Rookie seasons with big, flashy home-run numbers are a young player’s domain.
By the time you get to 29-year-old rookies, even the seven hit by the Cubs’ Patrick Wisdom constitute a big number — for a whole season.
Of the 30 rookie seasons with 30 or more home runs, 28 were by players 25 or younger. The White Sox’ Jose Abreu was one of the exceptions when hit 36 at 27 in 2014, his first season after leaving Cuba. The other exception was Walt Dropo, 27 when he slugged a then-record 34 in 1950.
Pete Alonso was 24 when he homered 53 times in 2019, breaking the rookie record set by Aaron Judge at 25 two seasons earlier.