This is a list of baseball players who went directly to the major leagues. They are distinguished as a group by having made their North American professional baseball debut with a Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise without having previously played at the professional level. After their major-league debuts, many of these players appeared in professional leagues other than MLB.

Included are multiple "bonus babies" who were signed under the bonus rule, in force intermittently between 1947 and 1964, which obligated major-league teams to keep players awarded large signing bonuses on their rosters. Excluded are players who, prior to their major-league debut, appeared in any professional baseball game, such as within Minor League Baseball, Negro league baseball, professional leagues outside of North America (such as Nippon Professional Baseball), or independent baseball leagues. A player who participated only in offseason developmental baseball (such as winter league baseball) is not excluded.

The practice of players directly joining a major-league team has become increasingly rare since the major-league draft was instituted in 1965, as only 24 drafted players have accomplished the feat. The most recent player to accomplish the feat is pitcher Ryan Johnson, who made his debut in with the Los Angeles Angels.

Players

Listed below are baseball players who did not play baseball professionally before their major-league debuts. The players are grouped by era: the early years of baseball, "bonus babies" (circa 1947–1964), and players selected in the major-league draft (1965–present). A few players who have accomplished the feat since World War II were neither bonus babies nor draft selections; they are listed independently.

Each of these players, with the exception of Charlie Faust, Eddie Gaedel, and Herb Washington, first played amateur baseball in an organized sports league, typically at the high school or college level. Faust played two games with the 1911 New York Giants, essentially as a good luck charm under manager John McGraw. Gaedel, who stood , played one game with the 1951 St. Louis Browns, as a gimmick of owner Bill Veeck. Washington, who played for the Oakland Athletics in the mid-1970s, was put under contract by owner Charlie Finley due to his experience as a world-class sprinter.

+Key* Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame+ "Bonus babies"^ Selected in a major-league draft

Early years The below players are known to have advanced directly to the major leagues between the start of the modern baseball era (considered 1900) and the creation of the bonus rule in 1947. Listed alphabetically.

Several of the below made their debuts due to a shortage of players during World War II. Examples include Joe Nuxhall, who went on to pitch in over 500 major-league games, and Harry MacPherson, who appeared in a single game in 1944. Multiple of the listed players made their debuts with the Philadelphia Athletics, as longtime manager Connie Mack "relied largely on an informal network of old ballplayers, high school and college coaches, and other friendly sources" to find players.

Note that some major-league players listed in some sources as having never played in the minor leagues are excluded here, as they played semi-professionally before their major-league debuts. Examples include Milt Gaston and Danny MacFayden. Other players, whose statistics are incomplete or appear to indicate that they did not first play in the minor leagues, are known to have played professionally prior to their major-league debuts. Examples include Wayne Ambler.

Name Position Amateur team MLB team Debut Ref. Outfielder Cincinnati Cincinnati Reds 1926 Pitcher Tenafly Base Ball Club (NJ) Philadelphia Athletics 1915 Shortstop Holy Cross Philadelphia Athletics 1908 Pitcher Colby Philadelphia Athletics 1906 Third baseman Holy Cross Philadelphia Athletics 1917 Pitcher New York Giants 1911 Pitcher Van Meter HS (IA) Cleveland Indians 1936 Second baseman Fordham New York Giants 1919 Pitcher Groves-Thornton Tumblers (WV) Cleveland Indians 1923 Third baseman St. Joseph's Brooklyn Dodgers 1943 Pitcher Baylor Chicago White Sox 1923 Pitcher Johnson HS (MA) Boston Braves 1944 Pitcher Central HS (OK) Brooklyn Dodgers 1944 Second baseman Hamtramck HS (MI) Chicago White Sox 1943 Pitcher Hamilton HS (OH) Cincinnati Reds 1944 Outfielder Gretna HS (LA) New York Giants 1926 Pitcher Gettysburg Philadelphia Athletics 1901 Pitcher Virginia Philadelphia Phillies 1912 Pitcher Simon Gratz HS (PA) Philadelphia Athletics 1943 Infielder Santa Clara New York Giants 1909 First baseman Michigan St. Louis Browns 1915 Outfielder Notre Dame Chicago Cubs 1912 Third baseman NYU Washington Senators 1944 Pitcher Guilford Philadelphia Athletics 1918

Bonus babies These players advanced directly to the major leagues while being subjected to baseball's bonus rule, which required teams to place any player who received a signing bonus of greater than $4,000 on their major-league rosters. The rule was in force intermittently from 1947 through 1964, most notably from 1953 through 1957. Not all players who were subjected to the bonus rule went on to play in the major leagues. There were also instances of teams avoiding the bonus rule, such as by having a player sign their contract with a minor-league affiliate. "Bonus babies" who did make their major-league debuts without playing in the minor leagues are listed below, alphabetically.

Name Position Amateur team MLB team Debut Second baseman Loyola Marymount New York Giants 1954 Pitcher Thomas Jefferson HS (NY) Boston Braves 1948 Third baseman Assumption College HS (ON) Detroit Tigers 1953 Infielder Michigan Detroit Tigers 1957 Third baseman Alba HS (MO) Kansas City Athletics 1955 Pitcher Notre Dame Detroit Tigers 1956 Catcher Texas Philadelphia Phillies 1956 Infielder Notre Dame New York Yankees 1955 Infielder Neville HS (LA) Baltimore Orioles 1955 Shortstop Dorsey HS (CA) Boston Red Sox 1953 Outfielder Wisconsin Milwaukee Braves 1957 Pitcher South Gate HS (CA) Chicago White Sox 1956 Pitcher Trinity College (CT) Chicago Cubs 1956 Pitcher West Chester Milwaukee Braves 1955 Pitcher Santa Clara San Francisco Giants 1962 Catcher Boston University Baltimore Orioles 1955 Pitcher Minnesota New York Giants 1954 Shortstop Compton HS (CA) Cincinnati Redlegs 1957 Pitcher Northwestern Kansas City Athletics 1957 Pitcher Northwestern Cincinnati Redlegs 1957 Pitcher Perquimans County HS (NC) Kansas City Athletics 1965 First baseman Western Michigan Chicago White Sox 1954 Catcher Ohio State Pittsburgh Pirates 1953 Pitcher Woodrow Wilson HS (CT) Milwaukee Braves 1953 Pitcher East Central University Chicago Cubs 1955 Outfielder Southern HS (MD) Detroit Tigers 1953 First baseman Payette HS (ID) Washington Senators 1954 Second baseman Minnesota Chicago Cubs 1956 Catcher Hartford Public HS (CT) Pittsburgh Pirates 1953 Pitcher Cincinnati Brooklyn Dodgers 1955 Infielder Louisville Male HS (KY) Cleveland Indians 1955 First baseman Holyoke HS (MA) New York Yankees 1954 Pitcher Boston University Washington Senators 1957 Pitcher Mark Keppel HS (CA) New York Giants 1956 Pitcher Arnett HS (OK) St. Louis Cardinals 1955 Pitcher Arnett HS (OK) St. Louis Cardinals 1957 Pitcher Morton East HS (IL) Cincinnati Redlegs 1953 Pitcher Beaumont HS (MO) St. Louis Cardinals 1957 Pitcher Marion Center Area HS (PA) Pittsburgh Pirates 1955 First baseman W. H. Adamson HS (TX) Baltimore Orioles 1955 Shortstop Seattle Pittsburgh Pirates 1953 Second baseman Seattle Pittsburgh Pirates 1953 Pitcher Clemson Baltimore Orioles 1954 Catcher Wilson HS (CA) Boston Red Sox 1955 Catcher Nathan Hale HS (WI) Cincinnati Reds 1957 Pitcher Southern Miss Pittsburgh Pirates 1954 Pinch runner Michigan State Chicago White Sox 1955 Second baseman USC Pittsburgh Pirates 1957 Third baseman Alabama Polytechnic Institute Baltimore Orioles 1955 Pitcher McKeesport HS (PA) Philadelphia Phillies 1953 Infielder Virginia Milwaukee Braves 1953 Outfielder Missouri Washington Senators 1955 Outfielder USC Cincinnati Reds 1955 Outfielder Bellarmine College Prep (CA) Detroit Tigers 1955 Pitcher LSU Pittsburgh Pirates 1955 Catcher Metropolis Community HS (IL) Milwaukee Braves 1957 Outfielder Minnesota Detroit Tigers 1957 Pinch hitter Bryant HS (NY) Philadelphia Phillies 1955 Pitcher Byng HS (OK) Baltimore Orioles 1957 Catcher Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep (CA) Baltimore Orioles 1957

Draft selections A total of 24 players have accomplished the feat after being selected in a major-league draft, which began in 1965. Listed chronologically.

No. Name Position Amateur team MLB team Debut 1 Pitcher USC Baltimore Orioles 1967 2 Pitcher Stanford Cleveland Indians 1970 3 Pitcher Texas Chicago Cubs 1971 4 Outfielder Michigan State Milwaukee Brewers 1971 5 Pitcher Dartmouth Washington Senators 1971 6 Third baseman Oregon San Diego Padres 1972 7 Pitcher Fresno State Philadelphia Phillies 1973 8 Outfielder Minnesota San Diego Padres 1973 9 Pitcher Westchester HS (TX) Texas Rangers 1973 10 Pitcher Arizona State Minnesota Twins 1973 11 Outfielder Clemson Oakland Athletics 1975 12 Pitcher Valley HS (NV) Oakland Athletics 1978 13 Third baseman Arizona State Atlanta Braves 1978 14 Pitcher Gateway Senior HS (PA) Oakland Athletics 1978 15 Catcher Fort Worth Southwest HS (TX) Toronto Blue Jays 1978 16 Outfielder Oklahoma State Texas Rangers 1986 17 Pitcher Michigan California Angels 1989 18 First baseman Washington State Toronto Blue Jays 1989 19 Pitcher Wichita State Los Angeles Dodgers 1994 20 Pitcher Isla de la Juventud (Cuba) Oakland Athletics 1995 21 Outfielder California San Diego Padres 2000 22 Pitcher Arizona State Cincinnati Reds 2010 23 Pitcher Tennessee Chicago White Sox 2020 24 Pitcher Dallas Baptist Los Angeles Angels 2025 Source:

Other players Listed here are players who have debuted directly in the major leagues since World War II without playing professionally beforehand and without being subjected to the bonus rule or being selected in the major-league draft. Listed alphabetically.

Name Position Amateur team MLB team Debut Ref. Pinch hitter St. Louis Browns 1951 Shortstop Duke Pittsburgh Pirates 1952 Pitcher Reading HS (OH) Cincinnati Reds 1957 Pitcher Hanyang University (South Korea) Los Angeles Dodgers 1994 Pinch runner Oakland Athletics 1974

Notes

References