Feature Photo: Miguel Gomez, INF, Giants
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After calling up 20 players to debut last week, MLB GMs decided to take most of the week off in terms of first-time call-ups. All was quiet on the Debutantes Ball front until Saturday, when three players joined big league rosters for the first time. It felt like a vacation for me after the hectic pace of my first week on the beat!
Those three Saturday debuts were it for the week, and next week could be quiet, as well, with All-Star festivities shortening the league schedule. With the three new debutantes, we are now up to 151 debuts for the 2017 season.
Two of the three players to make their major league debuts on Saturday debuted in the same game but on opposite sides of the field. Miami Marlins left-hander Chris O’Grady and San Francisco Giants infielder Miguel Gomez didn’t face each other in the game, but both got to experience an unforgettable moment on the same AT&T Park grass. Both players took unusual routes to the big leagues: Gomez spent three seasons in the Dominican Summer League before getting an opportunity to play in the United States, while O’Grady began his season looking for work when he was released by his original organization, the Los Angeles Angels, at the end of spring training.
The Minnesota Twins called up outfielder Zack Granite on Saturday after the speedy outfielder hit an eye-opening .470 for the month in June for Triple-A Rochester. The Staten Island native is known for his plate discipline and his ability to put the bat on the ball, so of course he had an epic 11-pitch at-bat to start his major league career. He joins a Twins’ outfield that already features center fielder Byron Buxton, giving the Twins speed to spare.
Now I hand the reins back to Lisa’s capable hands. It was a fun two weeks and I have 23 players whose debuts I will always remember (cue Sarah McLachlan singing “I will Remember You”). Be sure to read up on all of the debuts in the MLB Debuts chart. Thanks for coming along on the journey with me these past two weeks!
Click here to view our running table of major league debuts this season!
(Reminder! The MLB Debut table is also found by clicking the Spotlights Tab on our home page, and scrolling to the top sub-menu selection.)
