Baseball history is real history. It spans centuries of progress and two World Wars. Since its birth in 1876 – the same year the telephone was invented – nearly 24,000 players have made their Major League debut.
Only seven can match what Jose Fernandez did for the Diamondbacks on Tuesday night.
In the greatest debut in Diamondbacks history, Fernandez beat out an infield single in his first at-bat; homered off Casey Mize, his second hit against a pitcher who dominated most everyone else in the lineup; and bashed a game-winning, three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to give the Diamondbacks their first winning streak of the season.
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“I said it 30 times (Tuesday) night: I can’t believe what happened,” Manager Torey Lovullo said. “I can’t believe this moment. This is so special. We all have to enjoy it. I woke up at 3:30 (a.m.) thinking about it, and I was up from 3:30 to 4:30 with a smile on my face.”
The moment was a thunderbolt of baseball magic and exactly what the Diamondbacks needed. Three consecutive losses in Los Angeles had dulled dreams and sunken hopes, a series where the bullpen had tripped over familiar landmines of incompetence, where the lineup seemed very benign and non-threatening. Fernandez’s debut gives us all the license to dream.
He showed uncommon poise in the moment. After his second home run, he did not circle the bases in a giddy gallop, like someone who just won the baseball lottery. There was nothing to suggest he was surprised by the history he had just made.
“He rounded first base, and he looked like a killer,” Lovullo said.
The other significant moment happened before the game-winning home run. After the Tigers summoned closer Kenley Jansen, Fernandez received an impromptu scouting report from backup catcher James McCann and first baseman Carlos Santana. They told the rookie about the unusual nature of Jansen’s cut fastball and how it rises through the strike zone. Fernandez processed the information and responded with a great swing.
“I think it’s super cool for Carlos and James to do that for him,” pitcher Brandon Pfaadt said. “And for (Fernandez) to be able to take all of that in and go out there and do what he did, I think it’s pretty special.”
It’s the sign of a healthy clubhouse when veteran players will generously help youngsters who can use that wisdom to take their jobs. To wit: On Wednesday, Santana showed up at Chase Field and learned that Fernandez was starting at his position in the series finale against the Tigers.
Fernandez went hitless in Wednesday’s encore, a 1-0 victory that gave the Diamondbacks an emphatic series sweep. But he still looked imposing at the plate, and was more than competent fielding the position, despite only 17 games of minor league experience at first base. His performance featured a line-drive double play he turned at a crucial point in the game, including a great throw to third base under pressure.
It’s easy to get starstruck when a rookie makes a dramatic debut. Those who get called up this quickly in the season are usually in a good groove, full of confidence, swinging the bat well. But this feels bigger than a single moment.
Fernandez has been with the organization since 2017, when he signed out of Venezuela for $275,000. He showed serious development in spring training, when the Diamondbacks had many headline players competing in the World Baseball Classic, and when playing time was abundant. By the end of the Cactus League, he had turned many heads. He is a big kid and physically intimidating, a noticeable departure from some of our other recent phenoms (Kyler Murray, Corbin Carroll, Jordan Lawlar).
So, did Fernandez merely provide a great memory and moment in time, like Tyler Gilbert’s no-hitter in his first start with the Diamondbacks in 2021? Or will he be the team’s breakout newcomer in 2026, the one who spurred a great communal clubhouse celebration five games into the season?
Because Fernandez definitely looks the part, and exactly like the infusion this team needed.
Reach Bickley at dbickley@arizonasports.com. Listen to Bickley & Marotta mornings from 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. on Arizona Sports.
Follow @danbickley
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