There's a unique excitement for a player's Major League debut, obviously for the player himself, but also for those watching. Especially in the case of highly anticipated debuts of precocious prospects, there's a certain buzz you just can't replicate. On Thursday, MLB Network will be showing games in which some of the game's best players made their first appearance in the big leagues. Here's a look at the programming schedule.
1 p.m. and 10 p.m. ET: Max Scherzer -- Astros at D-backs, April 29, 2008
How's this for a debut -- Scherzer came out of the Arizona bullpen in the third inning against Houston, and tossed 4 1/3 perfect frames of relief with seven strikeouts. It was a sign of things to come for the right-hander, who would win three Cy Young Awards -- one in the American League with the Tigers and two in the NL with the Nationals -- while becoming one of the elite pitchers of his generation. Sit back and watch Scherzer's dominance in his very first MLB outing,
3 p.m. ET: Fernando Tatis Jr. -- March 28, 2019
While his season was cut short due to a back injury, Tatis wowed us both at the plate and in the field during his 2019 rookie campaign. At just 19 years old, the Padres phenom debuted against the Giants on Opening Day at Petco Park, being greeted with a standing ovation before his first plate appearance. Tatis didn't waste any time getting his first MLB hit out of the way, singling to left against left-hander Madison Bumgarner in the second inning of San Diego's 2-0 victory. Later in the game he demonstrated his speed by bunting for a hit, going 2-for-3 overall.
On the season, Tatis slashed .317/.379/.590 with 22 homers and 16 steals in just 84 games, finishing third in NL Rookie of the Year voting. He's got big things ahead of him, but the big league journey began on Opening Day 2019.
5 p.m. ET: Trevor Story -- April 4, 2016, Rockies at D-backs
Story has become an all-around star, but no one could have foreseen just how great the start to his career would be. The Rockies' shortstop set an MLB record by launching seven homers in his first six career games. The first two of those came on Opening Day against Zack Greinke and the D-backs at Chase Field. Story smashed a three-run shot off Greinke in the third inning, and a solo shot off the veteran right-hander in the fourth to help Colorado beat Arizona, 10-5.
Story's rookie campaign was limited to 97 games due to a thumb injury, but he still hit .272/.341/.567 (122 OPS+) with 27 homers, finishing fourth in NL Rookie of the Year voting. Entering his fourth MLB season, Story already has 123 homers and was selected as an All-Star in each of the past two seasons.