HOUSTON -- There were a lot of expectations placed on Joey Loperfido prior to his Major League debut on Tuesday. The Astros sent out social media posts and a press release on Monday confirming he would be called up to the big leagues, which is the kind of promotional material usually given to the most elite prospects. Loperfido is the team's No. 6 prospect per MLB Pipeline, and he led the Minor Leagues in home runs with 13, so it's understandable why the team and fans were excited for his call to Houston. Ultimately, Loperfido's play at the big league level will determine how much attention he receives in the future, and his clutch two-run single in Tuesday's 10-9 walk-off win over Cleveland was a good start. "I try to treat every at bat the same," said Loperfido, who went 1-for-5 while starting in left field. "Look at the scouting report, come up with my plan and try to stick to it. But to kind of be thrown in the fire night one, why not?" Let's take a look back at some of the club's most anticipated Major League position-player debuts of the last decade and where they went from there: |
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SS Carlos Correa When: June 8, 2015, at White Sox Age: 20 years, 259 days Result: 1-for-4 with one RBI The aftermath: Correa, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 Draft, was one of the top prospects in baseball when the Astros sent him to Chicago for his debut – which came on the same day they drafted another shortstop, Alex Bregman, at No. 2 overall. The 2015 AL Rookie of the Year, Correa blossomed into a star and a franchise icon in Houston, leading the Astros to six trips to the playoffs, including three AL pennants and the 2017 World Series championship. 3B Alex Bregman When: July 25, 2016, vs. Yankees Age: 22 years, 117 days Result: 0-for-4 with two strikeouts The aftermath: Bregman was hitless in his first 17 MLB at-bats through five games before manager A.J. Hinch moved him up to second in the batting order in a vote of confidence. It worked. Bregman recorded his first Major League hit July 31 against the Tigers and quickly established himself as one of the game's premier third basemen. He was a cornerstone player on two World Series championship teams. |
1B Yuli Gurriel When: Aug. 21, 2016, at Orioles Age: 32 years, 73 days Result: 1-for-2 The aftermath: Signed to a five-year, $47 million contract after an illustrious career in Cuba, Gurriel found a home in Houston and was one of the club's most popular players en route to winning World Series titles in 2017 (he caught the final out) and 2022. Gurriel won an AL batting title and Gold Glove at first base in 2021 and left Houston after the 2022 World Series. RF Kyle Tucker When: July 7, 2018, vs. White Sox Age: 21 years, 171 days Result: 1-for-4 with one RBI The aftermath: Tucker, taken with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2015 Draft (three spots behind Bregman), got off to a slow start at the plate and played in only 28 games in '18 and 22 in '19 before taking over as the team's full-time starter in 2020 -- the pandemic-shortened season. He's been entrenched in right field since, and last year, he finished fifth in AL MVP voting and led the AL with 112 RBIs. |
DH/LF Yordan Alvarez When: June 9, 2019, vs. Orioles Age: 21 years, 347 days Result: 1-for-3 with a homer and two RBIs The aftermath: The Cuban slugger, acquired in 2016 from the Dodgers in exchange for relief pitcher Josh Fields, homered in his second career at-bat and has been a force since. He batted .313 with 27 homers and 78 RBIs and set a Major League rookie record with a 1.067 OPS in 87 games in '19, winning the AL Rookie of the Month in each of his first three months in the big leagues. Not surprisingly, he was a unanimous pick for AL Rookie of the Year and is one of the game's top sluggers. SS Jeremy Peña When: April 7, 2022, at Angels Age: 24 years, 197 days Result: 0-for-4 with two strikeouts The aftermath: Peña took over as the Astros' starting shortstop in 2022 following the departure of Correa in free agency. He had an up-and-down rookie season before shining in the playoffs -- he hit an 18th-inning game-winning homer to eliminate the Mariners in the ALDS and was named the MVP of the ALCS against the Yankees and the World Series against the Phillies. He also won a Gold Glove as a rookie and remains Houston's starting shortstop. |
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Who had the last pinch-hit walk-off homer prior to Victor Caratini's two-run shot in the 10th inning to beat the Guardians on Tuesday night? A. Tony Kemp B. Marwin Gonzalez C. Evan Gattis D. Justin Maxwell |
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Astros closer Josh Hader's reluctance last year to pitch multiple innings for the Padres apparently won't be an issue the Astros. At least not now. Hader threw the final two innings of Tuesday's 10-inning win over the Guardians, marking the first time he's thrown more than one inning in the regular season since Aug. 14, 2020 (he threw 1 1/3 innings in Game 2 of the 2022 ALDS). It was the first time Hader had thrown two innings in any game since Sept. 7, 2019. Astros manager Joe Espada said the coaching staff asked Hader if he wanted to go back out for the 10th after throwing a scoreless ninth, and he said: "I want it." "That's something I don't really like doing," Espada said. Hader hadn't been used much in the days leading up to the Cleveland series, so he was fresh. When he threw one inning (and only 15 pitches) on Sunday in Mexico City, it was his first outing in nine days. On Tuesday, he needed only 33 pitches to get through two innings, striking out four batters. |
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