Cleveland Guardians rookie Chase DeLauter got thrown into the fire in the American League Wild Card Series against the Detroit Tigers last postseason.
He only got one hit in two games and made an error in the outfield, but it looks like the experience paid dividends with four home runs in 2026, which leads Major League Baseball.
DeLauter became the fourth player in MLB history to have three home runs or more in his first three games to start his career, and Chicago White Sox Japanese sluggers Munetaka Murakami also homered in three straight games to start the 2025 season, his first in MLB.
Munetaka Murakami!!
Most consecutive reg season games with home run to start a career:
2016 Trevor Story: 4
2026 Munetaka Murakami: 3 * active
2026 Chase DeLauter: 3 * active
2019 Kyle Lewis: 3 https://t.co/QbfzSC9fyf— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) March 29, 2026
Murakami still has a chance to make more history by hitting a home run in four consecutive games, which would tie Trevor Story’s four-game start with the Colorado Rockies in 2016. Kyle Lewis also started his Seattle Mariners career with a home run in three straight games in 2019.
Murakami was signed by the White Sox this past offseason, after he was posted by his Japanese team, the Yakult Swallows in Nippon Professional Baseball. Murakami also played for Japan in the 2026 WBC and won it all with them in 2023.
National League Rookies to Watch
Miami Marlins OF Owen Caissie – Caissie hit a walk-off two-run home run against the Colorado Rockies on March 29. Caissie played 12 games with the Chicago Cubs last season, and he was in their trade for Marlins starting pitcher Edward Cabrera this past offseason.
Caissie also represented Canada in the World Baseball Classic, where he was the team’s best hitter, recording one home run, five RBIs, and an OPS of 1.241 in 17 at-bats.
“Playing in the last WBC definitely prepared me for this one. When you walk into a new country, you have to be prepared for it, especially in a place like Puerto Rico, which has a distinct atmosphere. It’s crazy to see how many places baseball really takes you. I’m just grateful for it,” Caissie told World Baseball Network about his WBC experience on March 7.
Caissie has hit safely in his first three games with the Marlins and has five hits in 10 at-bats (.500 batting average) and four RBIs.
St. Louis Cardinals SS JJ Wetherholt – Wetherholt checked off two big boxes in his MLB debut weekend with the St. Louis Cardinals. He hit his first home run in his first MLB game on March 27 against the Tampa Bay Rays, and he hit a walk-off single on March 28.
Wetherholt has one home run, four RBIs, one stolen base, and an OPS of .871 in 13 MLB at-bats this season. Wetherholt is living up to his early billing as the Cardinals’ top prospect, and he was picked by them No. 7 overall in the 2024 MLB Draft out of West Virginia.
New York Mets SP Nolan McLean & OF Carson Benge – Benge hit a home run in his first game for the Mets against the Pittsburgh Pirates on March 26 and received a curtain call from the Citi Field faithful. Benge was a two-way star at Oklahoma State where he was roommates with Mets starting pitcher Nolan McLean.
McLean also was a two-way player at Oklahoma State, but he chose to pitch and showed the Mets a glimpse of what he could do in 2025 at the MLB level with 57 strikeouts in 48 innings with an ERA of 2.06. McLean made his 2026 debut against the Pirates on March 29 and pitched five innings of two-run ball with eight strikeouts.
Cincinnati Reds 1B Sal Stewart – Stewart reached base 10 times in the Reds’ first three games. Stewart is the third MLB player to accomplish that feat in a team’s first three games at 22 years old or younger since 1900. Stewart has seven hits in 10 at-bats (.700 batting average), one home run, two RBIs, and an OPS of 2.069. Stewart played 18 games with the Reds last season and had five home runs, eight RBIs, and an OPS of .839 in 55 at-bats.
American League Rookies to Watch
Detroit Tigers SS Kevin McGonigle – McGonigle went 4-for-5 in his MLB debut with the Detroit Tigers against the San Diego Padres on March 26. McGonigle, 21, became the 21st player to collect four hits in their MLB debut and is also the fourth youngest player in MLB history to accomplish that milestone. McGonigle followed that up with a go-ahead two-run single against the Padres on March 27 in the eighth . He was also robbed of his first MLB home run by Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill in that same game.
McGonigle has four RBIs, five hits, and an OPS of 1.045 in 12 MLB at-bats.
Toronto Blue Jays 3B Kazuma Okamoto – Okamoto hit his first MLB home run with the Jays against the Athletics on March 29 and has hit safely in his first three MLB games. He had a multi-hit effort in his MLB debut, going 2-for-3 with a walk. Okamoto was also signed from NPB with the Yomiuri Giants and played in the past two WBC’s with Japan. He will be a big piece for the Blue Jays this season, and he essentially replaced Bo Bichette, who left in free agency.
Kansas City Royals C/DH Carter Jensen – Jensen hit his first home run of the 2026 season against the Atlanta Braves on March 29. Jensen hit three home runs with the Royals last season in 20 games and had 13 RBIs, and an OPS of .941 in 60 at-bats in 2025.
Jensen is the Royals’ top-ranked prospect on MLB Pipeline and ranks 16th on their Top 100 Rankings. He also has one of the best mentors possible, with veteran catcher Salvador Perez. Jensen will mix and match at designated hitter and catcher with Perez this season.
Photo: Chicago White Sox’ Munetaka Murakami runs the bases after hitting a home run during his Major League debut in the ninth inning of an opening-day baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Thursday, March 26, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)
