The Youngest Major League Players
For Those Who Like Baseball History and Trivia
True baseball aficionados know that pitcher Joe Nuxhall, age 15, was the youngest player to ever perform at the major league level. But, what about others, particularly the day-to-day position players? Here, briefly, are some of baseball’s youngest players that were not pitchers.
Youngest Position Players Pre-1900
Depending upon the source, Billy Geer was slightly under or slightly over age 15 in 1874 when he appeared in two games for the New York Mutuals of the National Association. Geer, an outfielder and shortstop, went on to play a total of six years in four different “major leagues.”
The all-time youngest in the National League was Frank “Piggy” Ward who at the age of 16 years, 1 month, and 26 days, played one game for the Philadelphia Quakers (later Phillies) on June 12, 1883. He batted five times with no hits and two strikeouts.
Ward returned to the majors in 1889 and played six years, all in the National League. The infielder-outfielder finished his career with a respectable .286 batting average. He also holds the all-time record, set in 1893, for consecutively reaching base 17 times. The modern record is held by Ted Williams with 16 .
Youngest Position Player in the American League
Alex George was just 12 days short of his 17th birthday when he was signed as an amateur free agent by the Kansas City (now Oakland) Athletics on September 15, 1955. The following day, the KC native appeared in the eighth inning of a 13-7 blowout of the Chicago White Sox. He struck out as a pinch hitter and cleanly fielded two chances at shortstop.
The left-handed hitter played in four more games that season and finished with one hit in ten at bats and seven strikeouts. Originally headed for Kansas University on a baseball and basketball scholarship, George never again played in the majors, but did spend several years in the minors. Retiring at the age of 24, he became successful in TV advertising sales.
Youngest Position Players in the Modern Era National League
Tommy “Buckshot” Brown was 16 years, 8 months old when he made his first appearance for the Brooklyn Dodgers on August 3, 1944. The previous record had been set in 1909 when Frank “Coonie” Blank, age 16 years, 9 months, played his first and only major league game with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Brown was a shortstop who he had been signed by the Dodgers to fill in for Pee Wee Reese, then serving in World War II. Brown would appear in 46 games that year and hit .164 in 146 at bats. (The following year, at age 17, he would become the youngest major leaguer to hit a home run.)
Given his nickname because he had a tendency to throw the ball everywhere, Brown would play eight more seasons as an infielder and outfielder for the Dodgers, Phillies, and Cubs and then for a few more years in the minors. While playing in the Southern Association, he set a league record by reaching base 20 consecutive times (10 hits, 10 walks).
Another young NL player who also received a “break” because of World War II, was Ralph “Putsy” Caballero who made his big league debut with the Philadelphia Blue Jays (Phillies) on September 14, 1944, at age 16 years, 10 months. A third baseman, Putsy played in four games that year and had no hits in four at bats.
Caballero would go on to play seven more seasons with Philadelphia, and was part of the 1950 “Whiz Kids,” so called because the average age of the team was 26.5 years. One of Philadelphia’s all time great teams, they reached the World Series, only to lose to the Yankees in four games. In 2005, Putsy saw his house and most of his possessions destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. One item that was salvaged was his Phillie uniform.
Ironically, neither Brown or Caballero was the youngest major league player that year. Nuxhall also made his debut in 1944 for the Cincinnati Reds.
Related article: The Oldest Major League Players
