DeRosa was born on February 26, 1975, in Passaic, New Jersey. His parents, father Jack and mother Mickey, were descended from Italian immigrants. Jack once played college baseball as a pitcher for the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights, for whom he once threw a no hitter. Growing up in Carlstadt, New Jersey, a New York City suburb, Mark regularly watched the New York Yankees on television. His favorite player was Don Mattingly. His early playing experience came with Carlstadt's Little League team, which was sponsored by General Tire and coached by his father. He attended Bergen Catholic High School in Oradell, New Jersey, where he earned all-state honors in baseball and in football.
