Mick Abel sets Phillies record in remarkable MLB debut

Mick Abel must understand the importance of making a strong first impression.

On Sunday, the right-handed pitcher took the mound for the Philadelphia Phillies in his MLB debut.

He left proceedings after six innings, having allowed five hits and no runs.

Abel struck out nine, tying the franchise record for most strikeouts in a debut.

He left the game with the Phillies ahead 1-0, trying to earn him a victory for his first start.

It was a brilliant day for pitching between Pennsylvania rivals. The Pirates started Paul Skenes, the second-year phenom.

Mick Abel started his MLB career by making some Phillies history @Cherry_Pins pic.twitter.com/FnZwMrHfNJ

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It almost surely was motivating for Abel to go against Skenes. Pitchers will often say that going against an ace helps them focus that much more on putting up zeros of their own.

And on this day, the 23-year old right-handed rookie from the state of Oregon wound up being just a tad better than Skenes.

It’s not a given that Abel sticks around, given that the Phillies have multiple injured pitchers that will at some point make their way back to the rotation.

But he couldn’t have done anything more to give himself the chance to stay in the big leagues.

Abel delivered a debut gem on a day he’ll never forget.

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