Current Major Leaguers Bryce Harper and Juan Soto got an early start in the bigs, both with the Nationals (Harper in 2012 at 19 years, 195 days, and Soto in 2018, at 19 years, 207 days). But neither is the youngest to play in the majors. Which players were more junior? Read on.
Robin Yount (photo courtesy Society for American Baseball Research)
Robin Yount, 18 years, 201 days, 1974-1993: The Hall of Famer banged out over 3,000 hits and hit 251 home runs. He played all of his 20 seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers. He played roughly half of his career as a shortstop and half as a center fielder. He won one MVP award at each position.
Mel Ott, 17 years, 253 days, 1926-1947: Hall of Famer Ott played his entire career with the New York Giants. The 12-time All-Star led the National League in homers six times and was a 1933 World Series champion. By the time Ott turned 25, he had recorded 1,249 hits, the second-highest total for a 25-year-old in MLB history, behind only Ty Cobb.
Ed Sanicki, 17 years, 74 days, 1949-1951: Sanicki signed with the Phillies after serving in World War II. On September 14, 1949 — in his first at-bat in the major leagues — he hit a three-run home run off Rip Sewell of the Pittsburgh Pirates. During spring training in 1950, he injured his knee. Although he made the Phils in 1951, his final major-league game was on May 12. During his two MLB stints, Sanicki had only 17 at-bats — but of his five hits, three were home runs and one was a double.
Roger McKee, 16 years, 336 days, 1943-1944: McKee made his major league debut for the Philadelphia Phillies on August 18, 1943, in a home doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals at Shibe Park. On October 3, 1943, McKee started the second game of a doubleheader against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Forbes Field and pitched a complete game, winning 11–3. He was 17 years and 17 days old at the time. McKee thus became the youngest pitcher in baseball history to be credited with a win and to throw a nine-inning complete-game victory; no pitcher as young as McKee has accomplished this since.
Putsy Caballero, 16 years, 314 days, 1944-1952: Caballero appeared in four games for the 1944 Philadelphia Phillies, getting four at-bats without reaching base. He became the youngest third baseman in Major League history, a distinction he holds to this day. He played in the 1950 World Series for the Phils against the Yankees.
Jim Derrington, 16 years, 306 days, 1956-1957: Derrington signed with the White Sox for one of the biggest bonuses of his time—$50,000.
Under the bonus rule of the time, he joined the major league club immediately and started their final game of the 1956 season, becoming the youngest pitcher to start a game since the beginning of the 20th century.
Alex George, 16 years, 256 days, 1955-1955: George was signed by the Athletics during their first season in Kansas City. All of his major league appearances took place before his 17th birthday. At the age of 16, he appeared in five major league games as a shortstop and pinch hitter for the Kansas City Athletics during the 1955 season. Sent to the minor leagues in 1956 for more experience, George never made it back to the majors.
Carl Schieb, youngest player in AL history (photo, NY Times)
Carl Scheib, 16 years, 247 days, 1943-1954: On September 26, 1943, Scheib pitched the final inning of the Philadelphia Athletics game against the St. Louis Browns, yielding two hits and no earned runs with one strikeout. Aged 16 years and 268 days at the time, Scheib is the youngest pitcher to record a strikeout in baseball history. One of the best-hitting pitchers of his day, in 1948, he banged out 31 hits in 104 at-bats, for an average of .298 with two home runs and 21 runs batted in. He appeared in 32 games as a pitcher and 20 as a pinch hitter. In 1951, Scheib played in 46 games as a pitcher, two as a pinch hitter, and batted .396 (21 for 53).
Tommy Brown, 16 years, 241 days, 1944-1953: On August 3, 1944, during the World War II manpower shortage, Brown started at shortstop for the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field against the Chicago Cubs, becoming the youngest non-pitcher to ever play in a major league game. He got his first major league hit that day, a double. The following season, in a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on August 20, 1945, Brown became the youngest player in MLB history to hit a home run, a record that still stands. He was 17 years and 257 days old at the time
And the youngest to play …
Photo courtesy Sports History Network
Joe Nuxhall, 15 years, 316 days, 1944-1966: Joe Nuxhall is the youngest player in MLB history. He pitched 2⁄3 of an inning for the Cincinnati Reds on June 10, 1944, called upon for that single game due to player shortages during World War II. Following his appearance with the Reds, he was assigned to the Birmingham Barons in the Southern League. Nuxhall attended spring training with the Reds in 1945.
After high school ended that spring, he pitched in the Reds minor league system for one season. Nuxhall then decided to return home until he finished high school the following year. Over the next five years, he played in the minor leagues before returning to the Reds in 1952. Selected to the NL All-Star team in 1955 and 1956, the southpaw compiled a career ERA of 3.90 and a record of 135–117 during his 16-season career.
