Even if established veterans and some of the oldest MLB players get most of the attention, it’s also worth talking about the youngest active MLB players in 2023.
After all, baseball is still a young man’s game, especially after MLB started to crack down on PEDs. With the way players have started to manipulate draft eligibility the way Bryce Harper did, players are finding a way to reach the big leagues at younger and younger ages.
Youngest active MLB players 2023
For the record, Joe Nuxhall is the youngest baseball player to appear in the majors, making his debut at 15 years, 316 days old. But for now, we’re more interested in the youngest active MLB players for 2023.
Let’s take some time to get to know the youngest players who will be in the big leagues at the start of the 2023 season.
Vaughn Grissom, January 2001
Out of necessity with Ozzie Albies missing most of the second half of the 2022 season, the Braves called up Vaughn Grissom last August. He made his debut when he was just 21 with just 91 at-bats in 22 games above A-ball.
It was far from an ideal situation, although Grissom handled himself well, batting .291 with an OPS of .793 down the stretch. Of course, Grissom is a natural shortstop who was playing at second base. But with Dansby Swanson signing with the Cubs over the winter, the door is open for Grissom to become Atlanta’s long-term shortstop.
However, Grissom was beaten out by Orlando Arcia in spring training and optioned to triple-A to open the 2023 season. Nevertheless, Grissom is likely to be back in the big leagues at some point in 2023 once he gets more seasoning.
Wander Franco, March 2001
The amazing thing about Wander Franco is that he made his MLB debut in June 2021, yet he’s still one of the youngest active MLB players in 2023. The Dominican native arrived in Tampa with tons of hype, and while he’s yet to fully live up to that hype, he’s getting there.
During the second half of the 2021 season, Franco hit .288 with an OPS of .810. He also had a strong second half in 2022, hitting .322 with an OPS of .852 after the all-star break last season. If Franco can build off those numbers, the 2023 season could be his coming-out party and catapult him to among the elite shortstops in the majors.
Michael Harris II, March 2001
Much like Grissom, the Braves called up Michael Harris II in 2022 mostly out of need. At the time, he had only played 43 games at double-A and had no triple-A experience.
But that proved to be more than enough seasoning for Harris, who proceeded to hit .297 with an OPS of .853 while showing impressive range in center field. His performance earned Harris Rookie of the Year honors, finishing ahead of teammate Spencer Strider. It also solidified the 22-year-old as Atlanta’s center fielder of the future.
Gunnar Henderson, June 2001
Out of all of Baltimore’s promising youngsters, Gunnar Henderson might be the best of the bench. He made his MLB debut last August, barely two months after turning 21. In 116 at-bats for the upstart Orioles, Henderson hit .259 with an OPS of .788.
He’s not quite a finished product just yet, but the Orioles have high hopes for him. As he did late in the 2022 season, Henderson will be given a chance to be Baltimore’s everyday third baseman in 2023, a position he could hold for a long time.
Ezequiel Tovar, August 2001
At the start of the 2023 season, Colorado shortstop Ezequiel Tovar will be the youngest player in the big leagues. The Rockies called him up to make his debut last September, less than two months after he turned 21.
That was only enough time for him to play nine games and get 33 at-bats. But that was after he hit .318 with an OPS of .931 at double-A and went 7 for 21 in five games at triple-A.
Tovar is currently the top prospect in Colorado’s farm system and with the Rockies in rebuilding mode, they have nothing to lose by allowing him to open the 2023 season as the team’s everyday shortstop.
