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Assuming the Mariners’ Felix Hernandez gets called up to Seattle this season, he will become one of the youngest pitchers signed since the amateur draft began in June 1965 to make his debut. (Hernandez was born April 8, 1986, and will be 19 years and 177 days old when the season ends Oct. 2). Should he make Seattle’s Opening Day roster, he could become the first 18-year-old pitcher since Jose Rijo in 1984 to throw a major league pitch. Some other notable teen phenoms:
Pitcher, Team
Debut
Age
Skinny
David Clyde, Rangers
6/27/1973
18 years, 66 days
Archetype of burnout phenom, emotionally and physically.
Tim Conroy, A’s
6/23/1978
18 years, 81 days
Charlie Finley P.R. stunt resurfaced four years later.
Jay Franklin, Padres
9/4/1971
18 years, 172 days
Got hurt following spring, never pitched in majors again.
Joe Coleman, Senators
9/28/1965
18 years, 237 days
Went 2-0 in ’65, 142-135 in 15-year career.
Mike Morgan, A’s
6/11/1978
18 years, 246 days
Survived Finley hoopla to last 22 years in bigs.
Ed Nunez, Mariners
4/7/1982
18 years, 315 days
Poor control led to middling set-up career.
Gary Nolan, Reds
4/15/1967
18 years, 323 days
Real deal went 14-8, 2.58 as rookie; injuries felled him.
Jose Rijo, Yankees
4/5/1984
18 years, 327 days
Yankees’ answer to Dwight Gooden was soon traded.
Charlie Vaughan, Braves
9/3/1966
18 years, 332 days
Won first major league start; never won again.
Ken Brett, Red Sox
9/27/1967
19 years, 9 days
George’s bro had three hits and HR in first big league win.
Mike McQueen, Braves
10/2/1969
19 years, 33 days
Pitched briefly in just five seasons.
Britt Burns, White Sox
8/5/1978
19 years, 58 days
Won 15 games in “real” rookie season of 1980.
Bert Blyleven, Twins
6/5/1970
19 years, 60 days
Helped Twins to division title as a rookie.
Terry Forster, White Sox
4/11/1971
19 years, 87 days
Effective early closer ballooned into “fat tub of goo.”
Don Gullett, Reds
4/10/1970
19 years, 94 days
Nolan counterpart also succumbed to arm woes.
Lloyd Allen, Angels
9/1/1969
19 years, 116 days
Pitched just seven years of middle relief.
Balor Moore, Expos
5/21/1970
19 years, 116 days
Expos’ first-ever draft pick soon blew out arm.
Wilson Alvarez, Rangers
7/24/1989
19 years, 122 days
Threw no-hitter for White Sox two years later.
Rich Garces, Twins
9/18/1990
19 years, 123 days
Grew to become his generation’s Terry Forster.
Dwight Gooden, Mets
4/7/1984
19 years, 142 days
Went 194-112 lifetime, amazing for wasted talent.
Edwin Correa, White Sox
9/18/1985
19 years, 142 days
Soon traded to Rangers, who burned him out fast.
Larry Christenson, Phillies
4/13/1973
19 years, 154 days
Control artist won 19 games in ‘77.
Bold indicates international player who did not go through the draft. Debuts/ages courtesy of retrosheet.org.
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Baseball America
