Lakeland's Jonathan de Marte Named Gatorade NYS Baseball Player of the Year

The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with ESPN RISE, has recognized Lakeland High School senior Jonathan deMarte as New York's best high school baseball athlete. He has been named Gatorade New York Baseball Player of the Year, for the second year in a row. 

The award recognizes outstanding athletic excellence, as well as high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field.

de Marte is a finalist for the Gatorade National Baseball Player of the Year award, which will be announced in June. He joins past state baseball award winners, including Derek Jeter (1991-92, Kalamazoo HS, Mich.), Roy Halladay (1994-95, Arvada West HS, Colo.), David Price (2003-04, Blackman HS, Tenn.), Chipper Jones (1989-90, Bolles School, Fla.), Derek Lee (1992-93, El Camino HS, Calif.) and John Lester (2001-02, Bellarmine Prep, Wash.).

The 6-foot-1, 200-pound senior right-handed pitcher posted a 6-1 record on the mound with a 1.22 ERA, leading the Hornets (16-3) to the Section I tournament this past season. He recorded 59 strikeouts and issued just five walks in 40 innings pitched, and batted .492 with 20 RBI. He was a First Team All-State selection and the Louisville Slugger New York Player of the Year in 2010.

de Marte has maintained a B-plus average at school. He has a black belt in Taekwondo,and has volunteered locally on behalf of youth sports teams and instructional clinics.

“He’s as solid a pitcher as I’ve seen,” head coach of rival John Jay High, Tom O’Hare said in a statement. “He’s got a good fastball that overpowers a lot of kids, his slider is an out pitch, and he keeps guys off-balance with a good change up.”

de Marte has on scholarship at the University of Richmond this fall.

The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track and field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport.

This is the 26th year the company is honoring the nation’s best high school athletes. 

For more information on the Gatorade Player of the Year program, including nomination information, a complete list of past winners, and the announcement of the Gatorade National Player of the Year, click here.