Great stints with a Major League team are defined by the overall body of work, not just the first season. But everyone likes to make a strong first impression.
Whether it's a rookie or an acquisition through free agency or trade, it's always special when a player's first year with a new team is something to remember. Here are five of the greatest debut seasons as a Dodger:
1. Jackie Robinson, 1947
The debut that changed Major League Baseball belongs atop any list of great debut seasons. Adjusting to life in the big leagues can be difficult for any player, but Robinson had to deal with far more than the average rookie as he endured racism and discrimination while breaking baseball's color barrier. His Major League debut, commemorated every year on April 15, paved the way for his fellow Black players to come to the Majors.
Robinson tends to be remembered more for his legacy than what he accomplished on the field, but he was an outstanding player as well. In the first year of his Hall of Fame career, Robinson slashed .297/.383/.427 en route to being named the first Major League Rookie of the Year, an award that was later named after him.
2. Shohei Ohtani, 2024
Ohtani came to the Dodgers on a then-record 10-year, $700 million contract as the 2018 AL Rookie of the Year and a two-time AL MVP, so expectations were not exactly low for his first year in L.A. He blew them out of the water anyway.
Limited to DH duties while recovering from a second major surgery on his right elbow, the two-way star put together one of his best seasons as a hitter, slashing .310/.390/.646. Ohtani hit 54 homers and stole 59 bases to create the one-of-a-kind 50-50 club and became the first player in more than 20 years to exceed 400 total bases. He ended his first year as a Dodger with his third unanimous MVP Award -- and more importantly, his first World Series championship.
3. Fernando Valenzuela, 1981
A sensation for his cultural impact as much as his excellence on the mound, Valenzuela captivated L.A. with a stunning rookie campaign that saw him become the only pitcher in Major League history to win Rookie of the Year and the Cy Young Award in the same year. (Valenzuela actually debuted with 10 scoreless relief appearances in 1980, but he retained his rookie status for '81.)
Pressed into duty as the emergency Opening Day starter, Valenzuela tossed a five-hit shutout against the Astros. That was the first of eight consecutive winning decisions, and Fernandomania was in motion. Valenzuela finished the regular season with a 13-7 record and a 2.48 ERA, and capped off his rookie year by pitching a complete game in his lone career World Series appearance.
4. Don Newcombe, 1949
Alongside Robinson, Newcombe was a trailblazer as one of the Major Leagues' first Black star players. Seven years before becoming the first Cy Young Award winner, Newcombe made the jump to the Majors and brought home the Dodgers' second Rookie of the Year Award. Newcombe led the NL pennant winners' pitching staff with 17 wins, posting a 3.17 ERA across 38 appearances (31 starts). Impressively, he completed 19 of the games he started and tossed an NL-leading five shutouts.
5. Kirk Gibson, 1988
Gibson's legendary moment with the Dodgers came in his final at-bat of his first year in L.A., his stunning walk-off homer in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series. The big swing capped a huge season for Gibson, the first of his three-year, $4.5 million contract. Gibson slashed .290/.377/.483 and won the NL MVP Award in '88, but he couldn't reach the same heights in his final two seasons with the Dodgers. The first one, though, will live on forever.