For the first time in Major League Baseball history, three different rookies hit home runs in their MLB debuts on Opening Day. JJ Wetherholt went yard for the Cardinals. Carson Benge launched one for the Mets. Munetaka Murakami gave the White Sox something to cheer about in a blowout loss. MLB.com called it unprecedented. Chase DeLauter hit two homers in his Guardians debut and might’ve already locked up Rookie of the Year in March.
It's not too early to start the AL Rookie of the Year conversation. #GuardsBall pic.twitter.com/example
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) March 27, 2026
Meanwhile, the Pirates trotted out a starting lineup with exactly zero rookies. Not one kid getting his shot. Just the same retread roster you’ve seen before: 35-year-old Marcell Ozuna at DH, 32-year-old Ryan O’Hearn in right field, and Brandon Lowe—fine, he’s solid—manning second base after being acquired from the Rays. This is what passes for excitement in Pittsburgh.
Konnor Griffin, the #1 prospect in all of baseball according to MLB Pipeline, spent Opening Day in Triple-A Indianapolis. Not because he’s unready—he hit four home runs this spring—but because the Pirates are the Pirates, and giving fans a reason to show up on Day 1 would require a level of institutional courage this front office hasn’t demonstrated in two decades. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported the decision was about “development,” which is a polite way of saying they’re allergic to joy.
Other teams are celebrating fresh talent making history. The Cardinals got a walk-off single from Wetherholt two days after his debut. Cleveland fans are losing their minds over DeLauter. Pirates fans got… what, exactly? Another year of “competitive rebuild” with a bottom-tier payroll and Bob Nutting’s annual reminder that hope is for suckers.
Three rookies made Opening Day history by going yard. The Pirates didn’t even give one a chance to step into the box.