After that it forced Major Leaague Baseball to set age restrictions for international players who were not covered by the then current regulations. But despite the accomplishment, McKee would never see action again on the biggest stage of baseball. As such, it seems likely that the first 2002 baby to reach MLB will have a great chance to be a star someday, too. Will your squad's best young players be breaking camp with the team? IF Luis Garcia, Washington Nationals Born: May 16, 2000 (20 years old) Despite not yet playing above the Double-A level, Garcia joined the MLB roster last August for a Washington Nationals team that has never been shy about promoting players at a young age. B.J. He entered the game as a reliever, throwing a single inning of uneventful ball, walking two. His stellar resume is all the more impressive considering he missed nearly four years of his career due to serving in the Navy. (He hit .267 at nineteen for the '51 Yankees . His favorite position is shortstop. Although Jim Derrington is only third on this list, he remains the youngest pitcher to ever start a game. Robinson was an All-Star each season from 1960 through 1974 and won 16 Gold Gloves, the most of any position player. He would play parts of six more seasons with the Dodgers before being traded to the Chicago Cubs where he would play another six seasons. Inactive players are those players no longer playing in professional baseball anywhere (including the minors or internationally). Twins: Rich Garces, RHP, 1990 El Guapo! Of the youngest MLB players, Alex George is in the minority of those who played all of their MLB games as minors. ), the right-hander put together a 2.26 ERA in Class A during his pro debut in 02, breezed through Class A Advanced the next year, made three dominant starts for Double-A Orlando and arrived in the Majors to pitch 2 1/3 innings out of Tampa Bays bullpen against Kansas City on Aug. 1, 2003. Click FILTER ROWS button to show only those rows in the grid; Quick-Filter: Double-Click on a cell value to filter the grid on rows that have same value in same column. The Rk column indicates how many players were born before/after the specified date. 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. While his talent will never be disputed, addiction curbed much of his success in the subsequent years. Pudge followed in fellow catcher Johnny Bench's footsteps with a teenage debut in 1991, and he was good from the start. Will your squad's best young players be breaking camp with the team? Brooks Robinson, 3B: 19 years, 332 days in 1957 (Orioles)The Hall of Famer debuted in September 1955 as an 18-year-old, but started his first Opening Day in 1957 before turning 20 in May. Foxx would go on to establish himself as one of the greatest sluggers in baseball history, amassing 534 home runs and 1,922 RBI over 20 seasons. The 17-year-old first baseman would only appear in two games for the Cleveland Indians, knocking one base-hit and collecting one RBI in eight at-bats. Schieb posted a batting average of .250, an earned run average of 4.88, five home runs, and 59 RBI. If he can stay healthy and continue to dominate to the degree he did last season (1.96 ERA, 43 hits, 108 K's in 78 IPs at two Class-A levels), its not impossible to imagine him being one of Miamis five best starters at some point in 2022. 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 . With young, modern phenoms such as Bryce Harper knocking on the door of the big leagues while still in his teens, let's take a look at the 20 youngest players to play in Major League games since the end of World War I. Another short-lived World War II major leaguer, Vern Freiburger earned a call-up on September 6, 1941. 22 overall prospect for the Class of 2022 per the Prep Baseball Report, 17-year-old Walter Ford, will be the youngest player to enter this year's MLB Draft. They say you cant predict baseball, but that doesnt mean its not fun to try. Over his 16 seasons with the Phillies, as well as parts of two seasons with the Athletics and Indians, Hamner hit .262 with 104 home runs and 708 RBI. By Jordan ShustermanFOX Sports MLB Writer. The added mass didn't work out last year as the big righty yielded a 4.90 ERA and 1.435 WHIP in 161.2 innings (30 starts). During the 2000s, Ramirez is among the National League leaders in numerous categories: 3rd in hits and doubles, 2nd in home runs, extra-base hits, and total bases, and #1 with 1,350 RBI. Witt Jr. has that rare power speed combo (30/30 in 2021) that makes fans, scouts, and collectors foam at the mouth in . Consolo had debuted as an 18-year-old in April 1953, but after Opening Day. and let him make his MLB debut . No player that young had started on Opening Day since Adrian Beltre in 1999 -- and he retired this offseason. Showing The Georgia native quickly earned recognition with his debut single "All My Friends Say" from his 2007 I'll Stay Me album. But in the 96 games he played that season, he hit .267 with 13 home runs, starting a career that would see him become one of the most beloved Yankees ever with a rookie season that rivals many of those on this list of youngsters. Born on March 1, 2001, he was tagged as one of the best prospects in Major League Baseball. In other words, its been a while. 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. At 15 years and 316 days, Joe Nuxhall was the youngest ever to debut in the majors. 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. A-Rod was drafted in 1993 and rocketed through the minor league system. Furthermore, Ott also led the NL in RBI in 1934. Differences Between Hiragana and Katakana and Which to Learn First. Nuxhall remains the youngest individual to play in a major league game in history. While he only played one game with the team in 1944, it was a less-than-ideal MLB debut. Both of these men had abbreviated playing careers, but exhibited promising leadership qualities. It's widely agreed that ownership's push to sell tickets pushed Clyde's arm to the brink. Throughout his career, he played eight seasons, all with the Phillies, before retiring in 1955. Ramirez only turned 37 last month, making him the second-youngest player on this list. 7 min read. The Tampa Catholic High School product and former University of Miami quarterback, a second-round pick in the 1997 Draft, made the leap from Double-A to debut as a pinch-runner, but he only recorded one plate appearance in two games for his hometown team. With the 20th anniversary of World War I approaching, Eddie Miksis became the youngest player in Major League Baseball history when he debuted at the age of 17 years, nine months and six days. He went yard on his first two at bats, becoming the youngest player in history to homer in the World Series at 19 years and 180 days. All rights reserved. He started as a shortstop, moved to the outfield, and never missed a beat along the way. MLB also added a second wild-card team in . 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 . Since then . He was 40 years, 191 days old in his final game, on May 31, 2010. Joe Nuxhall, known as "The Ol' Left-hander," made his Major League debut on June 10, 1944, with the Cincinnati Reds. OK, so he only pitched in 4 games (started three), but went 2-1 with a 3.91 ERA. Upon returning to baseball, he cemented a regular utility role with the Phillies, taking part in their storied "Whiz Kid" squad in 1950. Nationals star Juan Soto was the fifth-youngest player on any National League roster for Opening Day 2022. It's still the youngest MLB debut in history, and it's unlikely to be broken. Rocco Baldelli: 21 years, 187 daysDebut: March 31, 2003. Did he pinch run? He threw 2/3 of an inning for the Reds on June 10, 1944. Granny Hamner, SS: 17 years, 356 days in 1945 (Phillies)Hamner debuted in September 1944, in part because many players were fighting in World War II and there were roster spots available. Look, Ill be honest: I hadnt heard of these gentlemen when I started this exercise. Teams are once again realizing the vital role that talented youths play in this great game, as we are seeing young players contributing to their teams across MLB. The Mets were roundly criticized for trading Kazmir, their first-round pick in 2002, to get Victor Zambrano. Click a statistic to view all values equal or higher Yeah, me too. As a 17-year-old, he swatted a sac fly in one plate appearance in an 18-9 loss to the Senators. And Pudge would go on to perhaps a greater career than Bench, hitting .294 with 2,844 hits and 311 home runs to go with a World Series title. 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. He still remains the youngest American Leaguer to play in baseball's modern era. Furthermore, while Jasson Dominguez is a top young prospect, his highly anticipated MLB debut will still come in 2023. He was 41 years, 84 days old in his final game, on July 20, 1937. But his 13-year career in the Majors began as a 21-year-old starter for the Devil Rays a little more than three years after he was drafted in the 34th round. Hes still the last player to hit a home run in the Majors before turning 19. The 40-man rosters seemed like a good first place to search for our mystery player. 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. Despite entering the MLB as a teenager, Mel Ott would carve out a Hall of Fame career, making him one of the best baseball players in history. At 17 years old, McKee remains to be the youngest MLB player to accomplish a nine-inning complete-game victory in the season ender. Over 468 career plate appearances, he hit a respectable .250. Tony Conigliaro, CF: 19 years, 100 days in 1964 (Red Sox)A teenage Conigliaro made his Major League debut for the Red Sox on Opening Day in 1964. That's when top pick candidates Bryce Young (Alabama) and Anthony Richardson (Florida) will be measured and complete on-field workouts. Each of these players has different carrying traits (power, defense, speed) that could impact how quickly a team is willing to push him up the MiLB ladder. He made his debut at 17 in 1936, going 5-3 with 76 strikeouts in 62 innings pitched, which sets him apart on this list for his success rate on the mound at such a young age. The 2000s (2000-Present) Since the start of the 21st century, the youngest age of any manager is 35. 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