Welcome to The Pregame Lineup, a weekday newsletter that gets you up to speed on everything you need to know for today’s games, while catching you up on fun and interesting stories you might have missed. Today's edition is brought to you by David Adler.
The clock is ticking down to Konnor Griffin's Major League debut for the Pirates this afternoon.
Baseball's No. 1 overall prospect is just 19 years and 344 days old. The big question: Can he turn into a superstar like some of the other teen phenoms who came before him?
When Griffin takes the field at shortstop for Pittsburgh's home opener (4:12 p.m. ET, MLB.TV/MLB Network/SportsNet Pittsburgh/MASN), he'll be following in the footsteps of some iconic players who were also talented enough to reach the big leagues before their 20th birthday.
Here are five teenage hitters who blazed the trail for Griffin:
1) Juan Soto
MLB debut: 19 years, 207 days old in 2018
Even for an elite hitting prospect, playing in the Majors in your teens is rare. Soto was the last teen hitter to play an MLB game before Griffin, and that was back in 2018. Soto is one of the best hitters in the world today -- and he was one of the best hitters in the world as a 19-year-old rookie with the Nationals, too, when he was the youngest player in the Majors. Soto had one of the best teenage seasons ever, batting .292 with 22 home runs and a .923 OPS. And that was just the beginning.
2) Bryce Harper
MLB debut: 19 years, 195 days old in 2012
Maybe the defining teenage player of this generation for Griffin to follow, Harper has had otherworldly expectations heaped on him ever since he was anointed "Baseball's Chosen One" on the cover of Sports Illustrated at just 16 years old. Somehow, from the day he debuted as a 19-year-old in 2012, Harper has lived up to all those expectations. He was the NL Rookie of the Year with the Nationals that first season, and now he's a two-time MVP and eight-time All-Star.
3) Mike Trout
MLB debut: 19 years, 335 days old in 2011
The funny thing is, Trout was actually pretty bad as a teenager -- he hit .220 as a 19-year-old with the Angels in 2011. But clearly there was a reason he was being called up. Trout had explosive talent, and by the next year at age 20, he was basically the best player in baseball. Trout broke out as the same type of dynamic power-speed star that Griffin can be, and after 15 years in the Majors, he's a three-time MVP, 11-time All-Star and likely Hall of Famer.
4) Alex Rodriguez
MLB debut: 18 years, 346 days old in 1994
Griffin is a shortstop phenom in A-Rod's mold -- like a young Rodriguez was, Griffin is a five-tool talent at the position who can do everything. A-Rod actually debuted in the Majors at 18 years old in 1994, and while it took him a couple of years to come into his own, once he did, he became one of the greatest all-around shortstops to ever play the position. Rodriguez collected 1,535 hits, hit 345 home runs, stole 177 bases and won two Gold Gloves and an MVP in his decade as a shortstop with the Mariners and Rangers before he moved to third base with the Yankees.
5) Ken Griffey Jr.
MLB debut: 19 years, 133 days old in 1989
If Bryce is the defining teenage baseball player of the last 15 years, Griffey might be the most iconic teen player, period. The Kid debuted in Seattle as a 19-year-old in 1989, five years before A-Rod, and introduced the baseball world to the sweetest swing of all time. The teen phenoms who become superstars tend to have the electric all-around skill set Griffey was famous for. He was a center fielder, but Griffin has the blueprint from Griffey.
