PHOENIX — One day, he’s waking up in Reno, Nevada, and is told he’s going to the big leagues.
The next, Jose Fernandez is celebrating the greatest day of his 22-year-old life, with his teammates dousing him with beer and everything else they could find for their overnight hero, who Tuesday night produced the finest major-league debut in Arizona Diamondbacks history.
Fernandez, ranked as only the 27th-best prospect in the Diamondbacks organization, became the eighth player in major-league history to hit two home runs in his debut, with the last one a game-winning, three-run homer in the eighth inning off future Hall of Famer Kenley Jansen in the Diamondbacks’ dramatic comeback 7-5 victory over the Detroit Tigers.
“Grateful, grateful to God,’’ Fernandez said. “More than I could have expected. … Just a dream come true.’’
This is a kid who was signed as an international player out of Venezuela at the age of 17, spent the past four years in the lower minor leagues, never advancing past Class AA until spending one day at Triple-A this year. He had a strong enough minor league season last year, slashing .272/.321/454 with 17 homers to be placed on the 40-man roster, and opened eyes this spring hitting .280 with an .840 OPS, and three doubles, a triple and three home runs in 25 at-bats.
“He was impressive this spring,’’ Diamondbacks starter Brandon Pfadt said, “so we figured we’d see him at some point.’’
Just not in the first week of the season, playing in place of Nolan Arenado, and putting on one of the greatest hitting exhibitions in a debut in baseball history. He stepped to the plate in the second inning and reached base on an infield single off Tigers starter Casey Mize. He took Mize deep in the fourth inning on a 408-foot homer. And in the eighth, with two outs and two runners on with the D-backs trailing 5-4, he started to walk to the plate. He stopped when Tigers manager A.J. Hinch went to the mound and summoned Jansen, who has 477 career saves, just one shy of Lee Smith for third-place on the all-time saves list.
“I thought it was a unique look against a very young hitter,’’ Hinch said, “who I know was going to be in swing mode would be a tough matchup for him.’’
Fernandez walked back to the dugout and was summoned by D-backs veterans Carlos Santanta and James McCann. They told him to watch out for Jansen’s funky delivery.
“I just tried to talk to him about what kind of movement on the ball Kenley would be throwing,’’ Santanta said. “He’s tough. I just told him to be calm. He can do it.’’
Said D-backs manager Torey Lovullo: “They prepared him the best way they could. And the thing about Jose is that he wasn’t panicking. He wanted to see a pitch, see what they were talking about, and then zeroed in on it. That’s a very mature approach.’’
Fernandez watched Jansen throw a first-pitch cutter over the plate for strike 1. He watched the second pitch for ball 1, another cutter below his knees. Jansen threw another cutter, this one up in the strike zone, and Fernandez sent it 409 feet over the left-field fence for a three-run homer.
“Not the location I wanted,’’ Jansen said, “but sometimes you come in with no room for error, it’s tough. Give credit to him. He put the ball in play and the ball went out.”
The Chase Field crowd erupted, and Pfaadt was back in the clubhouse screaming with the players and clubhouse attendants.
“Everybody in here was jumping up and down,’’ Pfaadt said. “Special day for the whole team, especially him and his family. We all cheered for him when he came in. It was really cool.’’
The celebration was so emotional and lasted so long that D-backs manager Torey Lovullo had to tear himself away just to attend the press conference. They were down 5-1 entering the eighth inning, and then a guy who was called up only because first baseman Pavin Smith went on the injured list with elbow inflammation, fulfills a childhood dream.
“What a day for him,’’ Mize said. “It’ll be a part of his story for his whole life, which is unfortunate for me.’’
But one that could be remembered for an awful long time in D-backs folklore.
“What a good moment for this team, this organization,’’ Lovullo said, “for all the people that have been around Jose pushing him, teaching him, and then ultimately it falls on Jose to go out there and let it all shine.
“We’re so proud of him. He’s a player that came through or system, through our academy, and it’s a great story.
“It’s a great baseball story.’’
Jose Fernandez celebrates hitting a three-run home run against the Detroit Tigers in the eighth inning at Chase Field on March 31, 2026.
One that Fernandez can’t wait to share with his family back home in Venezuela, knowing that for a country who took great pride in winning the World Baseball Classic, they now have another reason to celebrate.
“Thankful for the opportunity,” Fernandez said. “It’s a dream I’ve had ever since I was five years old, and just thankful for the opportunity that was given to me.’’
He was hoping that he could have shared the joy of being on that WBC championship team, but he wasn’t invited. Instead, he spent the spring opening a whole lot of eyes, paving the way for the most glorious night of his young baseball career.
“Not yet,’’ Fernandez said, “hopefully …”
Yet, before he could even finish his answer, Diamondbacks teammate Eduardo Rodriguez, and the starting pitcher in Venezuela’s 3-2 championship victory over Team USA, jumped in and provided the answer.
“Oh, he’ll be at the next one all right,’’ Rodriguez said.
Hey, with nights like these, Fernandez just might find himself playing third base for Venezuela in the 2028 Olympics, too.
And, if you’re Fernandez, why stop dreaming now?
Follow Bob Nightengale on Bluesky and X @Bnightengale.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jose Fernandez has incredible MLB debut in Diamondbacks win vs. Tigers
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