Raw Rookies Making MLB Debut On Opening Day Are Really Rare

Forbes

26-03-2025

A handful of top prospects and spring phenoms will make their MLB debut on Opening Day 2025. It is a rare feat. The chance of succeeding on that day and having a long, distinguished career is even slimmer.
When the final pitch had been thrown in 2024, only 23,373 players had ever appeared in an MLB game since the first pitch was delivered on April 22, 1876. That was by Lon Knight of the Philadelphia Athletics to George Wright of the Boston Red Caps of the National League.
Neither were technically rookies as they had played in other leagues, but the game was the first in National League history. Historians call the NL the first 'Major' League.
Boston won that day, 6-5. Wright hit .301 over 12 seasons as a shortstop, became a manager, owned a team for one year and opened a sporting goods empire. All of that got him elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937.
Knight went 10-22 at age 23 that year and never won another game.
A year ago, 20-year-old Jackson Merrill reported to the San Diego Padres' spring camp as a shortstop. He left it as their starting center-fielder. The Padres played the Los Angeles Dodgers in the season opener in South Korea on March 20. Merrill went 0-for-3. He got two hits the next day and kept on hitting.
In 156 games, Merrill batted .292 with 24 homers, 90 RBI and 16 stolen bases, finishing second in NL Rookie of the Year voting to Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes, who came up after the season started. Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio placed third. He went 1-for 3 in his MLB debut opener.
LOS ANGELES: Rookie Jackson Merrill of the San Diego Padres hits a home run against the Los Angeles ... More Dodgers in Game Two of the NL Division Series at Dodger Stadium on Oct. 6, 2024. (Photo by)
In the AL, the top four finishers in rookie voting, Luis Gil of New York, Colton Cowser of Baltimore, the Yankees' Austin Wells and Oakland's Mason Miller had all played some MLB ball before the 2024 openers.
Here's a look at how some Hall of Famers debuted on Opening Day. Most players including many greats did not play their first game in an opener.
Lefty Grove, April 14, 1925: Robert Moses Grove is one of only three starting pitchers to debut on Opening Day since 1920. None did well. He became great. Against Boston, the 25-year-old gave up 6 hits, 5 runs and 4 walks in 3 2/3 innings for the Philadelphia Athletics. He went 10-12 as a rookie; 300-141 for his career.
Al Gerhauser debuted on Opening Day 1943 for the Athletics. He was hit hard then and for his career: a 25-50 record over five years. Jim Bagby was hit hard in his debut in 1938 for Boston and went 97-96 over 10 seasons. His father, also named Jim, had a 127-89 career mark including 31-12 for the 1920 champion Indians.
CHICAGO: American League outfielders Babe Ruth, Al Simmons and Earl Averill befote the first MLB ... More All-Star Game, July 6, 1933, at Comisky Park.
Earl Averill, April 16, 1929: He became the first AL player to homer in his first MLB at bat, hitting an 0-2 pitch from Boston's Earl Whitehill over the fence at Cleveland's League Park on Opening Day. As a 27-year-old rookie, he hit .332 with 198 hits, 110 runs, 18 homers and 96 RBI.
Ted Williams, April 20, 1939: Teddy Ballgame struck out his first time at bat off future Hall of Famer Red Ruffing at Yankee Stadium. Boston's precocious 20-year-old, hitting sixth in the order, doubled his next time up. Ruffing then fanned him again and got him on an infield popout in the ninth inning. New York won, 2-0. Williams hit .327 with 31 homers and led the AL with 145 RBI as a rookie.
Jackie Robinson, April 15, 1947: He went 0-for-3 with a run on the historic day he broke the color barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field. His first hit came the next day, a bunt single. He hit .291 with 12 homers, 125 runs, 48 RBI and NL-leading 29 stolen bases to earn the first Rookie of the Year Award.
BRROKLYN, NY: The Brooklyn Dodgers' infield for the season opener against the Boston Braves at ... More Ebbets Field on April 15, 194 — Spider Jorgensen, Pee Wee Reese, Eddie Stanky and Jackie Robinson. (Photo by Irving Haberman/)
Mickey Mantle, April 17, 1951: Only 19, he started in right field, hitting third at Yankee Stadium. Boston right-hander Bill Wight got him to ground out to second base to end the first inning and pop to third to end the third. In the sixth, Mantle singled home Phil Rizzuto, went to second on a single by Joe DiMaggio and scored on a single by Yogi Berra. All four are Hall of Famers.
Mantle flew out in the eighth in his first AB right-handed, off lefty reliever Mickey McDermott. Mantle battled the first of so many injuries as a rookie and played only 96 games, hitting ,265 with 13 homers and 65 RBI.
Henry Aaron, April 13, 1954: Batting fifth for the Milwaukee Braves, he went 0-for-5 at Cincinnati's Crosley Field. Seven other Braves combined for 13 hits in a 9-8 loss. Aaron hit into a double play his first time up. He got his first MLB hit, a double, in his first time up in the Braves' second game. At age 20, he hit .280 with 13 homers and 69 RBI as a rookie.
Frank Robinson, April 17, 1956: Batting seventh, he went 2-for-3 at Crosley Field for Cincinnati against St. Louis Cardinals lefty Wilmer (Vinegar Bend) Mizell. He hit a ground-rule double in his MLB debut and then a single. Mizell got him to ground into a forceout and then issued an intentional walk to the 20-year old slugger. Robby hit .290 with 38 homers, 90 RBI, an NL-leading 122 runs and was NL Rookie of the Year. Mizell was voted to Congress in 1968, serving through 1975.
CLEVELAND: Player/Manager Frank Robinson connects for the Cleveland Indians at Municipal Stadium. ... More (Photo by:)
In 1975, Robinson homered in Cleveland off the Yankees' Doc Medich his first time up as MLB's first black manager. Many player-managers did not debut as skippers on an Opening Day, such as Ty Cobb, Tris Speaker and Pete Rose. It was Robinson's eighth homer in an opener, a record.
Luis Aparicio, April 17, 1956: "Little Looie" went 1-for-3, batting eighth at Comiskey Park against Cleveland right-hander and future HOFer Bob Lemon. He flew out to right and center then singled in an eighth-inning rally that gave Chicago a 2-1 win. The shortstop was the AL Rookie of the Year after batting .266 with 21 stolen bases -- the first of nine straight years leading the AL in steals.
Robin Yount, April 5, 1974: Batting ninth at age 18 for the Milwaukee Brewers, he went 0-for-1 with a walk off Boston's Luis Tiant and was replaced by pinch-hitter Felipe Alou. Yount went 0-for-13 until getting his first hit in his fifth game, off Baltimore lefty Dave McNally. Yount hit .250 with three homers, 26 RBI as a rookie.
Eddie Murray, April 7, 1977: The switch-hitter fanned his first time up, batting fifth against Texas Rangers right-hander and future HOFer Bert Blyleven. Then the 21-year-old bounced out to Blyleven and singled. The Baltimore Orioles' first baseman was ROY after batting .283 with 27 homers, 83 RBI.
Ken Griffey Jr.: April 3, 1989: The Seattle Mariners' outfielder doubled in his first AB, off Oakland ace Dave Stewart at age 19. He hit .264 with 16 homers, 16 steals as a rookie.
Albert Pujols, April 2, 2001: Batting sixth for the St. Louis Cardinals, he singled his third time up against Colorado lefty Mike Hampton at Coors Field, At age 21, he mashed 37 homers with 130 RBI and a .329 average to win ROY.
Pete Rose, April 8, 1963: The all-time hits leader had to wait awhile for his first safety. He passed away last year at age 83 after waiting a lifetime for Hall of Fame recognition denied because he admitted to gambling on baseball in 1989. Many say keep him out; others say he belongs. The debate continues.
At age 22, he did not hit safely until his fourth game. He walked his first time up, grounded out, reached on an error, scored and struck out on Opening Day. He was 0-for-4 the next day, 0-4 with a walk the next day and 0-for-1 with a walk and hit-by-pitch before tripling off Pirates right-hander Bob Friend. He got 4,255 more hits.
Joe Charboneau, April 11, 1980: 'Super Joe' homered in his second AB off the Angels' Dave Frost at Anaheim Stadium. In the Cleveland Indians' home opener on April 19, he homered again and went 3-for-4. A hero was born.
OLMSTED FALLS, OH: My copy of the 1980 record by "Section 36". That was the section in left field ... More where fans cheered Joe Charboneau.
Cleveland rock-n-rollers Don Kriss and Stan Bloch recorded a song, 'Go Joe, Charboneau.' The rookie hero, opening beer bottles with his eye socket, pulling out his own tooth with pliers, and being stabbed by a fan in Mexico wielding a pen, made news everywhere. He also hit everywhere, batting .289 with 23 homers, 89 RBI to win ROY.
The next spring he wrenched his back and was never the same. He played only 70 more MLB games, batting .212 with 7 homers.
You can see Joe in the movie classic 'The Natural,' filmed in Buffalo when Joe went to the minors to try to recapture his swing. He's one of the extra ballplayers in the dugout behind star Robert Redford.
Let's see how many rookies make their MLB Debut on Opening Day 2025 behind the scenes or in a starring role.