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Sports Seriously
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Joshua Baez certainly announced his presence in the major leagues with authority when he became the first player ever to hit three home runs in his MLB debut.
While Baez’s Aug. 15 performance at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs will go down in the history books, it also serves to remind baseball fans that single-game dominance doesn’t always translate into a memorable or lengthy career.
The game has seen many a rookie make a big splash in his first game or first few games, only to have a forgettable season (or career) come afterward.
What could be in store for 23-year-old Joshua Baez? Let’s look at a variety of possibilities.
Other impressive 2026 MLB debuts
While Baez’s three-homer debut was unprecedented, it’s not uncommon for players to have a great game in their first major league appearance. Just look at a couple who did so already this season.
Kevin McGonigle, Detroit Tigers
The highly touted prospect who made the Tigers roster out of spring training has validated the team’s confidence in him from the get-go. Starting at third base on opening day and batting sixth, McGonigle got four hits, (two of them doubles), scored two runs and drove in two more in five at-bats. He’s now Detroit’s everyday starter at shortstop and a leading contender for AL rookie of the year honors.
Chase DeLauter, Cleveland Guardians
Though it technically wasn’t his first appearance in a major league uniform (after suiting up for the Guardians in the 2025 playoffs), DeLauter’s first official MLB game was a memorable one. He slugged a pair of solo home runs and scored three times in going 3-for-5 on opening day in Seattle. DeLauter has battled injuries this season, as he has throughout his baseball career, but he’s been an above average hitter and one of the Guardians’ team leaders in Wins Above Replacement.
Most impressive MLB debuts this century
What makes a stellar MLB debut even more memorable is when it becomes a stepping stone to an even more accomplished career. Here are some recent examples:
Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals
Taken first overall by the lowly Nationals in the 2009 draft, Stephen Strasburg didn’t take long to reach the major leagues. After 11 starts (and a 1.30 ERA in the minors), the 21-year-old right-hander was summoned to Washington to face the Pittsburgh Pirates on June 8, 2010.
What happened that night was pure magic. Strasburg not only lived up to the hype, he exceeded it by striking out 14 batters in seven innings and getting the win. He went on to earn three All-Star berths and capped his injury-shortened career with a World Series MVP award as the Nats defeated the Houston Astros in the 2019 Fall Classic.
Trevor Story, Colorado Rockies
Sure he played his home games in hitter-friendly Denver, but Story kicked off a stellar 2014 rookie season with a two-homer game at Arizona. In fact, he homered in each of his first four MLB games on his way to hitting seven in his first six contests. Thanks to that blazing start, Story finished with 27 dingers that year and finished fourth in the NL rookie of the year voting. He would hit as many as 37 in a season and earn a pair of All-Star nods in Colorado before signing with the Boston Red Sox as a free agent in 2022.
Aaron Judge, New York Yankees
Judge did famously struggle in his initial season (.179 average, 4 HR in 84 AB), but his first game as a major leaguer was one to remember. Both he and fellow rookie Tyler Austin went back-to-back (“and belly-to-belly”) over the fence at Yankee Stadium against the Tampa Bay Rays on Aug. 13, 2016. Judge has since gone on to win three American League MVP awards and earn eight All-Star selections. (Austin has not.)
Great start, not-so-great career
On the other hand, a player can have an incredible first game, first week or even first month in the majors … and never really approach that kind of success again. For example:
Aristides Aquino, Cincinnati Reds
Aquino’s MLB debut was completely forgettable (to anyone else) when he struck out in his lone appearance in August of 2018. He made it back to the majors the following August and after going hitless in six at-bats, he reeled off seven home runs in his next seven games. By the middle of the month, he tallied a record 11 homers in his first 17 games. Over 56 games in 2019, Aquino hit a total of 19, to go along with 47 RBI.
But after that, things would never be the same. Pitchers exploited a massive hole in his swing and he lasted only three more seasons in the majors − never playing more than 84 games, slugging more than 10 homers or hitting over .200.
J.P. Arencibia, Toronto Blue Jays
Taken 21st overall in the 2007 draft, Arencibia reached the majors on Aug. 7, 2010. That day against the Tampa Bay Rays, the catcher set a record with 11 total bases in his MLB debut, hitting a pair of home runs, as well as a double and a single. While he did have a couple of 20-homer seasons with the Jays in 2011 and 2013, Arencibia would play in just 86 more major league games after leaving Toronto. He finished with a .212/.258/.412 slash line and 80 career homers.
Nick Kingham, Pittsburgh Pirates
Finally, here’s one of the best − and most obscure − pitching performances in a major league debut. On April 29, 2018, the Pittsburgh Pirates needed a spot starter so they called up the 26-year-old Kingham from Class AAA Indianapolis. Once a top prospect until undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2015, the right-hander sliced through the St. Louis Cardinals lineup, taking a perfect game into the seventh inning. With two outs, he give up a single to Marcell Ozuna before concluding his day by getting one final out. He appeared in 18 games for the Pirates that season and lasted more year in the majors before playing three more professional seasons in Korea, China and Mexico.