Fab Five: MLB rookies who took over Opening Day

It didn't take long for Schumaker to use Baumler, who pitched the eighth inning of a 5-3 road loss at the Philadelphia Phillies.

His debut was a mixed bag, but Baumler managed to escape a jam of his own making. He began by walking Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm on five pitches before recording two outs, including his first career strikeout when he caught right fielder Adolis Garcia looking.

Baumler loaded the bases with a double and hit by pitch but closed the inning without allowing a run by getting fellow rookie Justin Crawford (more on him soon) to pop out.

Per Baseball Savant, Baumler's fastball maxed out at 96 mph, and he also showed nice movement with his curve, making there more to like than dislike about his debut.

Philadelphia Phillies centerfielder Justin Crawford

That didn't take long.

Crawford swung at the first pitch he saw from Rangers starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi, and he fired the 94 mph four-seam fastball back up the middle for a line-drive base hit.

He added a lead-off single in the bottom of the fifth inning, later scoring on Bohm's three-run home run.

Crawford finished 2-for-4, providing an important punch from the No. 9 spot in the lineup.  Much like his father, 15-year MLB outfielder Carl Crawford, Justin has fantastic speed, stealing 145 bases in 325 career minor league games, which could give him a chance to move up in the order.

St. Louis Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt

The No. 7 overall pick of the 2024 MLB Draft, Wetherholt ranks as the fifth-best prospect in MLB. He showed why with a strong first impression in the Cardinals' 9-7 comeback victory in their home opener over the Tampa Bay Rays.

Wetherholt led off the bottom of the third with a monster home run, blasting Rays starter Drew Rasmussen's 94 mph four-seamer 425 feet to centerfield. Per Baseball Savant, it would have left the yard in 29 of 30 MLB ballparks, with the Arizona Diamondbacks' Chase Field being the lone exception.

Wetherholt, who added some strong plays as a fielder, finished 1-for-4 with two runs batted in (RBI), also adding a sacrifice fly as part of an eight-run sixth inning that erased a 7-1 deficit.

New York Mets right fielder Carson Benge

The Mets had a stunning offensive explosion against the Pittsburgh Pirates and reigning NL Cy Young Award recipient Paul Skenes, who was pulled after allowing five runs in 0.2 innings.

While not part of that outburst (Benge struck out swinging in his lone at-bat against Skenes), he contributed later, hitting a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth to extend New York's lead to 10-5.

Benge, selected No. 19 overall in 2024, also walked twice and added a stolen base in the 11-7 win, making up for strikeouts in his first two at-bats. Per MLB analyst Sarah Langs, he became the 14th player since the implementation of the modern steal rule (1898) to hit a home run and steal a base in his MLB debut and only the second Met, joining Lenny Dykstra, who accomplished the feat on May 3, 1985.

Detroit Tigers third baseman Kevin McGonigle

Forget an MLB debut. A 10-year veteran would love to have McGonigle's Opening Day.

MLB's No. 2-ranked prospect had a massive performance in an 8-2 road win over the San Diego Padres, recording a third of the Tigers' hits by going 4-for-5 at the plate. He was also 1-for-1 with runners in scoring position, driving in two runners on a bases-loaded double in the top of the first.

He added a second double in the top of the third, scoring two batters later, then singles in two of his last three at-bats.

Per MLB's official social media account, McGonigle is the sixth player since 1900 to have four hits in his MLB debut.

"I did what I had to do to help this team win today," McGonigle told Detroit SportsNet following the game. "I'm looking forward to doing that all season."

If Thursday was indeed a glimpse of his future, the Tigers are in store for a bright 2026.