starts) split between Bowie and the Triple–A Norfolk Tides in 2023, registering an 8–8 record and 3.10 ERA with 152 strikeouts.
McDermott had a career-high eleven strikeouts and took a perfect-game attempt into the seventh inning of a 2–0 Tides away win over the Nashville Sounds on May 3, 2024. It was also the second time in two consecutive years that he started a combined no-hitter, with Hoffman and Kaleb Ort coming out of the bullpen to complete the achievement. In 20 games (19 starts) for Norfolk, he compiled a 3.96 ERA with 129 strikeouts across 91 innings pitched. On July 24, 2024, McDermott was selected to the 40-man roster and promoted to the major leagues for the first time.
Personal life
McDermott's older brother, Sean, played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Memphis Grizzlies. His uncle is long-time college coach, Linc Darner. His other uncle, Tige Darner, scored over 1,200 points for the Appalachian St Mountaineers.