Justin Hagenman Bio
Justin Michael Hagenman (born October 7, 1996) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB). A right-handed reliever who has also worked as a starter at the minor league level, Hagenman made his Major League debut in 2025 after a long development path through the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox farm systems. He signed with the Mets in November 2024 and was promoted to the major league roster in April 2025.
Drafted by the Dodgers in 2018 out of Pennsylvania State University, Hagenman spent several years moving between Double-A and Triple-A affiliates before reaching the majors. His professional journey included stints with the Ogden Raptors, Great Lakes Loons, Tulsa Drillers, Oklahoma City Dodgers, and Worcester Red Sox before joining New York’s organization.
Early Life and Background
Justin Michael Hagenman was born and raised in Voorhees Township, New Jersey. He grew up in a region with a strong baseball culture and developed his pitching skills during his youth. He attended Bishop Eustace Preparatory School in Pennsauken Township, where he played prep baseball and established himself as a college prospect.
After high school, Hagenman enrolled at Pennsylvania State University, where he played college baseball for the Penn State Nittany Lions baseball team. As a freshman in 2016, he was one of three Nittany Lions named to the Big Ten Conference’s All-Freshman Team, signaling his early promise on the mound. The following summer, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod Baseball League, a traditional proving ground for future professional pitchers.
In November 2015, while still in his early college years, Hagenman earned the win for Penn State in a friendly tournament game against a team from Mayabeque, Cuba, adding an international experience to his amateur résumé. He went on to start 14 games in each of his three seasons at Penn State, serving as a consistent presence in the rotation.
Path to Baseball
Hagenman’s path to professional baseball was shaped by his steady development at Penn State and his exposure to high-level amateur competition. His All-Freshman selection in the Big Ten and his summer in the Cape Cod League gave him visibility among major league scouts, even though he was not viewed as a top-tier prospect.
The Los Angeles Dodgers selected Hagenman in the 23rd round, with the 704th overall pick, of the 2018 Major League Baseball draft. That selection launched his minor league career and began a multi-year climb through the Los Angeles farm system, during which he would refine his repertoire and learn to handle both starting and relief roles.
Justin Hagenman Career
Early Career (2018–2020)
Hagenman split his first professional season in 2018 between the rookie-level Ogden Raptors and the Single-A Great Lakes Loons, both Dodgers affiliates. The following year, he returned to Great Lakes and produced his strongest early results, going 6–2 with a 2.24 earned run average, 64 strikeouts, and six saves across 33 appearances, showing that he could handle a multi-inning relief role at the lower minor league levels.
The 2020 minor league season was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Hagenman did not appear in a game that year. The pause interrupted his momentum but did not derail his long-term development path within the Dodgers organization.
Los Angeles Dodgers System (2021–2022)
Hagenman returned to action in 2021 with the Double-A Tulsa Drillers, where he served as a key bullpen piece. In 38 appearances, he compiled a 7–4 record and a 3.45 ERA with 77 strikeouts and six saves across 62⅔ innings pitched, demonstrating durability and consistent swing-and-miss stuff.
In 2022, Hagenman split the campaign between Tulsa and the Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers. Across 46 total appearances for the two affiliates, he registered a 5–3 record and a 5.57 ERA with 65 strikeouts over 63 innings of work. The step up to Triple-A proved challenging statistically, but he continued to log heavy usage out of the bullpen.
Oklahoma City and Trade to Boston (2023)
Hagenman began the 2023 season with Oklahoma City and produced one of his strongest stretches as a professional, going 4–0 with a 2.78 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 55 innings pitched across 25 games. His performance in the Dodgers’ top affiliate caught the attention of other organizations.
On July 25, 2023, the Dodgers traded Hagenman and fellow pitcher Nick Robertson to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for veteran infielder Enrique Hernández. The Red Sox assigned him to the Worcester Red Sox of the Triple-A International League, where he posted a 3.26 ERA with 28 strikeouts across 16 games to close out the season.
Worcester Red Sox (2024)
After using Hagenman primarily as a relief pitcher earlier in his career, the Red Sox transitioned him into a starting pitcher during the 2024 season at Worcester. In 28 appearances, including 15 starts, he compiled a 4–6 record and a 4.91 ERA with 98 strikeouts across 91⅔ innings pitched. The expanded workload gave him valuable innings as a starter, even as his overall numbers reflected the difficulty of the conversion.
Hagenman elected free agency on November 4, 2024, ending his time in the Boston organization and opening the door to a new opportunity in the National League.
New York Mets Era (2024–Present)
On November 18, 2024, Hagenman signed a one-year, major league contract with the New York Mets. He was optioned to the Triple-A Syracuse Mets to begin the 2025 season and spent the early months of the year refining his role in the Mets system.
On April 16, 2025, Hagenman was promoted to the major leagues for the first time. He entered the bottom of the second inning against the Minnesota Twins and went 3⅓ innings in a 4–3 extra-inning loss, giving up three hits, one run, and recording four strikeouts. He became the first Mets pitcher to strike out four batters in the first two innings of his MLB debut since Zack Wheeler in 2013. On August 12, 2025, Hagenman earned his first Major League save, pitching the final four innings of a 13–5 win against the Atlanta Braves.
Driving Style and Strengths
Hagenman has worked as both a reliever and a starter, giving him a versatile skill set that allows managers to deploy him in multi-inning relief appearances or in extended outings. His minor league track record shows swing-and-miss ability, with strikeout totals consistently high relative to innings pitched, and he has shown the durability to handle heavy usage out of the bullpen.
Notable Events and Milestones
Hagenman’s Major League debut on April 16, 2025, against the Minnesota Twins, and his first MLB save on August 12, 2025, against the Atlanta Braves, stand as the most significant moments of his big-league career to date. His debut strikeout performance placed him alongside Zack Wheeler in the Mets’ record book.
Justin Hagenman Career Wins
Across his professional career, Justin Hagenman has accumulated wins at the Single-A, Double-A, and Triple-A levels as both a starter and a reliever, though he had not yet recorded a decision at the Major League level as of the 2025 season.
Minor League Highlights
Hagenman posted a 6–2 record with the Great Lakes Loons in 2019 and a 7–4 record with the Tulsa Drillers in 2021, two of his strongest win totals as a professional. He also went 4–0 with the Oklahoma City Dodgers to begin the 2023 season before being traded to the Red Sox organization. In 2024, as a converted starter with Worcester, he went 4–6 in 28 appearances, including 15 starts.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond his domestic minor league numbers, Hagenman earned a win for Penn State in a friendly tournament game against Mayabeque, Cuba, in November 2015, an early international highlight. His Cape Cod League summer with the Wareham Gatemen in 2017 further broadened his competitive experience before turning professional.
Justin Hagenman Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Public information about Justin Hagenman’s immediate family is limited. He was born and raised in Voorhees Township, New Jersey, and developed his baseball career in the surrounding region, but detailed records about his parents or other relatives have not been widely published.
Personal Life
Justin Hagenman resides in the United States and has focused much of his adult life on his baseball career. Public details about a spouse or children have not been confirmed in available sources.
2025 Season Performance
Hagenman’s 2025 season began at Triple-A Syracuse before his promotion to the Mets on April 16, 2025. His debut outing against the Minnesota Twins, in which he struck out four batters in 3⅓ innings, announced his arrival in the Major Leagues and drew comparisons to Zack Wheeler’s 2013 debut.
Through the summer of 2025, Hagenman settled into a multi-inning relief role for New York. On August 12, 2025, he earned his first Major League save by covering the final four innings of a 13–5 win against the Atlanta Braves, a milestone that highlighted his growing importance to the Mets bullpen.
Looking ahead, Hagenman is expected to remain a key relief option for the Mets as the 2025 season continues, with the club likely to deploy him in long relief and high-leverage situations. His combination of strikeout ability and multi-inning experience gives New York flexibility in late-inning matchups.