Opening Day rookie wave
MLB Opening Day was a showcase for rookies — JJ Wetherholt homered in his second at‑bat and became just the sixth Cardinal to debut as a leadoff hitter on Opening Day, while multiple debutants combined for a 12‑for‑23 day at the plate. The Dodgers and Guardians also opened with wins on a day that mixed wild fan energy and bright rookie flashes. (sports.yahoo.com) (espn.com)
JJ Wetherholt is 23 and was selected seventh overall in the 2024 MLB draft out of West Virginia by the St. Louis Cardinals. (mlb.com)) He won the Division I batting title in 2023 with a.449 average and entered spring camp carrying high scouting grades and prospect buzz. (baseballamerica.com)) Six Opening Day debutants — Kevin McGonigle, JJ Wetherholt, Carson Benge, Chase DeLauter, Justin Crawford and Munetaka Murakami — combined to go 12‑for‑23 with five homers, eight RBIs and four walks. (sportingnews.com)) Chase DeLauter went 3‑for‑5 with two homers in Cleveland’s 6‑4 win, becoming the first player in Guardians franchise history with multiple homers in a regular‑season debut and only the seventh in MLB history to do so. (mlb.com)) Tigers prospect Kevin McGonigle finished 4‑for‑5 with two RBIs in Detroit’s 8‑2 Opening Day win and became the youngest player with four hits on Opening Day since Ken Griffey Jr. and Delino DeShields Jr. in 1990. (espn.com)) Mets rookie Carson Benge homered for his first big‑league hit in New York’s 11‑7 rout of the Pirates on Opening Day. (espn.com)) Justin Crawford singled on the first pitch he saw and finished 2‑for‑4 in the Phillies’ 5‑3 Opening Day win, becoming the first Phillie to record a hit in his first at‑bat of an Opening Day debut since 1970. (mlb.com)) Munetaka Murakami, 26, capped his White Sox debut with a ninth‑inning homer in a 14‑2 loss and comes to MLB after slugging 246 home runs over eight seasons in Japan. (espn.com)) The defending‑champion Dodgers opened with an 8‑2 victory over the Diamondbacks, a game that featured Andy Pages’ big swing and several standout defensive plays at Dodger Stadium. (cbsnews.com))
