The Houston Astros gave their fans plenty to cheer about with an 11-3 win over the Atlanta Braves on Friday, and nobody played a bigger role in the victory than Zach Cole. The 25-year-old had an MLB debut to remember in the win as he went 3-of-4 in the batter's box, which included a 423-foot two-run homer in his first at-bat, as well as two more RBIs on as many singles throughout the rest of the game.
Astros fans have been singing Cole's praises ever since his first-ever MLB home run found its way into the Truist Park crowd, and it hasn't taken his Astros teammates long to join the choir.
"(Cole has) got a swing, man,” Astros infielder Carlos Correa said, per MLB.com's Brian McTaggart. “That swing was something that we needed badly, and it took a lot of pressure off everybody’s shoulders. To make your debut and make such a great impact, it’s truly special. One of the best debuts I’ve seen in person.”
Zach Cole Has Won Over Astros Teammates with Impressive Debut
It's not often that prospects make an immediate impact in their MLB debut, which is why Cole deserves all the praise he's been receiving. His potential was on display as he slashed .353/.459/.745 with 19 HRs, 65 RBIs, and 52 walks in 97 games with Triple-A Sugar Land, and it looks like he's ready to continue that success at the big-league level.
Funny enough, Cole's electric outing had the Astros veterans questioning manager Joe Espada as to why he had "been keeping this guy from them."
"I said, ‘You know what? We brought him up at the right time.’ Right now is when we need him. I'm really happy for him. The guys really got excited. It really sparked our club. It really did."Joe Espada on Zach Cole
Before Friday's blowout, the Astros had only scored eight runs in their four previous games, further illustrating how timely Cole's debut was. It was also only the fourth time that Houston had scored double-digit runs since the MLB All-Star break, after recording seven instances before the stoppage.
Only time will tell if Cole can parlay his momentum throughout the rest of the regular season. He's eligible for the postseason since he was with the organization as of Sept. 1, meaning further strong showings could see him play a big role for the Astros in October. In the meantime, the young outfielder has no plans to forget what happened in MLB Game No. 1.
“It was an awesome experience,” Cole admitted. “I’ll remember it forever.”
Hopefully, he ends up giving Astros fans plenty of memories they won't forget, either, potentially happening as soon as this fall.