St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Joshua Baez hit the first pitch he saw in the majors for a two-run homer on Aug. 15 against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. He went on to hit two more home runs in the game, setting a record for an MLB debut.
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Joshua Baez certainly announced his presence 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.
Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers third baseman Kevin McGonigle was hitting .284 with 12 home runs and a .810 OPS through his first 119 games this season, his first in the majors.
Kevin McGonigle, Tigers
The highly touted prospect who made the Detroit Tigers roster out of spring training this season 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.
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Chase DeLauter, Guardians
Though it technically wasn't his first appearance in a major league uniform (after suiting up for the Cleveland 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 this season in Seattle. DeLauter has battled injuries this season, as he has throughout his career, but he's been an above average hitter and one of the Guardians' team leaders in Wins Above Replacement.
Stephen Strasburg, Nationals
Taken first overall by the lowly Washington Nationals in the 2009 draft, Strasburg didn't take long to reach the majors. 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, 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.
New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge has a career .291 batting average and 1.022 OPS through 11 seasons. He has hit 385 home runs.
Aaron Judge, 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.)
Aristides Aquino, 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, 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's major league career lasted only two seasons. He posted a 6.08 ERA over 43 games, striking out 115 and walking 26 over 131 2/3 innings.
Nick Kingham, 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 Triple-A 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 gave 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 one more year in the majors before playing three more professional seasons in Korea, China and Mexico.
