The 1st career hit for every No. 1 prospect

Jackson Holliday had to wait a while for his first Major League hit, but he finally picked it up on Sunday versus the Brewers. Baseball's No. 1 prospect entering the 2024 season, Holliday lashed a single through the right side in the seventh inning at Camden Yards. With that knock, he joins the list below, featuring the first hit of every No. 1 overall prospect since MLB Pipeline began ranking them in 2004, starting with the most recent.

Note: This list includes only position players who were No. 1 prospects.

Jackson Holliday, 2B, Orioles (No. 1 in 2024)
1st career hit: Single vs. Brewers -- April 14, 2024

Holliday's first hit came on his fifth day in The Show and after 13 empty plate appearances. He recorded a 101.5 mph exit velocity on the single, making it the hardest-hit ball of his nascent career. He came around to score later in the inning as part of an O's victory.

Gunnar Henderson, 3B, Orioles (No. 1 in 2023)
1st career hit: Home run vs. Guardians -- Aug. 31, 2022

Before Holliday, another lefty-swinging Orioles infielder topped this list heading into 2023. But Henderson's debut came months earlier. After he slashed .297/.416/.531 with 19 homers across two levels of the Minors in '22, he was promoted to the big league club prior to a game versus the Guardians in Cleveland. In his second at-bat, Henderson bashed an 88 mph slider a projected 429 feet for a solo homer. He swung so hard, his batting helmet flew off as he finished his swing.

Francisco Alvarez, C, Mets (No. 1 in 2022)
1st career hit: Home run vs. Nationals -- Oct. 4, 2022

Alvarez began the 2022 season as MLB's No. 10 prospect but rose to No. 1 by Sept. 30, when the Mets called him up. The power-hitting catcher went 0-for-8 through his first three games before finally breaking through as a pinch-hitter on the regular season's penultimate day. Entering the game in the top of the sixth, the 20-year-old led off the bottom of the frame by walloping a breaking ball a projected 439 feet.

Bobby Witt Jr., 3B, Royals (No. 1 in 2022)
1st career hit: RBI double vs. Guardians -- April 7, 2022

Witt picked a big moment to come through with his first big league knock. With the Royals locked in a 1-1 tie with the visiting Guardians on Opening Day, the Kauffman Stadium faithful roared as Witt stepped to the plate with a runner on second and two outs in the bottom of the eighth. Those cheers turned into "BOB-BY!" chants after the 21-year-old roped a go-ahead RBI double into left field.

Wander Franco, 3B, Rays (No. 1 from 2020-21)
1st career hit: Home run vs. Red Sox -- June 22, 2021

After working an impressive walk in his first career plate appearance and then just getting under a ball in the third inning, Franco scooped out a fifth-inning slider from Red Sox starter Eduardo Rodriguez and drove it into the left-field seats for a game-tying, three-run homer. At just 20 years and 113 days of age, Franco became the youngest No. 1 prospect to homer in his first MLB game since Jurickson Profar (19 years, 195 days) in 2012.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 3B, Blue Jays (No. 1 from 2018-19)
1st career hit: Double vs. A's -- April 26, 2019

Vlad Jr.'s MLB debut started slow, but he picked a clutch time to pick up his first career hit. Guerrero led off the bottom of the ninth inning of a tie game at Rogers Centre with an opposite-field double just fair down the right-field line, igniting the Blue Jays to a walk-off win.

Shohei Ohtani, DH/RHP, Angels (No. 1 in 2018)
1st career hit: Single vs. A's -- March 29, 2018

The legend of Ohtani preceded him on his way to MLB from Japan, and although he had a rocky Spring Training, once the real games started he didn't waste any time showing what he could do as a two-way superstar. On the very first pitch he saw as a Major Leaguer, Ohtani smacked a sharp single to right field … and things only got better from there.

Yoán Moncada, 2B, White Sox (No. 1 in 2017)
1st career hit (for Red Sox): Double vs. A's -- Sept. 3, 2016

Moncada actually ascended to the rank of No. 1 prospect after recording his first MLB hit -- and for a different team. That first hit, an RBI double down the left-field line for the Red Sox, came in a cup of coffee in September 2016. Moncada still had prospect status when he was traded to the White Sox as the centerpiece of the Chris Sale deal.

Andrew Benintendi, OF, Red Sox (No. 1 in 2017)
1st career hit: Single vs. Mariners -- Aug. 3, 2016

The Red Sox drafted Benintendi seventh overall in 2015, and a little over a year later he was making his MLB debut in Seattle, called up straight from Double-A. The lefty-hitting outfielder lined an opposite-field single off Hisashi Iwakuma for his first hit, saying after the game: "It’s just one of those things you dream about your entire life."

Alex Bregman, 3B, Astros (No. 1 in 2016)
1st career hit: Single vs. Tigers -- July 31, 2016

Considering how much of a star Bregman is now, it's a little surprising that he went hitless for his first five career games. But the No. 2 overall Draft pick by the Astros in 2015 finally got that first hit in Game No. 6, a bloop single to center field in Detroit. That sent him on his way to big things.

Corey Seager, SS, Dodgers (No. 1 in 2016)
1st career hit: Double vs. Padres -- Sept. 3, 2015

Seager was a sweet-swinging shortstop prospect who got called up in September 2015 and immediately became a difference-maker for a postseason-bound Dodgers club. In his MLB debut, the 21-year-old had a big game, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs and ripping a double into the right-field corner for his first big league hit.

Byron Buxton, OF, Twins (No. 1 from 2013-15)
1st career hit: Triple vs. Cardinals -- June 15, 2015

Playing in his second career game, Buxton flashed his speed when he raced around the bases for a one-out triple off Cardinals righty John Lackey with Minnesota trailing by two runs in the eighth inning. Buxton then came in to score on a Brian Dozier sacrifice fly to cut the Twins' deficit to one, though they were unable to complete the comeback.

Jurickson Profar, SS/2B, Rangers (No. 1 from 2012-13)
1st career hit: Home run vs. Cleveland -- Sept. 2, 2012

Profar made quite the splash for the Rangers, crushing a solo homer in his first career at-bat. The then-19-year-old Profar started the third inning with a leadoff shot off Cleveland righty Zach McAllister before adding a double one inning later. Though he started 2-for-2 following his September callup, Profar went just 1-for-15 the rest of the way in 2012.

Mike Trout, OF, Angels (No. 1 in 2011)
1st career hit: Single vs. Mariners -- July 9, 2011

After going 0-for-3 in his debut, Trout picked up his first career hit in his first at-bat of his second game -- and he did so by legging out a bunt single. Hitting out of the No. 9 spot, Trout dropped down what would have been a sacrifice bunt, but he hustled down the line to beat the throw, which ultimately got past the first baseman and allowed a run to score (though Trout did not pick up an RBI). The then-19-year-old went on to hit just .220 over 40 games in 2011, but things went slightly better once he returned to the Majors for good in '12.

Jason Heyward, OF, Braves (No. 1 in 2010)
1st career hit: Home run vs. Cubs -- April 5, 2010

Heyward wasted no time making his mark, crushing a three-run homer off Cubs starter Carlos Zambrano in his first career at-bat. Heyward later added an RBI single to complete a two-hit, four-RBI debut.

Jay Bruce, OF, Reds (No. 1 in 2008)
1st career hit: Single vs. Pirates -- May 27, 2008

Bruce slotted into the No. 2 spot in the order in his debut, as the Reds tasked him with hitting one spot ahead of Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. Bruce answered the call in a big way, reaching base in each of his five plate appearances (3-for-3 with a pair of walks) while also stealing a base. After walking in his first big league plate appearance, Bruce lined a third-inning single off Ian Snell for his first career hit. He added another walk before chipping in an RBI single and an RBI double later in the game.

Delmon Young, OF, Rays (No. 1 from 2005-07)
1st career hit: Home run vs. White Sox -- Aug. 29, 2006

Young had an unfavorable welcome to the Majors, getting hit by a Freddy Garcia pitch in his first career plate appearance. He then struck out in his next at-bat before getting his revenge on Garcia with a two-run homer for his first career big league hit. Young later added a single to cap a two-hit, two-RBI debut.

Joe Mauer, C, Twins (No. 1 in 2004)
1st career hit: Single vs. Cleveland -- April 5, 2004

Mauer proved right out of the gate that he had what it takes to come through in big spots. With the Twins locked in a tie against an AL Central rival, Mauer ripped a leadoff single to start the bottom of the ninth for his first career base knock. Though he was ultimately stranded, Mauer added another single in the 11th to help set up Shannon Stewart's walk-off three-run homer.