Wander Franco was the youngest player in the MLB in both 2021 and 2022. 1 Will your squad's best young players be breaking camp with the team? Cease posted a 14-8 record, 2.20 ERA , and 227 strikeouts across 184 innings (32 starts . Statistic Description: Youngest Player in Majors This is found using the player's age at the start of the season regardless of their age when they actually played during the year. Predicting when top 2023 prospects will make their MLB debuts. Predicting when top 2023 prospects will make their MLB debuts. Young Sluggers The youngest player in MLB is Vctor Robles, who plays for the Washington Nationals. Even if Alvarez's defense behind the dish isnt fully baked by the end of this season, his bat might be too overwhelming to ignore if the Mets need an offensive boost at some point this year. But in 2009, the Society for American Baseball Research discovered that Chapman's first name and age were both incorrect. Rankings of Negro League players should consider that Negro League data is not complete. Delmon Young: 20 years, 349 daysDebut: Aug. 29, 2006. Throughout the remainder of the season, Ott saw regular action as a pinch-hitter, showing the promise as a17-year-old that would enable him to produce a stellar career and garner him entrance into baseball's Hall of Fame. Strikeouts would be a benchmark in a career in which he led the league seven times, including 1946 when he struck out 348. Like many other young players in the World War II era, Eddie Miksis got an early start to his Major League career thanks to American involvement in the Europe and the Pacific. On June 17, 1944 the 17-year-old Miksis entered a game against the Phillies as a pinch runner, scoring a run to help the Brooklyn Dodgers win upon his debut. All rights reserved. For this piece, lets take a closer look at the 10 youngest players to ever debut in MLB. 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 had debuted in June 1998, a few months after turning 19. Ted Williams called him the best pitcher that he ever faced, which was appropriate, since both players led their generations on the field and in combat while they served the country overseas. This tool shows the players born immediately before and after a specified birthdate. Maybe he caught an inning at the end of the game. Find out more. 23 players age 22 or younger have put up a 125 OPS+ since 2000, more than the previous three decades combined (20). Eventually known as a center fielder, Upton spent most of his first 45 games in the Majors playing shortstop and third base while mixing in time as the DH and making one start in left field. Given his initial shot on August 19, 1943, Michaels went hitless in two starts late that year. Making his Major League debut as a reliever on September 24, 1919, Lefty Weinert got shelled, allowing 11 hits and nine runs in four innings. All Rights Reserved. As such, it seems likely that the first 2002 baby to reach MLB will have a great chance to be a star someday, too. on Oct. 2, 1974. And Pudge would go on to perhaps a greater career than Bench, hitting .294 with 2,844 hits and 311 home runs to go with a World Series title. He was an extreme outlier case involving the Rule 5 Draft.). He entered late in a 12-1 defeat by the Giants, subbing into the game as a defensive replacement at third, and going hitless in one at-bat. He went 2-for-3 with a homer in his first game, a 12-9 loss to the White Sox, and hit .317 in his first 30 games. It's still the youngest MLB debut in history, and it's unlikely to be broken. The 20-year-old hailed from the Dominican Republic and made his major league debut late in the season on Sept. 7, 2017. Junior played in 127 games, hit .264 and smacked 16 home runs. 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. 24 Being the first player born in a year to reach MLB usually portends some level of stardom or at least indicates a successful career ahead. Nuxhall was able to reach the majors at such a young age due to a shortage of players as a result of World War II. Still a teenager on Opening Day 1975, Yount became the only teenager to homer on Opening Day, in a Brewers loss, also to the Red Sox. At 17 years old, McKee remains to be the youngest MLB player to accomplish a nine-inning complete-game victory in the season ender. 35,010: 4.16: Sports: Following the 2020 World Series, Cruz became a free agent. He spent time with the Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Athletics, and Los Angeles Angels. Ozzie Albies, also 20, is the second youngest. Stuffy McInnis, SS: 18 years, 205 days in 1909 (Athletics)McInnis went 1-for-4 in his Major League debut on Opening Day in 1905, as his Philadelphia Athletics beat the Boston Red Sox. He was 39 years, 287 days old in his final game. As a 17-year-old, he swatted a sac fly in one plate appearance in an 18-9 loss to the Senators. Bryce Harper has taken Major League Baseball by storm at the tender age of 19 years old, which got us thinking about the most notable teenage debuts in the history of the game. Who is going to be the first player younger than Franco to reach the big leagues? 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. The cautionary tale to end all cautionary tales of the misuse of a young, gifted pitcher. Sisti had debuted as an 18-year-old in July 1939. Both of these men had abbreviated playing careers, but exhibited promising leadership qualities. He would play three more seasons in the minor leagues before retiring from baseball in 1960. It remains to be seen if he will remain the youngest player in the MLB next season. Soto is also tied for 100th on the active leaderboard for MLB home runs (99) and is 48th . Pitching four innings of relief in a loss to the Chicago Cubs, Skaugstad allowed three hits, three walks and no runs. He threw 2/3 of an inning for the Reds on June 10, 1944. 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. Any of these players reaching the big leagues in 2022 would be astonishing, but the pedigree and performance potential are there for almost all of them to experience a supersonic rise. 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. He was still a teen when he started 1980, and after a 6.62 ERA in six starts, he was out of the bigs, never to return again. A typical Major League Baseball season lasts approximately one month and one half, and teams play 162 games. Overall, 31 different position players have started Opening Day at Tatis' age or younger in the Modern Era, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Scheib made a handful of appearances for the Philadelphia Athletics over the next three seasons before being drafted into military service in 1945. Teams are once again realizing the vital role that talented youths play in this great game, as we are seeing young players contributing to their teams across MLB. He never made it to the majors, but set the record for the youngest ever signed. Jim Derrington started his MLB career young at only 16 years old. However, as of 2022, the youngest MLB player is likely to be outfielder Juan Soto of the Washington Nationals. Hamner had stopovers with the Philadelphia Phillies, Cleveland Indians, and the Kansas City Athletics. . In 131 big league games, he compiled an 18-33 record with a 4.59 ERA. Joe Nuxhall had one of the more interesting paths to the majors in modern baseball history. In fact, the last 18-year old to make his MLB debut was Alex Rodriguez which was way back in 1994. His stellar resume is all the more impressive considering he missed nearly four years of his career due to serving in the Navy. 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. As of now, here are the 10 youngest players who opened the season in the big leagues: 1. He debuted just days after his 19th birthday. When he debuted last season, he became the first player born in 2001 to reach the major leagues. Marin made his MLB debut in September of 2016 and has appeared in 36 games for the Orioles over the past two seasons. A high school legend in Texas, Clyde went 4-8 with a 5.01 ERA in 1973, which was remarkable, all things considered. The 20 Youngest MLB Players to Debut Since World War I0 of 20Christian Petersen/Getty ImagesBaseball is a young man's game. Although Jim Derrington is only third on this list, he remains the youngest pitcher to ever start a game. Furthermore, Ott also led the NL in RBI in 1934. and let him make his MLB debut . He and Whitaker are considered by many Detroit faithful as Hall of Fame snubs. But Alvarado ends that trend, as the Venezuelan lefty reliever had not yet turned 22 when he emerged from Tampa Bays bullpen and gave up three runs in an inning of work during a 10-6 loss to Miami at Tropicana Field. He was originally signed by the Reds out of a semi-pro league that he had been playing in with his father. That got us thinking: Where does he rank among the youngest Rays players ever at the time of their big league debut? Nuxhall remains the youngest individual to play in a major league game in history. The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball. Your login session has expired. 22 overall prospect for the Class of 2022 per the Prep Baseball Report, 17-year-old Walter Ford, will be the youngest player to enter this year's MLB Draft. He would pitch eight years with the Tigers, another five with Cleveland, and part of one with the Orioles in his final season. Aside from playing for the Dodgers, Palica also saw action for the Baltimore Orioles. After that it forced Major Leaague Baseball to set age restrictions for international players who were not covered by the then current regulations. He started as a shortstop, moved to the outfield, and never missed a beat along the way. For example, players such as Harris or Rodriguez might be more likely to get an emergency call-up, considering their ability to defend at a high level, than a player who is more bat-first. Saturday at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis could go a long way in determining the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. (He hit .267 at nineteen for the '51 Yankees . Jordan Shusterman is half of @CespedesBBQ and a baseball writer for FOX Sports. . Kazmir pitched five innings against a lineup led by Ichiro Suzuki and Edgar Martinez. Unlike the names above, you wont find them anywhere near any top-100 prospect lists. He would make only one more appearance in the next week, but then never again pitched in the majors. Within the last three years, weve seen the Blue Jays Elvis Luciano take the field at 19 years, 44 days and the Nationals Juan Soto immediately thrive as a teenager (19 years, 207 days). Lets try to figure it out! Making his big league debut on April 27, 1926, Mel Ott struck out in his only pinch hit at bat of a 9-8 Giants victory over the Phillies. 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. Killebrew's case is rare in that you don't often see players yo-yo between the big leagues and minor leagues as much before settling in as stars. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. He was compelled to enlist following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Putsy Caballero is considered to be the youngest position player to debut in the MLB during the modern era. He still remains the youngest American Leaguer to play in baseball's modern era. Click FILTER ROWS button to show only those rows in the grid; Quick-Filter: Double-Click on a cell value to filter the grid on rows that have same value in same column. Entering late in an 18-0 drubbing at the hands of the St. Louis Cardinals, the teenage Nuxhall faced nine hitters, retiring two, but allowing two hits, five walks and five runs. He would make only a handful of appearances throughout the rest of the year, but turned his opportunity as a 17-year-old into a solid Major League career. At 15 years and 316 days, Joe Nuxhall was the youngest ever to debut in the majors. Mauricio is the best prospect of the bunch, with Tena a close second, but both Cleveland and New York are already plenty crowded with infielders at the levels above them. The Cincinnati Reds hold a unique record that will most certainly never be broken, as they fielded the youngest player in MLB history. Earning his debut on June 10, 1944 the 15-year-old Nuxhall became the youngest player ever to appear in a Major League game. In other words, its been a while. While 19-year-olds are regularly the youngest age an MLB player can make his debut, it has been rare to see anyone younger showcase his talent on the . At 19, he was the youngest starting pitcher to debut in the Majors since Flix Hernndez in the 2005 season and the second youngest Dodgers starting pitcher to debut since 18-year-old Rex Barney in the 1943 season. Apparently the team had originally intended upon scouting his father, but were impressed by the younger Nuxhall. Delmon Young: 20 years, 349 days Debut: Aug. 29, 2006 The No. With young, modern phenoms such as Bryce Harper knocking on the door of the big leagues while still in his teens, let's take a look at the 20 youngest players to play in Major League games since the end of World War I. This article will cover the history of expansions and franchise moves in MLB. Bobby Doerr, 2B: 19 years, 13 days in 1937 (Red Sox)A teenage Doerr hit leadoff for the Red Sox on Opening Day, going 3-for-5 in a game Boston won, 11-5, over the Athletics. The 20 younger players in the MLB that debut since World War I,0 von 20Christian Petersen/Getty PicturesBaseball is a young man. Franco wont be the youngest player to debut in the Majors, of course. The Marlins have a ton of young pitchers zooming through their system, but Perez might be the crown jewel. Quite the debut, indeed! Alex George made his MLB debut at age 16 on September 16, 1955 for the Kansas City Athletics. Dodgers Mookie Betts making Los Angeles home on and off the field, Orioles, Pirates play a spring training inning without umpires, 2023 MLB World Series odds: Futures lines for every team, Injured Cubs OF Seiya Suzuki off WBC Japan squad, could miss Opening Day, Padres show no signs of slowing down with Manny Machado extension, Rays pitcher Tyler Glasnow to miss 6 to 8 weeks with oblique strain, Max Scherzer loves pitch clock, which debuts to mixed reactions, Rich Hill is MLB's oldest player, and maybe its most colorful, Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more, FOX SPORTS, SPEED, SPEED.COM & 2023 Fox Media LLC and Fox Sports Interactive Media, LLC. From 1952-66, Nuxhall would post a 135-117 record with a 3.88 ERA while also recording 1,372 strikeouts. There have been 20 teenagers to start on Opening Day in the Modern Era (since 1900), according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The Tigers defeated a young Don Larsen and the Orioles, 3-0. Will your squad's best young players be breaking camp with the team? Dodgers C Diego Cartaya (9/7/01)Cubs OF Pete Crow-ArmstrongPadres OF James Wood (9/17/02)Cubs INF James Triantos (1/29/03)Yankees OF Jasson Dominguez (2/7/03). 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). According to the statistics, the average age of the AL and NL rookies of the year was 22.4 and 23.6 years, respectively. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. He remained involved with the team for years before becoming the Twins' manager. Rogers Hornsby, SS: 19 years, 351 days in 1916 (Cardinals)Hornsby had debuted in September 1915, but played in his first Opening Day in 1916. 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. 1 overall pick in the 2003 Draft and Baseball Americas top prospect entering the '06 season, Young reached the Majors and played well in his debut. 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. Be the first one to comment on this story. 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. 1 overall pick in the 2003 Draft and Baseball America's top prospect entering the '06 season, Young reached the Majors and played well in his debut. The Rays first true homegrown star, Crawford was selected in the second round of the 1999 Draft then steadily but speedily climbed to the Majors. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to read them first! On May 1, 1925, the teenage Foxx would enter the game against the Washington Senators as a pinch hitter, and he began his Hall of Fame career with a single. Mauricio, Tena and Tovar are all in Double-A, but none seems all that close to debuting based on their track records and organizational depth charts. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. Showing A 34th-round Draft pick in 2001 out of Crescent City Baptist High School (Harahan, La. The Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr. was 20 years, 85 days old on Opening Day 2019, just out of his teens. Over 468 career plate appearances, he hit a respectable .250. He made his debut as the designated hitter against knuckleballer Tim Wakefield. OK, maybe thats a bit much. While Jones didn't do much during the 1995 regular season, he took the World Series by storm. Michael Vick holds the record since 2000 with a 4.33 time. Gaudin began his 11-year big league career by going 3-2 with a 4.25 ERA in 41 outings over two seasons with the Devil Rays. Upon returning to big league action, Feller had his greatest ever season in 1946, as he won 26 games while striking out 348, with a 2.18 ERA. He appeared in just 40 games in his career, hitting three home runs, all in 1947. But after 21 games, Derrington would never play again in the MLB. To make his MLB debut was Alex Rodriguez which was way back in 1994 19, 1943, Michaels hitless... 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