Franco wasn’t the only prospect who made history in Red Sox-Rays originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Tuesday was a night of firsts at Tropicana Field.
The most notable “first” involved Wander Franco, the No. 1 prospect in baseball who made his Major League Baseball debut for the Tampa Bay Rays against the Boston Red Sox.
Tomase: Top 10 players who debuted vs. Red Sox is a loaded list
Franco lived up to the hype, smacking a game-tying, three-run home run in the fifth inning and adding a double in the seventh to finish 2-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored.
That home run earned the 20-year-old Dominican Republic native a place in the record books as the youngest third baseman to homer in his MLB debut. He also became the youngest player in the modern era to have multiple extra-base hits (including a home run) and multiple runs scored in his first game.
Franco wasn’t the only player making his MLB debut Tuesday night in Tampa Bay, though: Red Sox catcher prospect Connor Wong, who came to Boston by way of the Mookie Betts trade, earned the call-up before the game.
While Wong didn’t start, he pinch-ran for J.D. Martinez at second base in the 11th inning and scored the go-ahead run on a Rafael Devers double in the Red Sox’ eventual 9-5 win.
The last American League player to pinch-run in extra innings and score in his first MLB game? Some guy named Cal Ripken Jr.
We’re not saying Wong will be the next Cal Ripken (he also benefited from MLB’s extra innings rule that placed a running on second base to start the inning) but it was good to see the 25-year-old get involved right away — and steal a little thunder from Franco’s memorable debut.