Seiya Suzuki’s sensational MLB debut earlier this month rivals the career debuts of MLB legends like Barry Bonds and Babe Ruth.
Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki made his MLB debut in early April, and his Major League potential has been on full display ever since. In just under two weeks, Suzuki has made history several times and is already well on the way to becoming Dutch Rookie of the Year. Suzuki was one of two players named Chevrolet Presented Player of the Week.
The Cubs are undefeated so far this season, and Suzuki has been a big part of that success. He was at bat only 28 times during his MLB career and has already produced four home runs, two doubles and 12 total hits. His slugging percentage is .929, which is extremely high, but it can’t be considered until Suzuki has more plate appearances. He’s only made 39 plate appearances and he’ll likely have a less weighted stat by the end of the season.
How does Seiya Suzuki compare to Babe Ruth and Barry Bonds?
A distinguished NPB baseball player, Suzuki enters MLB society as one of the strongest rookie hitters in league history. He became the only player in MLB history with 8+ RBI and 4+ walks in the first four games of his career, according to Stats by STATS on Twitter.
Other legendary players in MLB history, such as Babe Ruth and Barry Bonds, racked up high stats during their respective careers, but neither player immediately broke out in his baseball debut. Ruth and Bonds are two of the best hitters in MLB history, but they’ve honed their unrivaled hitting skills over several seasons. In Bonds’ first MLB season, he produced 16 home runs, which is comparable to his career-high 46 home runs seven seasons later.
Ruth didn’t produce a home run in his first MLB season—in fact, Ruth didn’t get much exposure at all, finishing the 1914 season with just 10 plate appearances. However, as his career progressed, he steadily made more appearances and hit a career-high 60 homers in his 1927 season, 13 years after his MLB debut.
In the first two weeks of his MLB career, Suzuki is a quarter of the way to Bonds’ first-season home runs and has already passed Ruth’s. If he continues to develop and perform at a steady pace, he will be as famous as Ruth and Bonds.
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