Although it might feel like baseball players are getting younger, this isn’t necessarily true when it comes to the Major Leagues. Even ignoring the war years, when younger players were drafted in due to Major Leaguers heading off to fight, a list of the youngest players to ever feature in the Major League would consist of players in the 20th and even 19th Centuries. Since the turn of the 21st Century, no 18-year-old has played in either league, and, in fact, you have to go back to 1994 when Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez, or A-Rod, made his debut for the Seattle Mariners.
1. Jackson Chourio – 21 Years Old
This season, Jackson Chourio is the youngest player to feature. Chourio is a 21-year-old outfielder for the Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers currently stand at +5000 to be crowned World Series champions and +2500 to take the National League Pennant, according to information widely available on offshore sportsbooks like those curated by Card Player. Betting expert James Briscoe notes that these offshore sportsbooks also offer a wide range of features and services in varying markets. The platforms allow bettors to enjoy some staking action on Chourio, currently +4500 to be the Brewers’ MVP.
2. Bryce Harper – 19 Years Old
Bryce Harper made his debut for the Washington Nationals in 2012 and, in that same year, was picked for the All-Stars Game, aged 19 years old. He was the youngest position player to play in an All-Stars Game. Harper went on to be named Rookie of the Year and tied for first place for the most home runs in the National League. 3 years later, aged 23, he became the youngest player to win the National League Most Valuable Player.
3. Dwight Gooden – 19 Years Old
Harper was 19 years and 268 days old when he played in the All-Stars game in 2012. That makes him the second youngest All-Stars pick, behind Dwight Gooden. Gooden was only 31 days younger, at 19 years and 237 days, when he featured in the 1984 All-Stars Game. After debuting for the New York Mets that year, Gooden, like Bryce, went on to win the Rookie of the Year award. Also called Dr K, Gooden achieved a total of four All-Star selections in a career that lasted 430 games.
4. Jim Derrington – 16 Years Old
Jim Derrington debuted for the Chicago White Sox in 1956, two months before his 17th birthday. Derrington holds a place on this list because he was, and still is, the youngest-ever pitcher to start a major league game. He went on to make another 20 appearances for the White Sox in 1957. He had 43 big league innings but would go on to play four seasons in the minor leagues without ever making the step back up to the big leagues.
5. Putsy Caballero – 16 Years Old
Putsy Caballero is the youngest position player in the modern era of major league baseball, having made his debut for the Philadelphia Phillies aged just 16 years old. He made his debut in 1944 when he was subbed on during a loss to the Giants. He would go on to make a few appearances that season and play throughout most of the year in 1945. However, was drafted for military service late in 1945, which saw him miss the majority of the next year. However, Caballero did feature as part of the famed Whiz Kids squad of 1950. He played a total of eight seasons and retired in 1955.
6. Granny Hamner – 17 Years Old
Another member of the Whiz Kids squad to make this list is Granny Hamner. He made his debut, aged just 17, in 1944. His Major League career spanned 17 seasons, including 16 seasons with the Phillies. He became captain in 1952 and scored 104 home runs over his career, earning a spot in the National League All-Stars three times. Hamner also had brief stints at the Athletics and Indians.
7. Mel Ott – 17 Years Old
Mel Ott was just 17 years old when he played his first game for the New York Giants way back in 1926. Ott was used as a pinch hitter regularly through that season and would go on to play 22 seasons, all for the Giants. During that time he hit a .304 average and scored 511 home runs and 2,876 hits, earning him a place in the Hall of Fame in 1951.
8. Cass Michaels – 17 Years Old
Cass Michaels benefited from the fact that a lot of Major Leaguers were called up for military service during WWII. He made his auspicious debut in 1943, aged 17 years old. He featured in two games that season, failing to register a single hit, but he was retained by the Chicago White Sox and featured in the All-Stars in 1949 and 1950. The utility player went on to enjoy eight seasons in Chicago and a career spanning 12 years.
9. Lefty Weinert – 17 Years Old
When it comes to shaky starts, they don’t come much shakier than Lefty Weinert’s first game for the Phillies in 1919. Aged just 17 years old, the pitcher gave away 11 hits and 9 runs in just four innings. As a result of that shelling, Weinert did not feature again until the next season, but he did stay in the big leagues for nine seasons, playing for the Phillies, the Cubs, and a brief stint at the Yankees. He made 131 big league appearances across his career.
10. Jimmie Foxx – 17 Years
Jimmie Foxx has a storied baseball career, although it did take a few seasons to really get going. His debut came, at the age of 17 years, when he took the bat for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1925. In that game, he hit a single and despite the relatively quiet start, Foxx would go on to play 20 seasons, amassing 534 home runs and 1,922 RBI. He was MVP three times and took the Triple Crown in 1933. Even more remarkable is the fact that he barely featured during the 1943, 44, or 45 seasons, after struggles with alcoholism. To this day, his stats mean he has the 17th most home runs in history and the 8th-highest RBI. He joined the Hall of Fame in 1951.
11. Carl Scheib – 16 Years
When he made his debut in 1943, aged 16 years, 8 months, and 5 days, Carl Scheib held the honor of being the youngest player since before World War I, although he would hold the honor for less than a year. In his first game, he threw 0.2 innings and allowed two hits and one run. After a two-year break for military service, Scheib would go on to enjoy a respectable career in the big leagues.
12. Joe Nuxhall – 15 Years
Joe Nuxhall was the player that knocked Scheib off the top of the youngest post-World War I player. He was just 15 years, 10 months, and 10 days old when he played for the Cincinnati Reds in 1944. Apparently, the Reds were originally scouting Nuxhall’s father, who played in the same minor league team, but were so impressed with the younger Nuxhall that they signed him. In his first game, Nuxhall allowed two hits, five walks, and five runs from nine hitters. He didn’t play in the big leagues again for another eight years when he was 23. Nuxhall would go on to enjoy a 16-year career in the big leagues and is unlikely to ever be dethroned as the youngest major league player ever.
