FanSided takes a look at the five most memorable debuts in MLB history.
The 2021 MLB season has reached the halfway point with the All-Star Game taking place on July 13 and the trade deadline approaching on July 30. The contender and pretenders are solidified, with others teams trying to determine whether to buy or sell at the aforementioned deadline. With that, that means fans can see plenty of prospects making their debuts.
Seeing a prospect play in their first professional game always makes for a feel-good moment. Given MLB has been in existence for over a century, there are plenty of debuts to look back on. But which ones stand out as the most memorable?
Here are five memorable MLB debuts.
5. Jason Heyward (April 5, 2010 vs. Chicago Cubs)
Jason Heyward was a can’t miss prospect for the Atlanta Braves, who used the 14th overall pick in the 2007 MLB Draft to select him. After playing in two full seasons in Atlanta’s farm system, Heyward received a spot on the team’s Opening Day roster in 2010. And he did not waste any time in making an impact.
On Apr. 5, 2010, Heyward made his MLB debut in Atlanta’s game against the Chicago Cubs. The slugging outfielder stepped into the batter’s box in the bottom of the first inning with Brian McCann and Yunel Escobar on base and one out on the board. The game was tied at three runs apiece, but that did not last long. On a 2-0 pitch from Chicago’s Carlos Zambrano, Heyward crushed a home run to right-center field to give the Braves a 6-3 lead.
Heyward went 2-for-5 on the day, where he knocked in his fourth run on a single in the eighth inning. The Braves went on to win 16-5.
It was an impressive way to make an immediate statement for Heyward. The outfielder was named to one All-Star Game and won five Gold Glove awards thus far in his 12-year career. Perhaps his grandest accomplishment was being a part of the 2016 Chicago Cubs team that ended the franchise’s 108-year World Series drought.