Jacob deGrom Married Wife Stacey Harris in 2014: What We Know About Their Relationship

Major League Baseball star Jacob deGrom's personal life has been as successful as his professional career, thanks to his wife, Stacey Harris. Harris, a stay-at-home mother, has the demanding job of ensuring the family machine remains well-oiled and running smoothly.

The family of four has undergone some complicated phases in their years of marriage. After getting married in 2014, they welcomed their first child in 2016. The joy of having their first baby was almost cut short as the newborn failed to breathe and turned blue whenever he fell asleep.

DeGrom had to put his career aside for a while. Fortunately, the young family overcame those trying times and soon added a new member to their family in 2018. Now the family of four enjoys a life full of traveling, with Texas being one of their most recent destinations after deGrom signed a $185 million deal with the Texas Rangers.

When and How Did Jacob deGrom and Stacey Harris Meet?

Jacob deGrom and Harris have known each other for a very long time. They met in their home state of Florida when they both showed up at a bull riding event in Ocala. This was shortly after deGrom completed high school at Calvary Christian academy. That fateful day was followed by a successful seven years of courtship.

During their early dating years, deGrom was in college, where he played for Stetson University, and Harris was working night shifts doing clinical studies on people with sleep apnea. However, after deGrom was drafted by the New York Mets aged 22 in 2010, Harris stopped working and became a housewife.

A little less than two years after Harris walked down the aisle, the family of two added one more.

Jacob deGrom Was Nervous about His Wedding

When deGrom and Harris met, they were in their late teens. After several years of dating, they got engaged on December 25, 2013, making the big day twice as unique. They tied the knot almost a year later in New Smyrna, Florida. The baseball player spoke about being a bit anxious about the occasion, saying:

"I was really nervous for my wedding, and I didn’t think I would be. I was standing up at the altar waiting on her to walk down — oh man, was I nervous! When she got down there, I wasn’t as bad. And she even said, she goes, 'I've never seen you so serious in your life.'"

After they became husband and wife, they continued to reside in Florida despite deGrom playing for the New York Mets, located more than a thousand miles away. The couple generally maintains a very low profile and is not on social media platforms. However, Harris can sometimes be seen in the stands, cheering her man.

Jacob Missed Games after His First Child Was Born

A little less than two years after Harris walked down the aisle, the family of two added one more. In April 2016, they welcomed their son, Jaxon Anthony. His birth occurred in the middle of the season, and the expectant father had to leave his team to be with his wife during the delivery.

However, deGrom's absence from the team was extended after Jaxon experienced some health complications and stayed in the hospital longer than expected. The Mets pitcher had to file for a family emergency leave, making him unavailable for the team's subsequent matches. Terry Collins, deGrom's manager, reported:

“I’ve spoken to him every day. He’s where you would expect him to be. He’s not sleeping much. We’re certainly rooting for him and Stacey and the baby to hang in there. … It’s a real-life situation."

Jaxon's Near-Death Experience

Losing a loved one is never easy, and the thought of it can weaken some of the strongest people. For deGrom and Harris, it was one of the most gruesome experiences they could ever have. The MLB star narrated the events to the New York Post in 2016.

He recalled the moment their baby stopped breathing while he was asleep. Coincidentally, the medical team diagnosed the problem as apnea, the same sleeping disorder that Harris had been helping with research before they got married; hence, her experiences might have come in handy.

When they first noticed something was wrong with Jaxon, Harris' sister, a respiratory therapist, was holding him and quickly ran some tests on him. The newborn was said to have been turning blue. DeGrom lamented the situation saying, "You never want to see your kid like that."

Jacob Is Happy to Be a Father

The young family managed to get out of the hospital with a healthier Jaxon. DeGrom was soon back at work doing what he did best -- playing ball. However, almost two years later, the family was back in the hospital again with some more good news. Jaxon was getting a sibling.

In February 2018, the family of three became four as they welcomed Jaxon's sister Aniston Grace. That time, things went much smoother for the then-relatively experienced couple. They were in and out of the hospital in no time.

Commenting on his experiences of fatherhood, the MLB player said being a father had become more important to him, especially after his son's health scare just after birth. He said, "I am really happy to be a father. It really puts things into perspective… what is important and what is not."

Jaxon, now six years old, is said to be a noisy sleeper. His father is grateful for his children and their mother, who has had to take up the bulk of the parenting while he works. The deGrom family has to move a lot as their home is far from his workplace, and Harris has managed the parenting and traveling very well.