HOME RUN WITH FIRST PITCH EVER

Major League Players Who Hit a Home Run on First Pitch EVER | Baseball Almanac

Close your eyes for a moment and imagine stepping up to the plate for the first time ever in your Major League career. The pitcher, knowing you are a rookie just brought up, delivers and you immediately get to hear the cheers (or boos) of the crowd as the announcer calls it out of here on the first pitched ball you have ever seen in a Major League ball game. Research by Baseball Almanac.

Baseball Almanac Top Quote

"When he (Kaz Matsui) hit that first ball, I wish you were in the dugout. For him to get off to that kind of start (a home run with his first pitch ever) is a fairy tale." - Howe, Art. Manager. First things first: Kaz hits HR. Czerwinski, Kevin T. MLB Staff Writer. 6 April 2004.

Home Run With First Pitch Ever

American League Players With a Home Run With First Pitch Ever

A.L. Batters | Chronological Order | HR in First At-Bat

1. 4. Bill LeFebvre (1) 22.211 06-10-1938 Boston 8 0 LHP
2. 6. George Vico (12) 24.255 04-20-1948 Detroit 3 0 1B
3. 8. Bert Campaneris (79) 22.136 07-23-1964 Kansas City 1 0 SS
4. 9. Brant Alyea (38) 24.278 09-12-1965 Washington 6 2 PH
5. 10. Don Rose (1) 25.066 05-24-1972 California 3 0 RHP
6. 11. Al Woods (35) 23.242 04-07-1977 Toronto 5 1 PH-RF
7. 12. Jay Bell (195) 20.292 09-29-1986 Cleveland 3 0 2B
8. 13. Junior Felix (55) 21.213 05-04-1989 Toronto 3 0 RF
9. 16. Esteban Yan (1) 24.348 06-04-2000 Tampa Bay 2 0 RHP
10. 19. Marcus Thames (115) 25.096 06-10-2002 New York 3 1 RF
11. 21. Andy Phillips (14) 27.173 09-26-2004 New York 8 1 PH-3B
12. 23. Kevin Kouzmanoff (87) 25.039 09-02-2006 Cleveland 1 3 DH
13. 25. Daniel Nava (29) 27.110 06-12-2010 Boston 2 3 LF
14. 26. J.P. Arencibia (80) 24.214 08-07-2010 Toronto 2 1 C
15. 29. Eddie Rosario (Active) 23.220 05-06-2015 Minnesota 3 0 RF
16. 31. Akil Baddoo (Active) 22.231 04-04-2021 Detroit 3 0 LF

Home Run With First Pitch Ever

National League Hitters Who Homered With First Pitch Ever

N.L. Batters | Chronological Order | First At Bat

1. 1. Walter Mueller (2) 27.152 05-07-1922 Pittsburgh 1 2 RF
2. 2. Clise Dudley (3) 25.262 04-27-1929 Brooklyn 3 0 RHP
3. 3. Eddie Morgan (1) 21.147 04-14-1936 St. Louis 7 1 PH
4. 5. Clyde Vollmer (69) 20.249 05-31-1942 Cincinnati 3 0 LF
5. 7. Chuck Tanner (21) 26.282 04-12-1955 Milwaukee 8 0 PH
6. 14. Jim Bullinger (4) 26.292 06-08-1992 Chicago 6 0 RHP
7. 15. Jay Gainer (3) 26.218 05-14-1993 Colorado 2 0 1B
8. 17. Chris Richard (34) 26.040 07-17-2000 St. Louis 2 0 LF
9. 18. Gene Stechschulte (1) 27.248 04-17-2001 St. Louis 6 1 PH
10. 20. Kaz Matsui (32) 28.166 04-06-2004 New York 1 0 SS
11. 22. Adam Wainwright (Active) 24.267 05-24-2006 St. Louis 5 0 RHP
12. 24. Mark Saccomanno (1) 28.131 09-08-2008 Houston 5 0 PH
13. 27. Tommy Milone (Active) 24.199 09-03-2011 Washington 2 2 LHP
14. 28. Starling Marte (Active) 23.291 07-26-2012 Pittsburgh 1 0 LF
15. 30. Willson Contreras (Active) 24.037 06-19-2016 Chicago 6 1 PH
MLB Home Run With First Pitch Ever | Research by Baseball Almanac
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baseball almanac fast facts

Only thirty-one instances in the history of Major League baseball and sixteen are in the American League, fifteen are in the National League. Eight of the home runs hit with the first pitch ever were accomplished by big league pitchers (seven are identified above as pitchers, the eighth was Gene Stechschulte, a right-handed pitcher, who was in the lineup as a pinch hitter that historic day).

On September 8, 1965, Bert Campaneris, who hit a home run in his first pitch ever seen on July 23, 1964, became the first record setting American League player to field all nine positions during a single game.

Chuck Tanner, who hit a home run in his first pitch ever seen, became a much better manager, and is one of the few members of the 1,000 Wins Club — in 1972, Tanner even won the Manager of the Year Award.