Yasiel Puig and the 20 Most Impressive All-Time Starts to an MLB Career

Yasiel Puig's Major League Baseball career is off to an impressive start, though this is hardly the first time we've seen immediate dominance from a young player. In past generations and even recently, rookies have enjoyed comparable success following their initial call-up.

Entering June 25, Puig is 20 games into MLB life. The sample isn't insignificant, but anything smaller would be.

Therefore, the individuals on this list—those who wowed us as fantastic freshmen—made it because they maintained a high quality of performance for at least as long as Puig has. For starting pitchers and relievers, we looked at career-opening stretches of at least five and 10 games, respectively.

Many of the truly timeless first-year performances began with awkward swings and shaky command. Even Ryan Braun and Ted Williams, who finished with fantastic numbers, dealt with dry spells during series early in their careers.

They failed to make the cut.

Still, the typical baseball fan shouldn't have much trouble recognizing these 20 names. They hogged headlines for weeks, months or even an entire season before finally cooling off.

All game logs and monthly splits provided by Baseball-Reference.com.

Impressive Rookies*

Many of us conveniently forget that players like Fred Lynn, Buster Posey, Mike Trout and Fernando Valenzuela were rookie sensations in their second major league seasons.

Major League Baseball is weird like that, allowing youngsters to retain their prospect status if they don't see enough plate appearances, innings pitched or days on the active roster.

Of course, players who lucked out in such a way and had an entire offseason to fine-tune their bodies and game plans were not considered for this article. We're only interested in those who truly surged out of the starting gate.

20. Vince Coleman (St. Louis Cardinals, 1985)

Stealing 21 bases as a rookie is a great accomplishment.

By doing so through only 20 career games, Vince Coleman earned inclusion on this prestigious list. He also proved to be an effective outfielder with two assists during those first few memorable weeks.

The 1985 St. Louis Cardinals actually limped to an 8-12 record despite his individual efforts.

However, Coleman remained in the leadoff spot throughout the season as they finished with 101 wins and the National League pennant.

1985 game log (April 18-May 9)

Date	Tm		Opp	Rslt	PA	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	IBB	SO	SB	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
Apr 18	STL		MON	L,1-7	4	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	2	.333	.500	.333	.833
Apr 19	STL		PIT	W,5-4	5	1	4	1	1	0	2	0	0	0	0	.625	.667	1.000	1.667
Apr 20	STL		PIT	W,4-3	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.417	.462	.667	1.128
Apr 21	STL		PIT	W,6-0	5	1	2	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	3	.467	.556	.667	1.222
Apr 22	STL		NYM	L,6-7	5	1	1	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	.400	.478	.550	1.028
Apr 23	STL		NYM	W,8-3	5	1	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	2	0	.360	.429	.480	.909
Apr 24	STL		NYM	W,5-1	4	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	.345	.406	.448	.855
Apr 25	STL	@	MON	L,2-4	4	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	.333	.389	.424	.813
Apr 26	STL	@	MON	L,5-10	5	1	1	1	0	0	0	1	0	2	2	.324	.390	.432	.823
Apr 27	STL	@	MON	L,3-8	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	.293	.356	.390	.746
Apr 28	STL	@	MON	L,3-5	5	1	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	.289	.360	.378	.738
Apr 30	STL		LAD	W,6-1	5	1	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	.300	.364	.400	.764
May 1	STL		LAD	L,1-2	5	1	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	2	0	.291	.350	.418	.768
May 3	STL		SFG	W,8-1	5	2	2	1	0	0	0	1	1	0	2	.305	.369	.441	.810
May 4	STL		SFG	W,6-4	5	2	2	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	3	.317	.386	.444	.830
May 5	STL		SFG	L,0-5	4	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	.328	.392	.448	.840
May 6	STL		SDP	W,5-2	4	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	2	.324	.385	.437	.821
May 7	STL		SDP	L,2-12	5	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	.303	.361	.408	.769
May 8	STL	@	LAD	L,2-5	4	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	.300	.356	.400	.756
May 9	STL	@	LAD	W,5-4	5	1	1	1	0	0	1	0	0	2	1	.294	.348	.400	.748

19. Brad Ziegler (Oakland Athletics, 2008)

Talk about an unlikely success story.

Brad Ziegler began his professional career at 23 years old, and prior to 2007 (his age-27 campaign), the right-hander was just a mediocre starter in the minors.

He rose quickly when he dropped his arm angle and learned to embrace relief work.

According to FanGraphs, Ziegler was reliant on an 85 mile-per-hour fastball as a rookie, throwing it 86.6 percent of the time. Yet his great location and tricky release point enabled an outstanding streak.

He opened his Oakland Athletics career with 39 consecutive innings of scoreless pitching before B.J. Upton ruined everybody's fun on August 14. An unsustainable BABIP had a lot to do with it, but so did Ziegler's remarkable ability to induce ground balls.

2008 game log (May 31-August 12)

Date	Tm		Opp	Rslt	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA	Pit	GB	FB
May 31	OAK	@	TEX	L,4-8	0.1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0.00	5	1	0
Jun 3	OAK		DET	W,5-4	1.2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.00	27	4	1
Jun 4	OAK		DET	W,10-2	1.0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0.00	11	2	1
Jun 7	OAK		LAA	L,3-5	1.2	1	0	0	0	2	0	0.00	16	2	2
Jun 8	OAK		LAA	W,7-3	1.2	0	0	0	1	0	0	0.00	18	2	1
Jun 12	OAK		NYY	L,1-4	1.0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.00	9	3	0
Jun 14	OAK	@	SFG	W,4-0	0.2	1	0	0	0	0	0	0.00	9	3	0
Jun 18	OAK	@	ARI	L,1-11	1.0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0.00	12	2	2
Jun 19	OAK	@	ARI	L,1-2	1.1	1	0	0	1	0	0	0.00	14	3	1
Jun 20	OAK		FLA	W,7-6	0.1	2	0	0	0	0	0	0.00	14	2	1
Jun 21	OAK		FLA	L,4-6	0.2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.00	11	2	0
Jun 27	OAK		SFG	W,4-1	0.2	0	0	0	0	1	0	0.00	6	0	1
Jun 29	OAK		SFG	L,1-11	1.0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0.00	9	1	1
Jul 1	OAK	@	LAA	L,3-5	2.0	0	0	0	0	3	0	0.00	24	3	0
Jul 4	OAK	@	CHW	W,7-1	1.0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0.00	13	1	1
Jul 7	OAK		SEA	W,4-3	2.0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0.00	21	4	1
Jul 10	OAK		SEA	W,3-2	1.0	1	0	0	2	0	0	0.00	22	3	1
Jul 12	OAK		LAA	L,1-4	1.1	0	0	0	0	1	0	0.00	13	1	2
Jul 13	OAK		LAA	L,3-4	0.1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.00	1	1	0
Jul 19	OAK	@	NYY	L,3-4	1.0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0.00	18	2	0
Jul 22	OAK	@	TBR	W,8-1	2.0	2	0	0	1	0	0	0.00	37	6	2
Jul 25	OAK		TEX	L,6-14	1.1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0.00	13	2	3
Jul 27	OAK		TEX	W,6-5	2.0	2	0	0	0	3	0	0.00	27	3	1
Jul 30	OAK		KCR	L,3-4	3.0	2	0	0	1	1	0	0.00	31	7	0
Aug 1	OAK	@	BOS	L,1-2	2.0	1	0	0	1	1	0	0.00	29	3	3
Aug 5	OAK	@	TOR	L,3-4	2.0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0.00	20	5	0
Aug 7	OAK	@	TOR	L,4-6	1.0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0.00	19	3	2
Aug 8	OAK	@	DET	W,4-2	2.0	0	0	0	2	2	0	0.00	30	2	1
Aug 12	OAK		TBR	W,2-1	1.0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.00	11	2	2

18. Terry Pendleton (St. Louis Cardinals, 1984)

Terry Pendleton was called up for the St. Louis Cardinals the year before Vince Coleman, seizing the third baseman's job and a spot in the middle of the batting order.

The Cards waited until the second half of 1984 to recall the short switch-hitter from the minors, and he made them regret not doing it sooner.

Pendleton didn't hit for much power until later in his career, but he sure could put the bat on the ball. He struck out only three times through his first 65 MLB plate appearances. His batting average didn't drop below .400 until the middle of August.

1984 game log (July 18-August 7)

Date	Tm		Opp	Rslt	PA	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
Jul 18	STL		SFG	W,8-4	6	1	3	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	.600	.667	.600	1.267
Jul 19	STL		LAD	L,0-10	3	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.500	.556	.625	1.181
Jul 20	STL		LAD	W,10-5	4	1	2	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	.500	.538	.667	1.205
Jul 21	STL		LAD	L,1-3	4	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.438	.471	.563	1.033
Jul 22	STL		LAD	W,7-6	4	1	2	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	.450	.476	.550	1.026
Jul 23	STL	@	NYM	L,3-4	5	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	.400	.423	.480	.903
Jul 24	STL	@	NYM	L,8-9	5	1	2	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	.414	.452	.483	.934
Jul 25	STL	@	NYM	L,3-9	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	.375	.429	.438	.866
Jul 27	STL	@	PIT	W,3-2	5	0	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.432	.475	.486	.961
Jul 28	STL	@	PIT	W,5-1	4	1	3	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	.463	.500	.512	1.012
Jul 29	STL	@	PIT	W,4-3	4	2	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	.444	.479	.489	.968
Jul 30	STL		NYM	W,3-1	4	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	.438	.462	.479	.941
Jul 31	STL		NYM	W,6-3	4	2	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.462	.482	.500	.982
Aug 1	STL		NYM	W,11-2	5	2	3	1	0	0	1	1	0	1	.482	.508	.536	1.044
Aug 2	STL		PHI	L,2-3	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.450	.477	.500	.977
Aug 3	STL		PHI	W,4-3	4	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	.438	.464	.484	.948
Aug 4	STL		PHI	W,3-2	4	0	3	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	.456	.479	.500	.979
Aug 5	STL		PHI	L,3-6	4	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	.444	.468	.486	.954
Aug 6	STL		PIT	L,2-3	4	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	.427	.444	.467	.911
Aug 7	STL		PIT	W,2-1	4	0	2	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	.430	.447	.494	.941

17. Austin Jackson (Detroit Tigers, 2010)

If 2010 Rookie of the Year voters hadn't been so mesmerized by Neftali Feliz's saves total, the hardware would have gone to Austin Jackson.

He set an embarrassing major league record by striking out in 19 straight games to begin his career, but Jackson did reach base in 29 of his first 30 contests.

By the second week of May, the 23-year-old ranked atop the American League in batting and had Ben Shpigel of The New York Times writing a feature about him.

Defense was another one of Jackson's strengths. He possessed game-changing range in center field.

2010 game log (April 5-May 9)

Date	Tm		Opp	Rslt	PA	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
Apr 5	DET	@	KCR	W,8-4	5	1	1	1	0	0	1	0	2	0	.200	.200	.400	.600
Apr 7	DET	@	KCR	L,2-3	5	0	2	0	1	0	0	0	2	0	.300	.300	.600	.900
Apr 8	DET	@	KCR	W,7-3	5	1	2	2	0	0	1	0	1	0	.333	.333	.667	1.000
Apr 9	DET		CLE	W,5-2	4	2	1	0	0	0	1	1	1	1	.333	.368	.611	.980
Apr 10	DET		CLE	W,4-2	5	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	.261	.292	.478	.770
Apr 11	DET		CLE	W,9-8	6	1	2	0	0	0	0	2	1	1	.296	.367	.481	.848
Apr 12	DET		KCR	L,5-10	5	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	.313	.371	.469	.840
Apr 13	DET		KCR	W,6-5	5	1	1	1	0	0	1	1	1	0	.306	.375	.472	.847
Apr 16	DET	@	SEA	L,3-11	4	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	.325	.386	.475	.861
Apr 17	DET	@	SEA	L,2-4	5	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	.311	.367	.444	.812
Apr 18	DET	@	SEA	W,4-2	5	1	3	0	1	0	1	0	1	0	.340	.389	.500	.889
Apr 19	DET	@	LAA	L,0-2	4	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	.333	.379	.481	.861
Apr 20	DET	@	LAA	L,5-6	5	1	1	0	0	0	0	1	3	1	.328	.381	.466	.846
Apr 21	DET	@	LAA	W,4-3	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	3	0	.311	.373	.443	.816
Apr 22	DET	@	LAA	W,5-4	5	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	.308	.375	.431	.806
Apr 23	DET	@	TEX	L,4-5	5	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	3	0	.300	.364	.414	.778
Apr 24	DET	@	TEX	W,8-4	5	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	.307	.366	.413	.779
Apr 25	DET	@	TEX	L,4-8	4	1	2	1	0	1	1	0	1	0	.316	.372	.468	.840
Apr 26	DET	@	TEX	W,8-6	5	1	2	0	0	0	0	1	2	0	.325	.385	.470	.854
Apr 27	DET		MIN	L,0-2	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	.314	.379	.453	.832
Apr 28	DET		MIN	W,11-6	5	3	2	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	.322	.390	.467	.857
Apr 29	DET		MIN	W,3-0	4	1	2	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	.330	.394	.468	.862
Apr 30	DET		LAA	W,10-6	5	2	5	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	.364	.422	.495	.917
May 1	DET		LAA	W,3-2	5	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	.356	.412	.481	.893
May 2	DET		LAA	W,5-1	5	0	3	1	0	0	1	0	1	0	.367	.420	.495	.916
May 3	DET	@	MIN	L,4-10	5	1	3	1	1	0	1	0	0	0	.377	.427	.526	.954
May 4	DET	@	MIN	L,3-4	4	1	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	.376	.430	.521	.951
May 5	DET	@	MIN	L,4-5	5	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	.369	.421	.508	.929
May 8	DET	@	CLE	W,6-4	5	1	2	1	0	0	0	0	1	1	.370	.420	.512	.932
May 9	DET	@	CLE	L,4-7	5	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	.371	.420	.508	.927

16. Joba Chamberlain (New York Yankees, 2007)

Joba Chamberlain has already faded from greatness to mediocrity, but we shouldn't forget how truly dominant he was initially.

Four months into his first professional season, the pudgy right-hander was promoted to the New York Yankees. It took only a handful of appearances for him to progress from a mop-up role to Mariano Rivera's setup man.

Tyler Kepner of The New York Times introduced us to the "Joba Rules," which instructed manager Joe Torre to keep him well-rested.

Chamberlain made only one mistake during the 2007 regular season that Mike Lowell deposited over the Green Monster at Fenway Park.

In the ensuing playoffs, he famously struggled due to factors that were beyond his control, per John C. Kuehner of The Plain Dealer.

2007 game log (August 7-September 30)

Date	Tm		Opp	Rslt	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA	Pit	GB	FB
Aug 7	NYY	@	TOR	W,9-2	2.0	1	0	0	2	2	0	0.00	33	2	2
Aug 10	NYY	@	CLE	W,6-1	2.0	0	0	0	0	4	0	0.00	21	1	1
Aug 13	NYY		BAL	W,7-6	1.0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0.00	14	1	0
Aug 17	NYY		DET	W,6-1	1.0	1	0	0	0	1	0	0.00	10	0	3
Aug 19	NYY		DET	W,9-3	1.0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0.00	9	0	1
Aug 22	NYY	@	LAA	W,8-2	1.0	1	0	0	0	3	0	0.00	15	1	0
Aug 24	NYY	@	DET	L,6-9	1.0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0.00	10	0	2
Aug 28	NYY		BOS	W,5-3	1.0	1	0	0	1	2	0	0.00	19	0	2
Aug 30	NYY		BOS	W,5-0	1.1	1	0	0	1	0	0	0.00	18	2	3
Sep 5	NYY		SEA	W,10-2	1.0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.00	11	1	2
Sep 7	NYY	@	KCR	W,3-2	2.0	2	0	0	0	1	0	0.00	29	2	5
Sep 12	NYY	@	TOR	W,4-1	1.2	1	1	0	1	2	0	0.00	35	4	1
Sep 16	NYY	@	BOS	W,4-3	2.0	2	1	1	0	3	1	0.50	30	2	3
Sep 19	NYY		BAL	W,2-1	0.1	0	0	0	0	1	0	0.49	4	0	0
Sep 21	NYY		TOR	L,4-5	2.0	0	0	0	1	4	0	0.44	30	0	2
Sep 23	NYY		TOR	W,7-5	1.1	0	0	0	0	3	0	0.42	16	1	0
Sep 26	NYY	@	TBD	W,12-4	1.0	1	0	0	0	1	0	0.40	14	1	2
Sep 27	NYY	@	TBD	W,3-1	1.0	1	0	0	0	2	0	0.38	20	0	2
Sep 30	NYY	@	BAL	W,10-4	0.1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.38	5	1	0
	NYY				24.0	12	2	1	6	34	1	0.38

15. Dennis Eckersley (Cleveland Indians, 1975)

Dennis Eckersley uncharacteristically demonstrated poor command during his first summer in the big leagues.

He issued 13 walks through April and May alone. Keep in mind, this Hall of Famer would later pitch eight separate seasons in which he finished with lower totals.

However, the Cleveland Indians didn't waste much time moving Eckersley to the starting rotation so that they could reap more benefits from his overpowering repertoire.

The 20-year-old eventually had to suck up several rough outings, but the beginning of that campaign was magical.

1975 game log (April 12-May 31)

Date	Tm		Opp	Rslt	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA	GB	FB	GSc
Apr 12	CLE	@	MIL	L,5-6	1.2	1	0	0	1	1	0	0.00	1	3
Apr 20	CLE		MIL	W,7-4	0.1	1	0	0	1	0	0	0.00	1	0
Apr 28	CLE	@	NYY	L,1-6	2.0	3	1	0	0	0	0	0.00	1	4
May 1	CLE	@	BOS	L,6-7	1.0	0	0	0	1	2	0	0.00	0	1
May 2	CLE		BAL	W,4-3	2.1	3	0	0	2	2	0	0.00	2	2
May 4	CLE		BAL	W,4-3	2.0	1	0	0	2	2	0	0.00	1	3
May 5	CLE		BOS	L,5-7	1.2	0	0	0	1	2	0	0.00	3	1
May 13	CLE	@	MIN	W,3-2	3.0	0	0	0	1	4	0	0.00	1	4
May 16	CLE	@	CHW	L,2-3	0.0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0.00	0	0
May 18	CLE	@	CHW	W,7-6	0.1	0	0	0	0	1	0	0.00	0	0
May 25	CLE		OAK	W,6-0	9.0	3	0	0	2	6	0	0.00	8	14	85
May 31	CLE	@	OAK	W,4-1	9.0	6	1	1	1	5	0	0.28	5	17	75

14. Brett Lawrie (Toronto Blue Jays, 2011)

If not for a rash of injuries, perhaps Brett Lawrie would have already developed into an All-Star.

Let's rewind to 2011, when Lawrie was the American League's fifth-youngest player. During a four-week stretch, he was arguably its most unstoppable individual, too.

Earlier that season, in the notoriously hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, Lawrie batted .353/.415/.661 with 18 home runs in 69 games.

2011 game log (August 5-September 1)

Date	Tm		Opp	Rslt	PA	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
Aug 5	TOR	@	BAL	W,5-4	4	0	2	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	.500	.500	.500	1.000
Aug 6	TOR	@	BAL	L,2-6	3	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	.429	.429	.429	.857
Aug 7	TOR	@	BAL	W,7-2	4	2	2	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	.455	.455	.727	1.182
Aug 9	TOR		OAK	L,1-4	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	.357	.357	.571	.929
Aug 10	TOR		OAK	W,8-4	4	2	2	1	0	1	4	0	1	0	.389	.389	.778	1.167
Aug 11	TOR		OAK	L,3-10	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	.333	.364	.667	1.030
Aug 12	TOR		LAA	L,1-5	3	0	1	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	.348	.400	.696	1.096
Aug 13	TOR		LAA	W,11-2	4	0	2	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	.370	.414	.741	1.155
Aug 14	TOR		LAA	W,5-4	4	0	1	1	0	0	1	0	0	1	.355	.394	.710	1.104
Aug 15	TOR	@	SEA	L,5-6	4	1	1	0	0	1	1	0	2	0	.343	.378	.743	1.121
Aug 16	TOR	@	SEA	W,13-7	5	2	3	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	.385	.429	.744	1.172
Aug 17	TOR	@	SEA	W,5-1	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	.357	.413	.690	1.104
Aug 18	TOR	@	OAK	W,7-0	4	1	2	1	0	0	1	1	0	0	.378	.440	.711	1.151
Aug 19	TOR	@	OAK	L,0-2	4	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	.367	.426	.673	1.099
Aug 20	TOR	@	OAK	L,1-5	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	.346	.404	.635	1.038
Aug 21	TOR	@	OAK	W,1-0	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.327	.383	.600	.983
Aug 23	TOR		KCR	L,4-6	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	.310	.365	.569	.934
Aug 24	TOR		KCR	W,4-3	3	1	2	0	1	1	2	0	0	0	.328	.379	.656	1.035
Aug 25	TOR		KCR	L,6-9	4	1	2	0	1	0	1	0	1	0	.338	.386	.677	1.063
Aug 26	TOR		TBR	L,1-6	4	1	1	0	0	1	1	0	2	0	.333	.378	.696	1.074
Aug 27	TOR		TBR	L,5-6	4	1	1	0	1	0	0	0	2	0	.329	.372	.699	1.070
Aug 28	TOR		TBR	L,0-12	4	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	.338	.378	.688	1.066
Aug 29	TOR		TBR	W,7-3	5	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	1	2	.333	.379	.667	1.046
Aug 30	TOR	@	BAL	L,5-6	5	1	1	0	0	1	3	0	1	0	.329	.380	.682	1.063
Aug 31	TOR	@	BAL	W,13-0	5	0	1	1	0	0	1	1	1	0	.326	.381	.674	1.056
Sep 1	TOR	@	BAL	W,8-6	5	2	3	1	0	1	2	0	0	1	.340	.392	.713	1.105

13. Walter Johnson (Washington Senators, 1907)

Walter Johnson—often referred to as "The Big Train"—is widely considered one of the best pitchers in the history of the sport. Fittingly, he started off strong at the ripe age of 19.

We do not have game logs or splits from the 1907 season, but there's plenty to like about his overall stats.

Of Johnson's 12 starts, 11 were complete games (two shutouts). He accounted for 2.7 WAR—the third-highest total on the Washington Senators, per Baseball-Reference.com—despite waiting until August 2 to debut.

With enough innings to qualify, he would have finished second in the American League in strikeout rate, fourth in earned run average and 10th in WHIP.

12. Jered Weaver (Los Angeles Angels, 2006)

Believe it or not, there was a time when the Los Angeles Angels had a respectable bullpen. That's why, in 2006, they didn't feel pressure to stretch out Jered Weaver into the later innings.

He went 4-0 with a 1.37 ERA before the Angels optioned him back down to Triple-A. Then, he awkwardly replaced Jeff Weaver, his older brother, in the starting rotation when L.A. traded him to the St. Louis Cardinals.

The next nine starts were equally impressive. Weaver carried a 3.38 strikeout-to-walk ratio and .540 OPS against through August 24.

On that date, he finally suffered a loss despite six innings of one-run ball.

2006 game log (May 27-August 24)

Date	Tm		Opp	Rslt	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA	Pit	GB	FB	GSc
May 27	LAA		BAL	W,10-1	7.0	3	0	0	1	5	0	0.00	97	8	11	75
Jun 2	LAA	@	CLE	W,10-3	6.1	4	2	2	2	8	0	1.35	99	4	10	63
Jun 7	LAA	@	TBD	W,6-2	6.0	4	2	2	0	4	2	1.86	92	2	16	60
Jun 13	LAA		KCR	W,4-1	7.0	5	1	0	1	5	0	1.37	99	4	17	69
Jul 3	LAA	@	SEA	W,7-1	7.0	5	1	1	1	9	0	1.35	111	6	11	71
Jul 8	LAA	@	OAK	W,6-4	7.0	2	0	0	2	5	0	1.12	95	6	11	76
Jul 23	LAA	@	KCR	W,3-1	6.2	3	1	1	4	4	0	1.15	101	8	10	64
Jul 29	LAA	@	BOS	L,6-7	6.2	7	3	3	2	4	0	1.51	98	5	17	50
Aug 3	LAA		TEX	L,6-7	6.0	8	3	3	1	3	0	1.81	106	12	11	46
Aug 8	LAA	@	CLE	W,5-4	5.2	6	4	4	2	3	1	2.20	102	2	17	42
Aug 13	LAA	@	NYY	W,5-3	6.0	3	1	1	3	8	1	2.14	104	7	4	67
Aug 18	LAA		SEA	W,3-0	7.0	3	0	0	1	7	0	1.95	103	6	10	77
Aug 24	LAA		BOS	L,1-2	6.0	4	1	1	1	6	1	1.92	107	3	12	65

11. Jason Heyward (Atlanta Braves, 2010)

The consensus top prospect entering the 2010 season, Jason Heyward did not disappoint.

The video shows his first MLB plate appearance, which ended in a majestic home run. He would slug seven more of them before a groin injury interrupted the good vibes.

Heyward spoke with the MLB Network about his All-Star-worthy first half. Those first 26 contests were unforgettable—seldom do rookies demonstrate such patience at the plate upon being called up.

2010 game log (April 5-May 5)

Date	Tm		Opp	Rslt	PA	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
Apr 5	ATL		CHC	W,16-5	5	2	2	0	0	1	4	0	1	0	.400	.400	1.000	1.400
Apr 7	ATL		CHC	W,3-2	3	0	1	1	0	0	1	0	2	0	.375	.375	.875	1.250
Apr 8	ATL		CHC	L,0-2	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	.250	.250	.583	.833
Apr 9	ATL	@	SFG	L,4-5	6	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	4	0	.176	.222	.412	.634
Apr 10	ATL	@	SFG	W,7-2	5	2	3	0	0	1	2	2	0	0	.300	.391	.650	1.041
Apr 11	ATL	@	SFG	L,3-6	4	1	1	0	0	1	1	0	1	0	.292	.370	.708	1.079
Apr 12	ATL	@	SDP	L,2-17	4	0	0	0	0	0	1	2	1	0	.269	.387	.654	1.041
Apr 14	ATL	@	SDP	W,6-1	4	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	2	0	.267	.371	.600	.971
Apr 15	ATL	@	SDP	W,6-2	4	1	2	2	0	0	2	1	0	0	.303	.410	.667	1.077
Apr 16	ATL		COL	W,9-5	5	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	.316	.409	.632	1.041
Apr 17	ATL		COL	L,0-4	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	2	0	.300	.404	.600	1.004
Apr 18	ATL		COL	W,4-3	5	0	1	0	0	0	3	2	1	0	.302	.423	.581	1.004
Apr 20	ATL		PHI	W,4-3	4	1	1	0	0	1	1	0	1	0	.298	.411	.617	1.028
Apr 21	ATL		PHI	L,0-2	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	.286	.407	.592	.999
Apr 22	ATL		PHI	L,3-8	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	.269	.397	.558	.955
Apr 23	ATL	@	NYM	L,2-5	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0	.250	.373	.518	.891
Apr 24	ATL	@	NYM	L,1-3	4	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	.254	.380	.508	.889
Apr 25	ATL	@	NYM	L,0-1	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.246	.370	.492	.862
Apr 26	ATL	@	STL	L,3-4	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	.234	.364	.469	.832
Apr 27	ATL	@	STL	L,4-5	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	.224	.358	.448	.806
Apr 29	ATL	@	STL	L,4-10	4	1	2	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	.239	.365	.493	.858
Apr 30	ATL		HOU	W,4-2	4	1	1	0	0	1	2	0	1	0	.240	.360	.520	.880
May 1	ATL		HOU	W,10-1	5	1	2	0	0	1	1	1	0	0	.256	.383	.564	.947
May 2	ATL		HOU	W,7-1	4	2	2	1	0	0	3	0	0	0	.272	.388	.580	.968
May 4	ATL	@	WSN	L,3-6	4	1	2	0	0	1	1	2	0	0	.289	.412	.627	1.038
May 5	ATL	@	WSN	W,7-6	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.286	.408	.619	1.027

10. Hideo Nomo (Los Angeles Dodgers, 1995)

Hideo Nomo obliterated the National League through the first half of his rookie season, as the U.S. was slow to adjust to his quirky delivery.

The 26-year-old surrendered a single hit against the Barry Bonds-led San Francisco Giants in his MLB debut. He rolled into the All-Star break with an unbelievable .158 batting average against.

Only the Colorado Rockies—who averaged nearly seven runs per game at home that summer—tagged Nomo for more than three earned runs during that fiery 13-start stretch.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have relied on many outstanding pitchers in the past, but few of them ever enjoyed a month that rivaled Nomo's June 1995. Lasting more than 8.1 IP per outing (including two complete games), he maintained a 0.89 ERA and .426 OPS against with a 60/16 K/BB.

1995 game log (May 2-July 5)

Date	Tm		Opp	Rslt	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA	Pit	GB	FB	GSc
May 2	LAD	@	SFG	L,3-4	5.0	1	0	0	4	7	0	0.00	91	0	8	68
May 7	LAD	@	COL	W,12-10	4.2	9	7	7	2	7	3	6.52	97	8	8	23
May 12	LAD		STL	W,8-4	4.0	0	3	1	7	5	0	5.27	94	5	4	52
May 17	LAD		PIT	L,2-3	7.0	2	0	0	3	14	0	3.48	107	3	5	84
May 23	LAD	@	NYM	W,6-4	6.0	8	4	3	2	7	1	3.71	106	9	10	47
May 28	LAD	@	MON	L,1-5	6.1	4	3	3	7	9	0	3.82	123	7	7	55
Jun 2	LAD		NYM	W,2-1	8.0	2	1	1	3	6	1	3.29	122	6	14	77
Jun 7	LAD		MON	W,7-1	8.0	6	1	1	4	4	1	2.94		15	11	66
Jun 14	LAD	@	PIT	W,8-5	8.0	6	3	2	2	16	0	2.84	125	4	10	74
Jun 19	LAD	@	STL	W,5-2	8.1	3	2	1	3	8	0	2.62	108	9	12	76
Jun 24	LAD		SFG	W,7-0	9.0	2	0	0	3	13	0	2.30	128	4	12	93
Jun 29	LAD		COL	W,3-0	9.0	6	0	0	1	13	0	2.05	112	9	11	87
Jul 5	LAD	@	ATL	L,1-4	7.0	2	1	1	5	10	0	1.99	120	6	10	74

9. Yasiel Puig (Los Angeles Dodgers, 2013)

To fully understand why Puigmania is exploding, you really need to watch this phenom in action.

Thankfully, MLB.com already has a month's worth of interviews and highlights from his first 20 games in the majors.

These include an opposite-field grand slam, amazing outfield assists, a hustle double and taking Andre Ethier's ball.

Puig's unprecedented production (per SB Nation's Bill Parker) makes him a legitimate candidate for All-Star selection. If it continues further into the summer, he'll be a dark horse in the NL MVP race.

2013 game log (June 3-24)

Date	Tm		Opp	Rslt	PA	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
Jun 3	LAD		SDP	W,2-1	4	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.500	.500	.500	1.000
Jun 4	LAD		SDP	W,9-7	4	2	3	1	0	2	5	0	0	0	.625	.625	1.500	2.125
Jun 5	LAD		SDP	L,2-6	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	.417	.417	1.000	1.417
Jun 6	LAD		ATL	W,5-0	4	1	2	0	0	1	4	0	1	0	.438	.438	1.063	1.500
Jun 7	LAD		ATL	W,2-1	4	1	1	0	0	1	1	1	0	0	.421	.450	1.105	1.555
Jun 8	LAD		ATL	L,1-2	4	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	.435	.458	1.000	1.458
Jun 9	LAD		ATL	L,1-8	5	0	3	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.464	.483	.964	1.447
Jun 10	LAD		ARI	L,4-5	4	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	.500	.515	.938	1.453
Jun 11	LAD		ARI	W,5-3	3	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	.471	.500	.882	1.382
Jun 12	LAD		ARI	L,6-8	1	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.486	.514	.886	1.399
Jun 14	LAD	@	PIT	L,0-3	4	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	.487	.512	.846	1.358
Jun 15	LAD	@	PIT	W,5-3	5	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	.455	.478	.773	1.251
Jun 16	LAD	@	PIT	L,3-6	4	1	3	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	.479	.500	.771	1.271
Jun 19 (1)	LAD	@	NYY	L,4-6	5	1	2	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	.472	.491	.755	1.246
Jun 19 (2)	LAD	@	NYY	W,6-0	5	3	2	0	0	1	1	0	1	1	.474	.500	.789	1.289
Jun 20	LAD	@	SDP	L,3-6	5	1	1	0	0	1	1	0	3	0	.452	.477	.790	1.267
Jun 21	LAD	@	SDP	L,2-5	4	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.455	.478	.773	1.251
Jun 22	LAD	@	SDP	W,6-1	5	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	2	0	.435	.473	.739	1.212
Jun 23	LAD	@	SDP	W,3-1	4	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	.425	.462	.712	1.174
Jun 24	LAD		SFG	W,3-1	4	1	3	0	0	1	2	0	0	0	.442	.476	.753	1.229
	LAD				82	14	34	3	0	7	14	3	17	2	.442	.476	.753	1.229

8. Francisco Rodriguez (Anaheim Angels, 2002)

Francisco Rodriguez impressed the Anaheim Angels so much in September 2002, they decided to keep him around for their playoff run.

His rookie season was unique in that it was mainly comprised of October experience.

Putting it all together, K-Rod was magnificent: 24.1 IP, 13 H, 4 ER, 7 BB, 41 K. That translates to a 1.48 ERA and 0.82 WHIP, all while appearing in the most important games of the entire season.

He even struck out the side during Game 7 of the World Series.

2002 regular season

Date	Tm		Opp	Rslt	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA	Pit	GB	FB
Sep 18	ANA	@	OAK	L,4-7	1.0	1	0	0	0	2	0	0.00	16	0	2
Sep 19	ANA	@	OAK	L,3-5	1.0	0	0	0	0	3	0	0.00	13	0	0
Sep 21	ANA	@	SEA	L,4-6	0.2	0	0	0	0	2	0	0.00	8	0	0
Sep 25	ANA	@	TEX	L,3-4	0.2	0	0	0	2	1	0	0.00	15	1	0
Sep 27	ANA		SEA	L,6-7	2.1	2	0	0	0	5	0	0.00	38	0	2

 

2002 postseason

Series	Date	Tm		Opp	Rslt	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA	Pit	GB	FB
ALDS g2	Oct 2	ANA	@	NYY	W,8-6	2.0	2	2	2	0	1	1	9.00	33	3	2
ALDS g3	Oct 4	ANA		NYY	W,9-6	2.0	0	0	0	0	4	0	4.50	24	0	2
ALDS g4	Oct 5	ANA		NYY	W,9-5	1.2	0	0	0	2	3	0	3.18	30	1	1
ALCS g2	Oct 9	ANA	@	MIN	W,6-3	1.2	1	0	0	1	3	0	2.45	27	0	2
ALCS g3	Oct 11	ANA		MIN	W,2-1	1.0	0	0	0	0	2	0	2.16	11	0	1
ALCS g4	Oct 12	ANA		MIN	W,7-1	1.0	1	0	0	0	2	0	1.93	13	1	1
ALCS g5	Oct 13	ANA		MIN	W,13-5	0.2	0	0	0	1	0	0	1.80	17	1	1
WS g2	Oct 20	ANA		SFG	W,11-10	3.0	0	0	0	0	4	0	1.38	26	3	2
WS g4	Oct 23	ANA	@	SFG	L,3-4	2.0	2	1	0	0	2	0	1.20	30	2	1
WS g6	Oct 26	ANA		SFG	W,6-5	2.2	4	2	2	0	4	1	2.04	46	2	2
WS g7	Oct 27	ANA		SFG	W,4-1	1.0	0	0	0	1	3	0	1.93	16	0	0

7. Joe DiMaggio (New York Yankees, 1936)

Before calming down in September, Joe DiMaggio was a legitimate MVP candidate.

He had legged out 15 triples in 112 games. Nearly as many walks as strikeouts, too.

Amazingly, DiMaggio did not miss a single inning during that stretch. Toward the end of it, he took on additional responsibility as the New York Yankees center fielder.

He was their second-best offensive player between May and September. That's high praise on a team that scored 1,065 runs with Lou Gehrig as it's No. 1 guy.

1936 monthly splits (May-August)

Split	G	PA	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
May	26	130	30	48	15	4	4	28	2	3	8	.381	.400	.659	1.059
June	26	127	27	42	10	3	6	29	0	4	5	.344	.365	.623	.988
July	30	145	31	39	7	3	6	26	1	11	7	.300	.364	.538	.902
August	30	142	23	48	8	5	9	27	0	4	5	.348	.366	.674	1.040

6. Willie McCovey (San Francisco Giants, 1959)

Willie McCovey was a unanimous Rookie of the Year selection despite participating in only 52 games. 

Since the award's inception in 1947, there have been 132 winners across the American and National Leagues. No other position player has ever received the honor without taking the field at least 100 times.

That obscure bit of trivia attests to how well McCovey performed for the 1959 San Francisco Giants.

His 1.085 OPS was 121 points better than that of all-time great teammate Willie Mays. His 22-game hitting streak, which spanned from August 17 until September 10, still stands as a rookie record for the franchise.

1959 monthly splits (July-September/October)

Split	G	PA	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
July	2	8	3	5	0	2	0	3	0	0	1	.625	.625	1.125	1.750
August	27	115	15	38	3	2	8	22	2	10	18	.373	.443	.676	1.120
Sept/Oct	23	96	14	25	6	1	5	13	0	12	17	.305	.396	.585	.981

5. Tom Seaver (New York Mets, 1967)

Finishing with a winning record on a 1967 New York Mets squad that averaged barely three runs per game says a lot about Tom Seaver.

He excelled from start to finish, but particularly through the schedule's first three months.

Of his 11 starts immediately before the All-Star break, eight of them were complete games. Seaver helped his own cause with the bat and sported a respectable .225/.354/.275 slash line by mid-summer.

Shea Stadium attendance typically spiked when Seaver took the mound, so even though the team wasn't competitive, he still dealt with pressure.

1967 game log (pre-All-Star break)

Date	Tm		Opp	Rslt	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA	GB	FB	GSc
Apr 13	NYM		PIT	W,3-2	5.1	6	2	2	4	8	0	3.38	5	3	52
Apr 20	NYM		CHC	W,6-1	7.1	8	1	1	0	5	0	2.13	8	8	63
Apr 25	NYM	@	CHC	W,2-1	10.0	4	1	0	1	5	0	1.19	13	12	86
Apr 30	NYM	@	CIN	L,2-3	6.0	7	3	3	1	2	1	1.88	9	5	47
May 5	NYM		HOU	W,3-2	9.0	9	2	2	3	5	1	1.91	11	12	63
May 12	NYM	@	STL	L,5-7	3.0	6	2	2	3	0	0	2.21	4	2	36
May 17	NYM	@	ATL	L,3-4	8.0	7	4	4	2	6	3	2.59	6	11	56
May 22	NYM		LAD	W,5-2	9.0	5	2	2	2	7	2	2.50	7	13	74
May 27	NYM		ATL	W,4-3	6.0	6	3	2	1	2	0	2.54	7	7	51
Jun 1	NYM	@	HOU	L,1-4	8.0	8	4	3	4	4	1	2.64	8	10	52
Jun 6	NYM	@	PIT	W,1-0	6.0	4	0	0	2	4	0	2.43	7	6	66
Jun 13	NYM		CIN	W,7-3	9.0	8	3	2	0	6	1	2.39	9	12	67
Jun 18	NYM		CHC	L,3-4	9.0	8	4	4	3	3	1	2.54	13	10	55
Jun 24	NYM	@	ATL	W,9-1	9.0	5	1	1	2	2	1	2.41	9	15	73
Jun 28	NYM		PHI	L,5-6	6.1	10	5	5	2	3	1	2.68	6	9	34
Jul 3	NYM		SFG	W,5-3	9.0	7	3	3	2	7	1	2.70	8	10	66
Jul 8	NYM		ATL	W,3-2	9.0	6	2	2	3	7	1	2.65	8	10	71

4. Albert Pujols (St. Louis Cardinals, 2001)

Albert Pujols led the 2001 St. Louis Cardinals to their first win of the season on April 6, which marked the beginning of a 23-game hitting streak. (Take that, Willie McCovey!) Perhaps most impressive is that he kept focused while rotating between four different defensive positions.

Clearly, July was his weakest month, but a league-average OBP and 11 XBH doesn't really count as a slump.

According to Baseball-Reference.com, Pujols cracked the top 10 in numerous National League categories: WAR, OPS, batting average, runs batted in and games played, to name a few. All that added up to a fourth-place finish in NL MVP voting.

The rookie campaign ended on a sour note, unfortunately, as he virtually disappeared during the ALDS.

2001 monthly splits (full season)

Split	G	PA	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
April/March	24	102	18	34	8	1	8	27	0	7	18	.370	.431	.739	1.171
May	28	117	16	33	2	0	8	24	0	12	16	.333	.402	.596	.998
June	27	113	17	32	6	1	5	15	0	12	9	.330	.402	.567	.969
July	24	99	9	21	7	0	4	12	0	10	17	.241	.333	.460	.793
August	30	127	32	42	16	1	6	25	1	14	14	.375	.441	.696	1.137
Sept/Oct	28	118	20	32	8	1	6	27	0	14	19	.311	.398	.583	.981

3. Dwight Gooden (New York Mets, 1984)

In 1985, Dwight "Doc" Gooden enjoyed one of the best individual seasons in baseball history—but 1984 was awfully special, too.

His 11.4 K/9 established a major league record. Only Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, Nolan Ryan and Kerry Wood have surpassed it since.

Gooden bounced back quickly from his most brutal outings. Otherwise, we wouldn't have taken his entire season into consideration.

He saved his best for last with nine consecutive starts of at least nine strikeouts (105 K in 76.0 IP). That outstanding period included three complete-game shutouts and an inhuman .411 OPS against.

1984 monthly splits (full season)

Split	W	L	ERA	GS	CG	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	WHIP	SO/9
April/March	1	1	3.10	4	0	20.1	17	12	7	0	10	26	1.328	11.5
May	3	2	4.06	5	1	31.0	22	14	14	1	15	47	1.194	13.6
June	2	2	1.99	6	1	45.1	31	11	10	1	15	40	1.015	7.9
July	3	1	2.58	5	0	38.1	31	12	11	2	17	49	1.252	11.5
August	4	2	3.29	6	2	41.0	36	16	15	3	6	52	1.024	11.4
Sept/Oct	4	1	1.29	5	3	42.0	24	7	6	0	10	62	0.810	13.3

2. Ichiro Suzuki (Seattle Mariners, 2001)

Both Fred Lynn and Ichiro Suzuki were "rookies" entering their AL MVP campaigns, but only the Japanese free agent had zero previous major league experience.

Suzuki's consistency was ridiculous, with 30-plus hits in all six months.

Moreover, he proved to be a hyper-aggressive baserunner and excellent defensive outfielder. Never has such a wiry human being been so intimidating.

2001 monthly splits (full season)

Split	G	PA	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
April/March	25	120	17	39	3	1	2	11	5	4	8	.336	.358	.431	.789
May	27	132	29	47	11	4	0	14	12	3	6	.379	.409	.532	.941
June	25	122	24	38	4	1	1	11	10	6	4	.330	.361	.409	.769
July	27	121	18	30	6	2	3	12	9	5	11	.268	.308	.438	.746
August	28	130	20	51	7	0	0	17	6	6	12	.429	.461	.487	.948
Sept/Oct	25	113	19	37	3	0	2	4	14	6	12	.349	.384	.434	.818

1. Mark Fidrych (Detroit Tigers, 1976)

It's difficult to imagine today's MLB fans swooning over a rookie player the same way we did for Mark Fidrych way back when.

Ironically, he had the shortest career of anybody on this list.

At 21 years old, Fidrych carried the Detroit Tigers. He had defeated 10 of the 11 other AL teams by July 20, the only exception being the Chicago White Sox, who he hadn't faced.

The Tigers spaced out his appearances in April and May, but then greedily began using him on three days' rest. That contributed to some uneven results as the season wore on.

Regardless, Fidrych had a knack for inducing ground balls and staying in games until the beautiful—though sometimes bitter—end. If WAR and strikeout-to-walk ratio mean anything (and they do), he might have been robbed of the 1976 AL Cy Young Award.

1976 game log (April 20-July 20)

Date	Tm		Opp	Rslt	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA	GB	FB
Apr 20	DET	@	OAK	L,5-6	0.0	1	0	0	0	0	0	---	0	0
May 5	DET		MIN	L,2-8	1.0	2	0	0	0	1	0	0.00	1	1
May 15	DET		CLE	W,2-1	9.0	2	1	1	1	5	0	0.90	16	6
May 25	DET	@	BOS	L,0-2	8.0	6	2	2	2	1	1	1.50	19	9
May 31	DET		MIL	W,5-4	11.0	11	4	4	4	8	1	2.17	16	7
Jun 5	DET	@	TEX	W,3-2	11.0	7	2	2	1	8	0	2.02	16	9
Jun 11	DET		CAL	W,4-3	9.0	9	3	1	0	4	0	1.84	13	9
Jun 16	DET		KCR	W,4-3	9.0	5	3	2	2	2	0	1.86	14	9
Jun 20	DET	@	MIN	W,7-3	7.1	9	3	3	6	2	0	2.07	10	7
Jun 24	DET	@	BOS	W,6-3	9.0	7	3	3	2	4	2	2.18	11	16
Jun 28	DET		NYY	W,5-1	9.0	7	1	1	0	2	1	2.05	14	11
Jul 3	DET		BAL	W,4-0	9.0	4	0	0	3	4	0	1.85	14	9
Jul 9	DET		KCR	L,0-1	9.0	9	1	1	1	2	0	1.78	14	7
Jul 16	DET		OAK	W,1-0	11.0	7	0	0	4	6	0	1.60	15	8
Jul 20	DET	@	MIN	W,8-3	9.0	10	3	3	2	2	0	1.71	13	10

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