Alex Bregman Just Misses Grand Slam In MLB Debut

Another day, another top prospect for the Astros. Alex Bregman, the second overall pick in 2015, made his MLB debut last night in Houston’s 2-1 loss to the Yankees, and while it’s been barely more than a year, fans have been waiting for this for a while—Bregman got himself a standing O for his first at-bat. He later came within a few feet of bringing the whole place down.

Bregman’s a 22-year-old shortstop who grew up idolizing Derek Jeter (though he projects at 3B and LF in the majors thanks to the existence of Carlos Correa), and he’s got a quick bat with some real pop, and has shown maybe even more power in the minors than the Astros might’ve expected. He came up in the sixth with the game tied and the bases loaded, and for a second there it looked like he got it:

The best part of that video is the cutaways to Bregman’s parents in the stands—so close. But check Bregman’s mother’s expressions for sincerity; she was a Yankees fan, she says, until last year.

Bregman went 0-for-4 and no one’s worried. The Astros are baseball’s best team over the last two months, and there’s an embarrassment of young offensive talent to keep things chugging while Bregman finds his feet at the plate. (There were seven homegrown players in the lineup last night.) He did show some flash in the field, though, a good sign considering he played just 13 games at third base in the minors.

“It felt better than I thought it would feel,” Bregman said. “It felt amazing. It’s the most fun I’ve ever had.”

So Alex Bregman Day has come and gone, and the Astros roster is officially one piece closer to what they ultimately hope is a championship-caliber team.