DUNEDIN, Fla. – A game-changer. On and off the field.
That is Marcus Stroman’s goal, and the right-hander from Long Island knows all about achieving his goals.
Believe in Marcus Stroman. Believe in his Blue Jays as they again try to beat the Yankees and win the AL East.
This season they have to do it without David Price, but Stroman is the type of determined pitcher who can lead a staff.
“I want to be the best player in the game, for sure,’’ Stroman told The Post at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium. “That’s why I do everything that I do. I’m not content with being average or being OK. I don’t want to be the No. 4 or No. 3 starter.
“I want to be the ace.’’
Stroman, 24, is only 5-foot-8, but he is a high-performance pitcher in peak condition. After coming back from a torn ACL last spring, Stroman was 4-0 with a 1.67 ERA in the regular season and 1-0 in the postseason. This is his time.
“That’s just how I’ve been raised my entire life, my upbringing, my family,’’ Stroman said. “I realize it’s only the beginning. I realize with my work ethic and if I stay motivated, I can achieve a lot more. I’m in a position right now where a lot of people didn’t think I’d be in so I’m just excited to be here and looking forward to build on that.’’
Veteran Blue Jays starter R.A. Dickey knows what it takes to succeed. He sees a special pitcher and person in Stroman.
“He walks the good line of having a lot of confidence and being very teachable,’’ the ex-Met told The Post. “Other guys are too impressionable or don’t have enough confidence. He’s always hungry for people to teach him things, which is a real rare attribute, and he’s one of the hardest workers I’ve been around. He has skill and possesses these other attributes that are so rare, and that’s what separates him from the pack.
“He has a chip on his shoulder, too, which is OK because it never takes him so far to the right where he is not willing to listen to anybody. That may be his most endearing quality to me.’’
Stroman looks around the Blue Jays’ talented clubhouse and sees success. Toronto lost to Kansas City in six games in the ALCS.
“The goal is the World Series,’’ Stroman said. “That’s the motivation of every guy in this clubhouse. Guys were not happy or content after we lost. It was like, ‘All right, this is the beginning of something special.’ ’’
He has a clothing line and his trademarked logo, HDMH (Height Doesn’t Measure Heart), says it all. Stroman, who is a rapper, too, is a major presence on social media.
“The same guy you see on Twitter (@MStrooo6), that’s me. No one has ever touched my social media platform,’’ he said. “I know a lot of athletes have people run their accounts. Every single tweet, every single post, every thing you see on social media platform is me 100 percent. Knowing I am an inspiration to people is important and very humbling.’’
He feels baseball is on the verge of a renaissance.
“I think with the core group of young guys coming up now, I think we have the ability to shift the culture and make the game more exciting,’’ Stroman said of this new Bryce Harper & Co. baseball world.
The Rays’ Chris Archer and Stroman have plans to help “youth get more active playing baseball in their communities, especially inner-city kids,’’ he said.
In May, Stroman will accomplish the goal of graduating from Duke University with a degree in sociology.
“Playing in the big leagues is a dream come true, but education is something that was blasted at me since I was a little kid,’’ Stroman said. His dad is a police detective. His mom works in community preservation. “Walking across that stage and getting that diploma will be a cumulation of all that work, not only for me but for my entire family. Everyone had a part.’’
In high school in 2009, Stroman (Patchogue-Medford) locked into a pitching duel for the ages with Steven Matz (Ward Melville). Don’t expect any Glory Days memories.
“It was a cool game, there were a bunch of scouts there, pretty cool for Long Island baseball,’’ Stroman said.
“We’re cool,’’ Stroman said of him and Matz. “But it’s completely different worlds.’’
Matz’s Mets went to the World Series in 2015. The Blue Jays plan on being there in 2016 with Stroman leading the way on the mound.
That would be the perfect setting for the two pitching worlds of Matz and Stroman to once again collide.