Trending Now - Don’t Miss Out on Sal Stewart: a Must-add for Your Team

WHO:

ESPN - Chase DeLauter, Kevin McGonigle, JJ Wetherholt, Sal Stewart, and Carson Benge are highlighted as part of a historic rookie class in 2026.

ESPN - Munetaka Murakami of the Chicago White Sox is noted for homering in each of his first three major league games.

MLB.com - Sal Stewart became the youngest player to reach base safely three or more times in each of his team’s first four games since at least 1900.

MLB.com - Reds manager Terry Francona praised Sal Stewart, stating, "He’s extremely confident... If I could hit like that, I would be too. But he backs it up."

ESPN - Kazuma Okamoto, OF, Toronto Blue Jays; Munetaka Murakami, OF, Chicago White Sox; Paul Skenes, SP, Pittsburgh Pirates; Cristopher Sanchez, SP, Philadelphia Phillies; Yoshinobu Yamamoto, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers; Carlos Estevez, RP, Kansas City Royals; Lucas Erceg, RP, Kansas City Royals; Edwin Diaz, RP, Los Angeles Dodgers; Will Klein, RP, Los Angeles Dodgers.

ESPN - Sal Stewart, 1B/3B, Cincinnati Reds; Kevin McGonigle, SS, Detroit Tigers; JJ Wetherholt, SS/2B, St. Louis Cardinals; Chase DeLauter, OF, Cleveland Guardians; Cody Ponce, SP, Toronto Blue Jays; Jordan Romano, RP, Los Angeles Angels; Lucas Erceg, RP, Kansas City Royals; Emerson Hancock, SP, Seattle Mariners.

WHAT:

ESPN - Chase DeLauter has hit four home runs in the first three games of the season, more than 12 teams in the majors.

ESPN - Kevin McGonigle has batted in four runs, matching the total runs scored by the entire San Francisco Giants team.

ESPN - Sal Stewart has compiled a .769 on-base percentage through the first weekend of the season.

ESPN - JJ Wetherholt has already achieved a curtain call and a walk-off hit for the St. Louis Cardinals.

MLB.com - Sal Stewart reached base 10 times in his first 13 plate appearances against the Boston Red Sox, earning him the National League Player of the Week honor.

MLB.com - Stewart is batting .667 with a 1.932 OPS, one home run, two RBIs, and three runs scored, tied with Mike Trout for the Major League lead in reaching base 13 times in the young season.

ESPN - Okamoto went 4-for-12 with a home run and two walks in a three-game sweep of the Oakland Athletics.

ESPN - Murakami homered in his first three games for the Chicago White Sox, joining DeLauter as only the third and fourth rookies in history to achieve this.

ESPN - Skenes allowed five runs while recording just two outs on Opening Day, resulting in a 67.50 ERA.

ESPN - Sanchez kept the Texas Rangers hitless and recorded 10 strikeouts in his Opening Day start.

ESPN - Estevez had a significant velocity drop, averaging just 91.2 mph against the Atlanta Braves, down from 95.9 mph last season.

ESPN - Diaz recorded two saves in his first two appearances for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

ESPN - Klein had a 72-pitch, four-inning outing to win Game 3 for the Dodgers.

ESPN - Three players made their major league debuts and homered on Opening Day for the first time in history.

ESPN - Two rookies hit home runs in each of their first three big-league games, joining four players in history to achieve this.

ESPN - Sal Stewart is rostered in 44.2% of ESPN leagues and had a .327/.450/.592 spring stat line.

ESPN - Kevin McGonigle recorded four hits on Opening Day, making him the third-youngest rookie in the past 100 seasons to do so.

ESPN - Cody Ponce had a 0.66 ERA in spring training and is rostered in 28.2% of ESPN leagues.

ESPN - Jordan Romano notched a save on Opening Day and is rostered in 13.9% of ESPN leagues.

ESPN - Lucas Erceg saved 11 of the Royals' 27 wins following his 2024 trade deadline acquisition.

WHERE:

ESPN - Cincinnati, Ohio (Sal Stewart); Detroit, Michigan (Kevin McGonigle); St. Louis, Missouri (JJ Wetherholt); Cleveland, Ohio (Chase DeLauter); Toronto, Canada (Cody Ponce); Los Angeles, California (Jordan Romano); Kansas City, Missouri (Lucas Erceg); Seattle, Washington (Emerson Hancock).

WHEN:

ESPN - DeLauter was named American League Player of the Week on March 31st, 2026.

MLB.com - The Reds won their first four games of the 2026 season, including a 2-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on March 30th, 2026.

ESPN - The Dodgers swept the Arizona Diamondbacks in their first three games of the 2026 season.

ESPN - The 2026 MLB season began on March 30th, 2026.

ESPN - Sal Stewart had five home runs in 18 games last September 2025.

ESPN - The Royals' game where Lucas Erceg saved was on March 30th, 2026.

WHY:

ESPN - The Giants' new manager Tony Vitello's speech to the team was criticized for being too "fire and brimstone," which he acknowledged may have contributed to the team's poor performance.

ESPN - The importance of rookie players like Sal Stewart is highlighted due to their potential impact on team performance.

HOW:

ESPN - Sal Stewart arrived at spring training 22 pounds lighter, showing improved athleticism and performance.

MLB.com - In the game against the Pirates, Stewart scored the go-ahead run from third base on Spencer Steer's sacrifice fly after reaching base three times.

ESPN - Skenes' poor performance was attributed to outfielder Oneil Cruz losing two routine fly balls in the sun.

ESPN - Sal Stewart handled first base in the Reds' first two games, with Eugenio Suarez at designated hitter.

(UPDATED March 31, 2026 13:22 UTC)

Chase DeLauter has made headlines by hitting four home runs in the first three games of the season, outpacing more than 12 teams in the majors, and he was named American League Player of the Week on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Munetaka Murakami of the Chicago White Sox has also made an impressive start, homering in each of his first three major league games. Other standout rookies include Kevin McGonigle, who has batted in four runs, matching the total runs scored by the entire San Francisco Giants team, and Sal Stewart, who boasts a .769 on-base percentage after arriving at spring training 22 pounds lighter.

(UPDATED March 31, 2026 05:34 UTC)

Sal Stewart has made history by becoming the youngest player to reach base safely three or more times in each of his team’s first four games since at least 1900, and he was recognized as the National League Player of the Week after reaching base 10 times in his first 13 plate appearances against the Boston Red Sox. Stewart is currently batting .667 with a 1.932 OPS, one home run, two RBIs, and three runs scored, tying him with Mike Trout for the Major League lead in reaching base this season. In the Reds' recent 2-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday, Stewart scored the go-ahead run from third base on a sacrifice fly by Spencer Steer after reaching base three times during the game.

(UPDATED March 30, 2026 21:13 UTC)

In a strong start to the season, the Los Angeles Dodgers swept the Arizona Diamondbacks, with Edwin Diaz securing two saves in his first two appearances and Will Klein winning Game 3 after a solid four-inning outing. Meanwhile, Kazuma Okamoto of the Toronto Blue Jays impressed with a home run and two walks over a three-game series against the Oakland Athletics, while Munetaka Murakami made history by homering in his first three games for the Chicago White Sox. On a different note, Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes struggled on Opening Day, allowing five runs in just two outs, partly due to outfielder Oneil Cruz losing two fly balls in the sun.

(UPDATED March 30, 2026 15:20 UTC)

The 2026 MLB season kicked off on Monday, marking a historic day as three players made their major league debuts and homered, a first for Opening Day. Among the standout performances, Kevin McGonigle recorded four hits, making him the third-youngest rookie in the past century to achieve such a feat, while Sal Stewart, who had an impressive spring training, also made his mark at first base for the Cincinnati Reds. Additionally, Cody Ponce showcased his skills with a stellar 0.66 ERA in spring training, and Jordan Romano secured a save for the Los Angeles Angels, highlighting the significant contributions of these rookie players.