Young players reign supreme in baseball. Here are the 10 youngest players opening the season in the big leagues: 1. Batting second and starting in center field, he doubled off Pedro Martinez in the fourth inning -- his first hit -- and stood on deck when Crawford ended the game with a three-run, walk-off homer in the ninth. After five games, McKee compiled a 1-0 win-loss card, an earned run average of 5.87, and one strikeout. Wander Franco was the youngest player in the MLB in both 2021 and 2022. The future Hall of Famer played in 107 games in 1974 for the Brewers, hitting .250 with three home runs. He was compelled to enlist following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He played most of 1945 in the minors before being drafted into military service for the majority of 1946. The Hall of Famer went 1-for-3 with a double batting second in a Mariners loss to the As. Michael Vick holds the record since 2000 with a 4.33 time. Franco was born on March 1, 2001. He was called up mainly due to a player shortage because of World War II, but in an age when. Alex Rodriguez Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com lex Rodrguez Positions: Shortstop and Third Baseman Bats: Right Throws: Right 6-3 , 230lb (190cm, 104kg) Born: July 27, 1975 (Age: 47-210d) in New York, NY us More bio, uniform, draft, salary info 3x MVP 14x All-Star 2009 World Series 2x Gold Glove During the 2000s, Ramirez is among the National League leaders in numerous categories: 3rd in hits and doubles, 2nd in home runs, extra-base hits, and total bases, and #1 with 1,350 RBI. Hamner was also a three-time NL All-Star. Im just happy I hit the ball, Upton told the St. Petersburg Times after his first game, during which he wore No. The high marks include a 4.45 by Justin Fields at Ohio State's pro day when the combine was canceled that year due to COVID-19. Look, Ill be honest: I hadnt heard of these gentlemen when I started this exercise. Soto is also tied for 100th on the active leaderboard for MLB home runs (99) and is 48th . Will your squad's best young players be breaking camp with the team? Do you have a blog? Yount hit his first home run on April 13 that year, and went on to hit three more as an 18-year-old. The Tiger legend hit .250 with a home run in 30 games for Detroit in 1953, kicking off a Hall of Fame career. That was one of 14 games hed play in 1945. Like Franco, Luciano and Marte have been highly touted since signing as 16-year-olds out of the Dominican Republic, but their respective organizations seem to be taking their time with their development. Predicting when top 2023 prospects will make their MLB debuts. The youngest player in Major League Baseball is Baltimore Orioles infielder Adrian Marin, who is currently 21 years old. He went 0-for-2 in a Dodgers loss to the Phillies. Predicting when top 2023 prospects will make their MLB debuts. On July 19, 1936 when a 17-year-old Bob Feller was handed his first appearance at the big league level, most had no idea that the less-than physically imposing teenager was about to embark upon a. Kaline wound up being selected an all-star a staggering 18 times, won one World Series in 1968, and stuck around as a TV commentator for the team after his career ended. The supreme monster of teenage pitching, Gooden blazed his way to the big leagues and put up a 17-9 record with an amazing 2.60 ERA in his first season with the Mets in 1984. Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball. He resumed his professional baseball career upon his return in 1947. Guardians outfielder Roman Quinn turned on a 1-2 pitch, sending it over the left-field wall. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. While his talent will never be disputed, addiction curbed much of his success in the subsequent years. The future Hall of Famer is the last teenager to appear in an Opening Day game, regardless of whether he started or not. Watson and Mayer could be particularly quick movers, la Bobby Witt Jr. He had a successful MLB career, pitching for a total of 16 seasons. He raked together 2,848 hits, was selected to the all-star team 18 times, won two World Series, was the American League MVP in 1964 and the World Series MVP in 1970. While he only played one game with the team in 1944, it was a less-than-ideal MLB debut. Astros pitchers youve probably never heard of: LHP Julio Robaina (3/23/01)RHP Jaime Melendez (9/26/01). Tatis says shoulder, wrist '100%' in first game since '21. Trout is also the youngest. In nine games he hit an impressive .308 (on just 15 plate attempts) with no home runs, but he'd go on to become the Twins' greatest slugger, belting 573 home runs. He started as a shortstop, moved to the outfield, and never missed a beat along the way. Alex George entered the MLB early. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Inactive players are those players no longer playing in professional baseball anywhere (including the minors or internationally). MLB refers to the league made up of the post-2000 merger of the American and National Leagues. He was 40 years, 87 days old in his final game, on Aug. 13, 1977. Derrington made another 20 appearances for the White Sox in 1957, and overall went 0-2 with a 5.23 ERA in only 43 career big league innings. The 40-man rosters seemed like a good first place to search for our mystery player. The cautionary tale to end all cautionary tales of the misuse of a young, gifted pitcher. . . And then we can do this all over again. Appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated at the age of 16 with the caption "The Chosen One." He earned four All-Star nods (plus one All-Star Game MVP), a Silver Slugger Award and one Gold Glove before becoming a free agent after the 2010 season. Mickey Mantle, RF: 19 years, 179 days in 1951 (Yankees)Batting third in his first Opening Day and his Major League debut, the Hall of Famer went 1-for-4 in a Yankees win against the Red Sox. Trout was just two months shy of his 20th birthday when he debuted for the Angels in July of last year, and was considered by most MLB scouts as the best prospect in all of baseball, even besting fellow phenom Bryce Harper. Tatis says shoulder, wrist '100%' in first game since '21. Still, it's worth noting that in his initial season he hit zero home runs, and didn't hit into the double digits until he was 23. All of them have been position players -- the youngest pitcher on record to start on Opening Day was Catfish Hunter at 20 years, 4 days old in 1966. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. Alex George made his MLB debut at age 16 on September 16, 1955 for the Kansas City Athletics. After his short-lived cameo at the big league level, George toiled in the minors for several years, but never again reaching the majors. Gone are the days of 40-year-old MVPs and late career renaissances that seemed so prevalent in the last two decades of Major League Baseball.There seems to be an influx of yout. Overall, Houtteman posted an 87-91 record with a 4.14 ERA in 325 games over 12 seasons. Your login session has expired. Not on a 40-man roster, but young prospects already in Double-A: Braves OF Michael Harris (3/7/01)Cardinals 1B Malcom Nunez (3/9/01)Rays RHP Taj Bradley (3/20/01)Yankees SS Anthony Volpe (4/28/01)White Sox SS Jose Rodriguez (5/13/01)Orioles SS Gunnar Henderson (6/29/01)Mets C Francisco Alvarez (11/19/01)Blue Jays SS Orelvis Martinez (11/19/01)Cardinals 3B Jordan Walker (5/22/02)Marlins RHP Eury Perez (4/15/03). Delmon Young: 20 years, 349 daysDebut: Aug. 29, 2006. I know, I don't really get the significance of the helmet toss either, but it's possible that it was out of sheer frustration due to the fact that it's nearly impossible to find a picture of a man who pitched one time for the Dodgers in 1944. If he can stay healthy and continue to dominate to the degree he did last season (1.96 ERA, 43 hits, 108 K's in 78 IPs at two Class-A levels), its not impossible to imagine him being one of Miamis five best starters at some point in 2022. He was 15 years and 316 days old when he made his MLB debut for the Reds. All images are property the copyright holder and are displayed here for informational purposes only. But after his debut, Nuxhall would return to the league in 1952. . (Bryce Harper hit 22 in 2012, as did Juan Soto in 2018.). Granny Hamner, SS: 17 years, 356 days in 1945 (Phillies)Hamner debuted in September 1944, in part because many players were fighting in World War II and there were roster spots available. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Rogers McKee was a lefty hurler who was another teenager to see game action due to World War II. Not the greatest start for the man with the fiery temperament, but he'd go on to hit 509 home runs and bat .292 lifetime, while winning a World Series title and being selected to nine all-star games. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? . He also won a batting title just three years after his debut. His favorite position is shortstop. He would play three more seasons in the minor leagues before retiring from baseball in 1960. With the 20th anniversary of World War I approaching, Eddie Miksis became the youngest player in Major League Baseball history when he debuted at the age of 17 years, nine months and six days. it seems a 2022 MLB debut is all but inevitable. Young Sluggers The youngest player in MLB is Vctor Robles, who plays for the Washington Nationals. He started as No. Now that the 2022 regular season is almost over it's a good time to take a look at the most exciting young MLB talent with our Hottest Baseball Rookie Cards 2022 list. The 20 Youngest MLB Players to Debut Since World War I0 of 20Christian Petersen/Getty ImagesBaseball is a young man's game. Will your squad's best young players be breaking camp with the team? Cavs Nation - Spencer See 3h. Tips/tools for using data gri ds: Manual Filter: Single-click a row to highlight in orange. This surely has to do with expectation and hope - hope, specifically, for another Mickey Mantle, probably the highest profile player to debut as a teenager. Showing There have been 20 teenagers to start on Opening Day in the Modern Era (since 1900), according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Who is the youngest manager in MLB in 2023? Age: 14 years, 10 months, 1 day | Adu, supposedly America's great soccer prodigy, became the youngest player to appear in a game and the youngest to score -- during the 2004 season with D.C. United. Ken Griffey Jr., CF: 19 years, 133 days in 1989 (Mariners)Griffey's first Opening Day start was also his Major League debut. Alex Rodriguez remains MLB's last 18-year-old (he appeared in 13 games as an 18-year-old with the 1994 Mariners ), and before him, you have to go back to Jose Rijo with the 1984 Yankees. Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball. 5 uniform to honor Albert Pujols, an all-time great from Francos native Dominican Republic. He went yard on his first two at bats, becoming the youngest player in history to homer in the World Series at 19 years and 180 days. Cass Michaels, SS: 19 years, 44 days in 1945 (White Sox)Michaels debuted in the Majors for the White Sox at age 17 in 1943 and played in games both as a 17-year-old and an 18-year-old. Following his early debut, Weinert was able to hang on as a lefty hurler for parts of nine seasons with the Phillies, Cubs and a couple appearances with the Yankees. He made his debut as the designated hitter against knuckleballer Tim Wakefield. When he debuted last season, he became the first player born in 2001 to reach the major leagues. The next step would be to find players younger than Franco who are currently playing in Double-A. Putsy Caballero still holds the distinction of being the youngest position player in MLB's modern era. He didn't have another season with fewer than 15 home runs for the rest of his career. Tatis is the eighth-youngest position player to start on Opening Day in the last 50 seasons -- six individuals did so, including Robin Yount twice. The right-hander is best remembered for his second stint with the Rays as a key veteran in their bullpen from 2008-10. The lefty flew through the Minors, joining Tampa Bays Double-A Montgomery affiliate after the 2004 Trade Deadline, then skipping Triple-A to make his debut in a 9-0 win over the Mariners in Seattle. He lives in D.C. but is a huge Seattle Mariners fan and loves watching the KBO, which means he doesn't get a lot of sleep. The Cincinnati Reds hold a unique record that will most certainly never be broken, as they fielded the youngest player in MLB history. He compiled a win-loss card of 135-117. While he has yet to establish himself as a regular starter at the big league level, Marin is widely considered to be a promising young talent and is expected . Well, I guess 18 if you count going to Candlestick Park in San Francisco for an NFL exhibition game. Although teenagers younger than 19 have been rare in the MLB, some have managed to accomplish this feat with a lot of them being called up due to the World War. Through 0.2 innings, Nuxhall finished with a 67.50 ERA with zero strikeouts while giving up five runs to the eventual World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals. It's widely agreed that ownership's push to sell tickets pushed Clyde's arm to the brink. The 17-year-old first baseman would only appear in two games for the Cleveland Indians, knocking one base-hit and collecting one RBI in eight at-bats. Medical issues limited him after that, although he was part of the Rays worst-to-first turnaround in 2008 and finished his playing career with the team in 10. Earning his big league debut as a catcher August 13, 1955, Jim Pagliaroni was the youngest backstop to see Major League action in baseball's modern era. Another short-lived World War II major leaguer, Vern Freiburger earned a call-up on September 6, 1941. Volpe will need to join or surpass fellow infield prospect Oswald Peraza (older than Franco but currently in Triple-A) on his way to the Bronx. Some defensive statistics Copyright Sports Info Solutions, 2010-2023. He played Rookie-level ball in 99, Class A in 2000, Double-A in 01 and Triple-A in 02 before making his entrance as the Devil Rays No. Tatis says shoulder, wrist '100%' in first game since '21. Predicting when top 2023 prospects will make their MLB debuts. In addition to being the youngest person to ever play for the Yankees, Hanson is also the only person younger than 18 to appear in a game for them . Gene Mauch, SS: 18 years, 152 days in 1944 (Dodgers)Mauch made his Major League debut on Opening Day in 1944 for the Dodgers, who were in need of players during wartime. Born on March 1, 2001, he was tagged as one of the best prospects in Major League Baseball. Another beneficiary of the events of WWII, Cass Michaels was a utility infielder who parlayed his versatility into a 12-year career with the White Sox, Senators, Athletics and St. Louis Browns. He pitched four more seasons of minor league ball without again reaching the majors. But again, its so, so early to expect that much from players in the nascent stages of their professional development. All major league baseball data including pitch type, velocity, batted ball location, and play-by-play data provided . All rights reserved. He would go on to do a lot better, and stop hundreds from doing as well as they would have if they'd hit the ball at any other third baseman. The National Football League has been around in some form or another and stoking its fans since 1920. He was on four All-Star teams and finished as high as third in MVP voting -- in 1961. Furthermore, Ott also led the NL in RBI in 1934. A-Rod was drafted in 1993 and rocketed through the minor league system. He went 1-for-5 in a Red Sox win over the Yankees. This tool shows the players born immediately before and after a specified birthdate. Hamner had stopovers with the Philadelphia Phillies, Cleveland Indians, and the Kansas City Athletics. Remember: It is extraordinarily rare for a player to make his MLB debut before turning 20. Sibby Sisti, 2B: 19 years, 265 days in 1940 (Bees)Sisti hit leadoff and went 2-for-4 with a double for the Boston Bees (the Braves franchise) in a loss to the Dodgers. Vada Pinson, RF: 19 years, 247 days in 1958 (Reds)Pinson hit second ahead of Frank Robinson in an Opening Day loss to the Phillies, which doubled as his MLB debut. The Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr. was 20 years, 85 days old on Opening Day 2019, just out of his teens. Given his initial shot on August 19, 1943, Michaels went hitless in two starts late that year. Over his 16 seasons with the Phillies, as well as parts of two seasons with the Athletics and Indians, Hamner hit .262 with 104 home runs and 708 RBI. The Mets were roundly criticized for trading Kazmir, their first-round pick in 2002, to get Victor Zambrano. The Rays promptly traded Young to the Twins that offseason for a return headlined by Matt Garza and Jason Bartlett, beginning a trade tree that has been fruitful for the franchise for 13 years and counting. Though it would be several more seasons before Jimmie Foxx would establish himself as one of the all-time legends of the game, the Philadelphia Athletics saw enough promise in the youngster to hand him his MLB debut at 17 years old. Drafted second overall in the 2002 Draft, Upton played 130 games in the Minors in 03 and 98 in 04 before the then-Devil Rays called him up. He was 41 years, 188 days old in his final game, on Oct. 6, 1985, with the Mets. 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