Having just turned 21 last month, Franco remains the youngest player in MLB despite having already posted a 43-game on-base streak and having already signed a $182 million contract extension.. 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. Alex George entered the MLB early. Following the 1956 season, he pitched seven more years in the minor leagues, failing to win another chance at the big leagues. 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. NFL Franchise Dates of Entry From 1920 to 2002. He went 0-4 in a loss to the Detroit Tigers that day. Robinson was an All-Star each season from 1960 through 1974 and won 16 Gold Gloves, the most of any position player. So one level down we go! Will your squad's best young players be breaking camp with the team? You might have noticed a theme above: All the earliest debuts took place before the team dropped the Devil and became the Rays. Mantle would go on to hit 13 home runs as a teenager for the Yankees, before hitting 23 the following season as a 20-year-old. Tampa Bay called up Upton and gave him his first start on Aug. 2, 2004, a 6-3 loss against Boston. Young finished second in the American League Rookie of the Year Award voting in '07, when he hit .288 with 93 RBIs in 162 games. Data Provided By Will your squad's best young players be breaking camp with the team? Sisti had debuted as an 18-year-old in July 1939. 6 (as an ode to his place in the Yankee chain of great players following Ruth - 3, Gehrig - 4, and DiMaggio - 5) and ended his first year with a nasty knee injury during the World Series when DiMaggio called him off of a fly ball in the outfield. It's sort of hard to believe that the now-Texas Rangers third baseman, with his monstrous home runs and pet peeves about being touched on the head, got his start all the way back in 1998. They say you cant predict baseball, but that doesnt mean its not fun to try. Tatis says shoulder, wrist '100%' in first game since '21. Expect to see him patrolling the outfield in Anaheim for many years to come. 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. The shortstop joined the. There have been 20 teenagers to start on Opening Day in the Modern Era (since 1900), according to the Elias Sports Bureau. But after five games with the team, George was relegated to the minor leagues and never played in the MLB again. Ozzie Albies, also 20, is the second youngest. 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 . He still remains the youngest American Leaguer to play in baseball's modern era. Uras was promoted to the Los Angeles Dodgers to make his major league debut against the New York Mets on May 27, 2016. 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. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to read them first! Since Mike Trout (hes pretty good) did it in August 2011, only six players have debuted as teenagers: Harper, Profar, Dylan Bundy, Julio Urias, Juan Soto and Elvis Luciano. 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. Rocco Baldelli: 21 years, 187 daysDebut: March 31, 2003. Get viral MLB graphics, memes, rumors and trending news delivered right to your inbox with the Clutch Newsletter. The forward appeared in Coventry City's 4-1 win over Aston Villa in February 1999 at the age of 16 years, 198 days old as an 89 th -minute substitute. At 16 years old, Putsy made his debut for the Phillies on September 14, 1944. ?2001: Wander Franco2000: Elvis Luciano1999: Fernando Tatis Jr.1998: Juan Soto1997: Ozzie Albies1996: Julio Urias1995: Roberto Osuna1994: Rougned Odor1993: Jurickson Profar1992: Bryce Harper, (If youve never heard of Elvis Luciano, thats OK. Be the first one to comment on this story. A legend was born. Guardians outfielder Roman Quinn turned on a 1-2 pitch, sending it over the left-field wall. Or write about sports? 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. Use of this website (including any and all parts and components) constitutes your acceptance of these, He was an extreme outlier case involving the Rule 5 Draft. 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. Joe Nuxhall had one of the more interesting paths to the majors in modern baseball history. Unfortunately, his career also ended quickly. 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. The No. 2023 Suedtiroltranser. He didnt play in more than 25 games in any season until 1948. Here's Call to the Pen's round two of MLB trivia, taking a look at the youngest records in MLB history. Some high school data is courtesy David McWater. Saturday at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis could go a long way in determining the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. He also may or may not have fallen asleep during a game in his final season. Whether out of a desire for youthful exuberance and energy, or financial concerns with signing more established players, there appears to be a new wave of youngsters taking Major League Baseball by storm. Wander Franco was the youngest player in the MLB in both 2021 and 2022. 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. Join our linker program. He only got to play that year for a month due to the strike and split much of the next season between the Mariners and their AAA affiliate. A international player must be at least 17 by the end of their first pro season. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. . Though it was remarkable, he got torched in his lone teenage appearance and didn't set foot on a big league field for another eight years. He threw 2/3 of an inning for the Reds on June 10, 1944. During Nuxhall's lifetime, it was believed that a 14-year-old named Fred Chapman pitched five innings in one 1887 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. The cautionary tale to end all cautionary tales of the misuse of a young, gifted pitcher. 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. 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. A scout watching him take batting practice at the tender age of 15 remarked that he would take number one overall spot in the draft that day. . Kenny Kelly: 21 years, 225 daysDebut: Sept. 7, 2000. Caballero saw his career post a batting average of .228, one home run, and 40 RBI. Feller would go on to pitch until 1956, compiling a 266-162 record with a 3.25 ERA and 2,581 strikeouts. Being on a 40-man suggests two very important things about a player: 1) his organization believes he can be a major-leaguer; 2) an additional roster move to clear a spot on the 40-man would not be necessary in the event of any of these players being called up. Nuxhall still holds the record for the youngest player in MLB history at 15 years, 316 days old. Do you have a sports website? Kazmir pitched five innings against a lineup led by Ichiro Suzuki and Edgar Martinez. 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. Just to put his age in perspective, consider this: Franco wears a No. The future Hall of Famer is the last teenager to appear in an Opening Day game, regardless of whether he started or not. Despite the Dodgers losing that day, Brown accomplished his first league hit. He'd go on to a career as perhaps the most overlooked Hall of Fame candidate of all-time, winning three World Series, being nominated to seven all-star teams and hitting .297 over a long career, some of which was marred by his drug use. There's something compelling for baseball fans about very young MLB players. Tatis says shoulder, wrist '100%' in first game since '21. 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. The National Football League has been around in some form or another and stoking its fans since 1920. 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. But after 21 games, Derrington would never play again in the MLB. Jerry Ferrara Tells Golf Stories About Tom Brady, Wayne Gretzky, Kevin Dillon, Power vs 3 Headed Monsters | BIG3 HIGHLIGHTS, Copyright 2023 Sports Media Ventures, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Initially debuting as a defensive replacement late in a September 14, 1944 blowout, going hitless in one at-bat, Granny Hamner built an impressive Major League career over the course of 17 seasons. In the season-ending game, Derrington was given a chance to start for the Chicago White Sox in his MLB debut. Appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated at the age of 16 with the caption "The Chosen One." "This is the only thing that's made having to. 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. Suedtiroltranser is a website that writes about many topics of interest to you, a blog that shares knowledge and insights useful to everyone in many fields. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Wednesday, March 1, 11:02PM. That got us thinking: Where does he rank among the youngest Rays players ever at the time of their big league debut? 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. Scott Kazmir: 20 years, 212 daysDebut: Aug. 23, 2004. Chad Gaudin: 20 years, 130 daysDebut: Aug. 1, 2003. Hamner had stopovers with the Philadelphia Phillies, Cleveland Indians, and the Kansas City Athletics. He would sit out the entire 1943 season, and played only sparingly upon his return for the 1944 and 1945 seasons. He never made it to the majors, but set the record for the youngest ever signed. 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. Delmon Young: 20 years, 349 days Debut: Aug. 29, 2006 The No. Following the 1944 season, Miksis joined the Navy and served for 2 years before resuming his big league career in 1946. Here are the last five players to go deep. Doerr played in just 55 games in 1937, but played in 100 or more in every season from 1938-51 except 1945, when he served in the military. Alex Rodriguez become a free agent as a 25-year-old in the 2000-2001 offseason, and if wasn't for his recent contract extension, Felix Hernandez would have been a free agent next winter at age 25 . 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. But despite the accomplishment, McKee would never see action again on the biggest stage of baseball. 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 . Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? In fact, the last 18-year old to make his MLB debut was Alex Rodriguez which was way back in 1994. Trammell and Lou Whitaker made their big league debuts together in insanely appropriate fashion, and even though Trammell only played in 19 games and hit just .186 in that debut 1977 season, he'd go on to become a Detroit Tiger legend, winning the 1984 World Series and being named MVP. On that day, he hurled three innings against the Philadelphia Phillies, allowing one run on two hits and three walks. Throughout his career, he played eight seasons, all with the Phillies, before retiring in 1955. Nuxhalls career saw him play for the Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Athletics, Los Angeles Angels, and a second stint with the Reds. He debuted just days after his 19th birthday. In 849 games, mostly with the Red Sox and Pirates, as well as short stints with the A's and Seattle Pilots, Pagliaroni hit .252 with a .751 OPS, hitting 90 home runs with 326 RBI. In 153 games with the Rays, Franco has hit 13 home runs, collected 72 RBIs, and stolen 10 bases, while maintaining a career-high .282 batting average. In 1952, Hamner was named as captain of the Phillies. . Ramirez only turned 37 last month, making him the second-youngest player on this list. His favorite position is shortstop. (Bryce Harper hit 22 in 2012, as did Juan Soto in 2018.). He went 1-for-5 in a Red Sox win over the Yankees. He missed most of the 1952-53 seasons due to military service. He posted a 3.46 ERA with 161 strikeouts in 132 2/3 innings over 149 outings with the Rays before being traded to the Phillies on Dec. 29. Here are a few of the ballplayers who stood out the most, regardless of era, and with a little help from the rest of their careers. The Cincinnati Reds hold a unique record that will most certainly never be broken, as they fielded the youngest player in MLB history. Staub started his career at a young age, and ended it after more than 2,900 games as a 41-year-old. Once upon a time, teenage ballplayers were counted on as a necessity when vast numbers of Major Leaguers were called into military service during World War II. All images are property the copyright holder and are displayed here for informational purposes only. Cavs Nation - Spencer See 3h. 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