Profiling some of the youngest player in baseball history.
Shortly after celebrating his 18th birthday in 1974, Robin Yount became the youngest regular in American League history when he won the starting shortstop job with the Brewers. The youngest National League player, also 18, was Johnny Lush, who played first base and the outfield for the 1904 Philadelphia Phillies. Unlike Yount who would go on to become a long time star, Lush was gone from the game by age 24. He lead a hopeless Cardinals team in wins and ERA, was always trapped on weak clubs, embroiled in holdouts, and disputes with managers. He took his arm to the Pacific Coast League where he pitched with equal distinction and bad luck. In 1914, now with Portland, he tossed a no-hitter that he lost 1-0 due to a teammate 2 base error and followed by a passed ball.
Lush was the centuries first to leave his mark on the game before the age of twenty, but he and Yount were far from being the only players to carve their names in the record books while still teenagers.
Youngest Player to Hit a Homerun (since 1901)
Tommy Brown. Played 46 games at SS for the 1944 Dodgers as a 16 year old high school student. Hit a homerun off of Preacher Roe of the Pirates on August 20, 1945 when he was just 17 years, 4 months, and 14 days old.
Youngest Player to get a Pinch Hit
Mel Acosta and Mel Ott both hold the record for their respective leagues at the age of 17. Acosta doing in 1913 for Washington of the AL and Ott in 1926 for the NL New York Giants; he was 9-24 that year as a pinch hitter.
Youngest to Pitch a Game
Joe Nuxhall, still a month and a half shy of his 16th birthday, pitched two-thirds of an inning for Cincinnati on June 10, 1944 in and 18-0 loss to the Cardinals. The youngest American League honors go to Carl Sheib who pitched for Philadelphia on September 6, 1943, when he was 16 years, 8 months, and 5 days old.
Youngest 20-Game Winner
Since the mound has been moved to its present distance from the plate no player has won 20 games before his 20th birthday. Before that, there were several. The youngest was Willie McGill, who won 20 in the American Association in 1891 at age 17. Jumbo McGinnis, won 25 games, at the age of 18 and the following year won 28, giving him 53 wins before his 20th birthday.
All-Time Youngest Player
Fred Chapman. Playing for Philadelphia of the American Association, pitched a game in 1887 when he was just 14 years old.
Lush was the centuries first to leave his mark on the game before the age of twenty, but he and Yount were far from being the only players to carve their names in the record books while still teenagers.
Youngest Player to Hit a Homerun (since 1901)
Tommy Brown. Played 46 games at SS for the 1944 Dodgers as a 16 year old high school student. Hit a homerun off of Preacher Roe of the Pirates on August 20, 1945 when he was just 17 years, 4 months, and 14 days old.
Youngest Player to get a Pinch Hit
Mel Acosta and Mel Ott both hold the record for their respective leagues at the age of 17. Acosta doing in 1913 for Washington of the AL and Ott in 1926 for the NL New York Giants; he was 9-24 that year as a pinch hitter.
Youngest to Pitch a Game
Joe Nuxhall, still a month and a half shy of his 16th birthday, pitched two-thirds of an inning for Cincinnati on June 10, 1944 in and 18-0 loss to the Cardinals. The youngest American League honors go to Carl Sheib who pitched for Philadelphia on September 6, 1943, when he was 16 years, 8 months, and 5 days old.
Youngest 20-Game Winner
Since the mound has been moved to its present distance from the plate no player has won 20 games before his 20th birthday. Before that, there were several. The youngest was Willie McGill, who won 20 in the American Association in 1891 at age 17. Jumbo McGinnis, won 25 games, at the age of 18 and the following year won 28, giving him 53 wins before his 20th birthday.
All-Time Youngest Player
Fred Chapman. Playing for Philadelphia of the American Association, pitched a game in 1887 when he was just 14 years old.
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