Not only are the Cubs calling up No. 1 prospect Kris Bryant for today’s game, he’s hitting cleanup in his MLB debut at Wrigley Field against the Padres.
We’ve written plenty (and some might even say too much) about Bryant’s arrival, but I stumbled across this little tidbit via Baseball-Reference’s amazing “Play Index” and wanted to share it.
Here are the only other hitters to bat cleanup in their MLB debuts in the past 20 seasons:
Jose Abreu, 2014
Barbaro Canizares, 2009
Brad Eldred, 2005
Justin Morneau, 2003
Jeff Liefer, 1999
I mean, that’s a helluva list.
Oh, and the last player to make his debut batting cleanup and hit a home run? Jay Gainer, for the Rockies in 1993. He played 23 total games in the majors, batting .171.
