Some MLB prospects are like thunderstorms. You can hear them coming for awhile and still find yourself blown over when they arrive.
The notion of the Next Big Thing making his debut in the show always feels like an event in baseball — and there has seemingly been no shortage of them over the past few years. The talent pool in MLB these days is as full as its ever been with young stars.
Another Next Big Thing was called up to the big leagues this week: Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes. After two years of hype, the LSU product has reached baseball’s highest level.
So in honor his first start, let’s look back at the most anticipated pitching debuts since 2000 in no particular order.
Shohei Ohtani
Apr 1, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) before a pitch against the Oakland Athletics during the third inning at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Debut: April 1st, 2018
Result: 6 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
On March 29, Shohei Ohtani made his MLB debut on Opening Day as the designated hitter for the Los Angeles Angels. That only added to the hype three days later when he took the mound to make his debut as a starting pitcher. The Angels picked up a 7-4 win with Ohtani looking formidable as he proved his two-way stardom was no gimmick.
Clayton Kershaw
LOS ANGELES – SEPTEMBER 07: Clayton Kershaw #22 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium on September 7, 2008 in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers defeated the Diamondbacks 5-3. (Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images)
Debut: May 25, 2008
Result: 6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K
Kershaw was the consensus best high school player in the nation when the Dodgers drafted him No. 7 overall in 2006. Los Angeles gave him what was then the largest signing bonus in franchise history ($2.3 million) to make sure he didn’t fulfill his commitment to Texas A&M. A little less than two years later, Kershaw was making his Dodgers debut as the youngest player in the league at the time. He struck out seven Cardinals in a 4-3 win that took 10 innings.
Stephen Strasburg
Washington Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg heads to the bullpen for warmups before his major league debut. Photo by H. Darr Beiser, USA TODAY Staff
Debut: June 8, 2010
Result: 7 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB,14 K
There’s exceeding the hype, and then there’s what Stephen Strasburg did in his first MLB start. The No. 1 overall draft pick in 2009 rocketed through the Nationals’ farm system, and when Strasmas arrived in D.C. it felt like baseball had, too. He came one strikeout away from tying a pitching debut record set in 1954 by Karl Spooner. Instead he settled for becoming the first pitcher in league history to strikeout at least 11 batters without any walks in a debut. He struck out every batter in the Pirates lineup at least once and picked up the win in the Nats’ 5-2 victory.
David Price
September 22, 2008; Baltimore, MD, USA; Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher David Price (14) delivers against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards. Geoff Burke-US PRESSWIRE
Debut: September 14, 2008
Result: 5.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
Another former No. 1 overall pick in 2007, Price made his debut as a September call up out of the bullpen when Edwin Jackson gave up six runs in two innings at Yankee Stadium. He made it through the first six batters he faced cleanly, then gave up a home run on his first hit allowed when Derek Jeter stepped to the plate in an 8-4 loss.
Hunter Greene
LOS ANGELES, CA – APRIL 16: Starting pitcher Hunter Greene #21 of the Cincinnati Reds throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the third inning of the game at Dodger Stadium on April 16, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
Debut: April 10, 2022
Result: 5 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
In 2017, a Sports Illustrated cover asked if Hunter Greene was baseball’s “LeBron James or the new Babe”. How on Earth do you live up to that hype? For Greene it was hitting triple digits on the radar 20 times and striking out six of the first 10 batters he faced against the defending World Series champion Braves in a 6-3 win for the Reds.
Mark Prior
CHICAGO – JULY 19: Starting pitcher Mark Prior #22 of the Chicago Cubs delivers the ball in the first inning against the Houston Astros on July 19, 2002 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. Prior struck out 8 in 8 shut-out innings as the Cubs defeated the Astros 5-0. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
Debut: May 22, 2002
Result: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 10 K
In 1998, the Yankees drafted Prior out of high school in the first round but couldn’t reach a deal with him. After playing college ball at Vanderbilt and USC, he went back to the draft again in 2001 where the Chicago Cubs snatched him and immediately handed over a $10.5 signing million bonus. Prior made just nine starts in the minors before getting called up and led the Cubs to a 7-4 victory over the Pirates.
Paul Skenes
Mar 3, 2024; North Port, Florida, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes (30) warms up before the fourth inning of the spring training game against the Tampa Bay Rays at CoolToday Park. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
Debut: May 11, 2024
Result: TBD
Skenes arrives in Pittsburgh with nearly as much hype as any pitcher on this list. The No. 1 overall pick out of LSU in 2023 has a five-pitch arsenal capped off by a fastball that sits at 100 MPH. In 27.1 innings pitched in triple A to start the 2024 season, Skenes produced a 0.99 ERA with 45 strikeouts.
