10 of the Best Sports Debuts of the 2010s

One never gets a second chance to make a first impression. As you'll see in this piece, that's not always a bad thing. 

The Toronto Maple Leafs drafted center Auston Mathews first overall earlier this year, and he repaid them by producing arguably the greatest debut in NHL history. Matthews' start to his professional career will likely only add to the hype already surrounding him. We'll see how the teenager handles himself once he experiences setbacks and cold streaks later this season, but Matthews is already must-see television. 

Philadelphia Eagles rookie quarterback Carson Wentz dazzled in his official debut earlier this year. New York Mets starting pitcher Steven Matz began his career with stellar performances on the mound and at the plate. Ronda Rousey's official debut in a major fighting promotion ended in controversy, but the champion fighter nevertheless impressed fans and analysts on that night. 

An incredible and memorable debut does not also guarantee an athlete will achieve great success and win championships. Sometimes, a debut, either good or bad, is merely a one-off. Each of the athletes spotlighted in this piece remains active as of the fall of 2016. 

Who among them will have had the best overall career come 2030?  

Stephen Strasburg

Associated Press

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg faced a mountain of pressure on June 8, 2010, as his debut was arguably the most hyped of any start made by a pitcher in the 2000s. Just 21 years old at the time, the righty not only gave Washington fans a "Merry Strasmas" but made history on the opening night of his career. 

Per Chris Johnson of MASN Sports, Strasburg started his MLB career with a ball. That was one of few disappointing moments for Washington fans in attendance. Strasburg set a club record when he fanned 14 batters en route to earning a victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was just one strikeout shy of the record for a pitcher in his MLB debut. 

As ESPN.com's Jayson Stark wrote, Strasburg did not walk a single batter or allow a single fly-ball out. He dominated Pittsburgh batters throughout his first appearance and proved to be worth the wait. 

Damian Lillard

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Perhaps, many years down the road, we'll see Damian Lillard's first rap album released in October 2016 as his best overall debut of the decade. For now, though, we'll focus on his first NBA game. 

The Portland Trail Blazers rookie dazzled in his NBA debut on the final day of October 2012, scoring 23 points and accumulating 11 assists in a win over the Los Angeles Lakers. Earning a double-double on your first night in the league is, on its own, impressive. 

As Joe Freeman of the Oregonian explained, Lillard joined some elite company that night: 

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Lillard became the first player to finish with at least 21 points and nine assists in his first NBA game since (LeBron) James did so nine seasons ago on Oct. 29, 2003. He also joined Oscar Robertson and Isiah Thomas as the only players in NBA history to record at least 20 points and 10 assists in their debuts.

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That night was no one-off for Lillard, as he won Rookie of the Year honors in May 2013 after he averaged 19 points per game in his first season. 

Carson Wentz

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Philadelphia Eagles rookie quarterback Carson Wentz faced a unique situation while making his NFL debut on September 11, 2016. Wentz, who was supposed to defer to Sam Bradford and remain inactive on Sundays, per Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk, earned the starting job before Week 1 of the campaign and was then tasked with facing the Cleveland Browns. 

The Browns could have drafted Wentz earlier this year, but they instead traded the second pick to the Eagles. Therefore, Cleveland received an up-close look at what could have been in Week 1. 

Wentz left pockets of Cleveland fans with feelings of regret, as he completed 22 of 37 attempts for 278 yards and a pair of touchdowns. His touchdown passes of 19 yards and 35 yards were nearly perfect, and he thoroughly outplayed former Rookie of the Year Robert Griffin III.

The Cleveland QB suffered a shoulder injury that afternoon, adding injury to the insult felt by Cleveland fans who wished the team had drafted Wentz. 

Trevor Story

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Trevor Story was not supposed to start at shortstop for the Colorado Rockies this past April. With Jose Reyes sidelined because of a suspension, however, the Rockies had little choice but to throw the 23-year-old into the deep end to see if he could swim. 

He took to the deep water just fine on his first day in MLB. 

Story blasted a three-run homer to notch the first hit of his career and followed that up by going deep his next at-bat on April 4. According to Thomas Harding of MLB.com, Story became the first player in league history to homer twice while debuting on Opening Day. 

Story didn't hit two home runs off just any pitcher, either. He took Zack Greinke, regarded as one of the best starters at the beginning of the season, deep. Twice.

Story's season unfortunately ended early when he suffered a thumb injury that sidelined him for the final two months of the campaign. 

Ronda Rousey

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Ronda Rousey was not a household name when she made her Strikeforce debut in August 2011. While she was a respected judo champion at the time, national sports networks such as ESPN did not cover combat sports back then. Rousey was relatively unknown among casual followers of mixed martial arts when she fought Sarah D’Alelio five years ago. 

Rousey made quick work of D’Alelio, locking in a flying armbar and earning a submission victory in less than a minute. As Brian Martin of the Los Angeles Daily News explained at the time, the win was not without controversy because D’Alelio did not technically tap. Rousey stated after the fight she heard D’Alelio give up. D’Alelio said she yelled out while in the armbar but did not submit. 

A fighter yelling out while in such a hold counts as a verbal submission.  

Rousey's introduction to MMA fans started off a stellar career. She ultimately won titles in Strikeforce and the UFC en route to becoming arguably the biggest star and draw in the sport. 

Michael Carter-Williams

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It was only a few years ago when it seemed Michael Carter-Williams would be a long-standing part of the rebuilding process for the Philadelphia 76ers. He gave Philadelphia fans reasons to believe the club was finally headed in the right direction on his debut back in October 2013. 

As Ben Golliver of Sports Illustrated explained, Carter-Williams scored a bucket in the first 23 seconds of his pro career. That basket began one of the best overall debuts of the decade. 

When all was said and done, the lottery pick dropped 22 points on the Miami Heat in his first game. Carter-Williams also recorded 12 assists, seven rebounds and nine steals. Per Russell Steinberg of SB Nation, those nine steals set a record for a debut.

Carter-Williams did it all on his first night in the league. He converted four of six three-point attempts, made multiple highlight-reel dunks and turned the ball over only once. 

Philadelphia fans probably wouldn't have guessed that night Carter-Williams wouldn't be playing for the Sixers by the end of February 2015. 

Marcus Mariota

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The matchup between the Tennessee Titans and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1 of the 2015 NFL season was noteworthy because Tennessee quarterback Marcus Mariota, the second pick of that year's draft, faced off against Tampa Bay QB and 2015 first overall pick Jameis Winston. 

Mariota was the big winner that afternoon. 

As Jeremy Bergman of NFL.com wrote, Mariota set multiple records in his NFL debut when the Titans defeated the Bucs 42-14 in Tampa Bay. He became the first player to toss four touchdown passes in the first half of his debut. He had more touchdowns than incomplete passes (two) and posted a perfect passer rating. 

Mariota is still growing as a pro and a leader. He hasn't yet won a playoff game or even taken a snap in a meaningful game in January. Truth be told, some out there would likely take Winston over Mariota today regardless of how the two looked in their debuts. 

Which young QB would you want for your football team? 

Steven Matz

Associated Press

The story of New York Mets southpaw Steven Matz is one that young baseball fans around the United States dream up for themselves. He was born in Stony Brook, New York, and grew up playing and loving the game not all that far away from Queens and the Mets.

Matz made his official debut for the Mets at Citi Field on June 28, 2015, making quite the impression in front of a home audience that gave him standing ovations on multiple occasions that afternoon. 

Per Baseball-Reference.com, Matz struck out six Cincinnati Reds hitters in his first start. He gave up a pair of earned runs on two home runs and pitched 7.2 innings. 

As MLB.com's Anthony DiComo explained, Matz was even better at the plate than he was on the hill. The then-rookie became the first recorded rookie pitcher since 1914 to have three hits and four RBI in his first MLB game. He was the first player in franchise history to accumulate four RBI in his debut. 

Matz, like several New York starters, could evolve into an ace, but arm problems have sidelined him during his career. His debut will quickly fade from the minds of Mets fans if he cannot consistently win games in 2017. 

Marcus Rashford

Associated Press

One could argue Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford faces more pressure than any other player in the Premier League. As Alice McKeegan of the Manchester Evening News explained, Rashford was born in the district of Manchester. The teenager joined United at a time when the club had fallen behind the likes of rivals Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and even Leicester City in the league table. 

Rashford may be a big reason for United's resurgence before the end of the decade. 

He is different than other stars mentioned in this piece in that he has had multiple memorable debuts. As Neil Johnston of BBC Sport documented, Rashford notched a brace in his official United debut versus FC Midtjylland in a Europa League match this past February. Per Tom Olver of Metro, Rashford scored his sixth debut goal of his United tenure this past September when he hit the back of the net in a match against Northampton. 

In total, Rashford scored at least one goal in his first official European debut, his Premier League debut, his Manchester derby debut, his England debut, his England U-21 debut and his EFL Cup debut. 

Auston Matthews

Center Auston Matthews is in a unique situation during his rookie year in the NHL. He is only 19 years old and yet is already the face of the Toronto Maple Leafs, a franchise that was once a cornerstone of the league. Toronto last won the Stanley Cup in 1967, but the team's futility has not caused its local fanbase to evaporate. 

Carrying the club on his shoulders didn't bother Matthews during his debut. 

Per NHL.com, he became the first player in the supposed modern era of the NHL to score four goals in his first official pro game. As the NHL.com story explained, players around the league took to Twitter to comment on Matthews' introduction to the league. 

He not only notched four tallies in his debut, but his second goal against the Ottawa Senators back on October 12 was the result of an incredible individual effort—one so impressive that it may be the best goal scored in the NHL this season. 

We don't yet know what Matthews will be as a pro. Perhaps he will help end Toronto's title drought, or maybe he will be the next player in franchise history to fail to meet high expectations. Whatever happens, hockey fans throughout Canada and the United States will be following Matthews' quick rise to fame.