Top 25 Opening Day performances of all time

24. Jason Heyward homers in his MLB debut

Way before he was an overpaid member of the Chicago Cubs, Jason Heyward was the hottest prospect in the Atlanta Braves system. As a native of the Atlanta area, there were great expectations for Heyward when he made his MLB debut back in 2010. He did not disappoint on Opening Day.

Heyward homered on a 2-0 count from Carlos Zambrano and went on to hit 18 home runs while driving in 72 in his rookie year with the Braves. His Opening Day heroics would not be a sign of grander things to come. The 2010 season was Heyward’s best with Atlanta in terms of offensive production. He did develop a reputation as one of the best defenders in baseball.

Plenty of rookies have homered in their first official MLB at-bat, but Heyward’s was special because it came on Opening Day, with so many in the crowd ready to explode if given the chance. The roar that went up after he made contact tells you everything you need to know.

The Braves eventually traded Heyward to the St. Louis Cardinals after five seasons, netting Shelby Miller, who they eventually flipped for Dansby Swanson and Ender Inciarte. Despite falling a little short of expectations, Heyward and the Braves both got what they needed out of their time together.