Call it a Story-book start.
Colorado Rockies shortstop Trevor Story smashed not one but two home runs in his Major League debut on Opening Day, raising eyebrows nearly as easily as he lofted two pitches from Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Zack Greinke into the stands at Chase Field.
The 23-year-old's first career hit? A three-run homer.
He then followed that up with a second shot, also off Greinke, into the left-field stands. Because hey, why not switch things up?
Story's two-homer outing was the first time a player has homered twice in his Major League debut since J.P. Arencibia accomplished the same feat for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2010. It's also the first time ever that a player has hit two homers in a big-game debut on Opening Day. (Apparently the baseball gods were feeling generous with the records on Monday night, since it was also the longest nine-inning game in Diamondbacks history, clocking in at 4 hours and 11 minutes.)
But Bryce Harper made a little history of his own, too.
In his first at-bat of the season during the first inning of the Washington Nationals' home opener against the Atlanta Braves, the superstar right fielder and defending National League MVP crushed a 2-2 pitch off Julio Teheran, sending a screamer into the right-field stands. (Skip ahead to 1:15 in the video.)
With that, Harper became one of only three players in Nationals history to hit home runs in consecutive Opening Day at-bats, even dating back to when they were the Montreal Expos. Opening-Day homers are something of a habit for the young star, who has peppered the stands in three of his past four starts (two in 2013 and one in 2015), making him one of only three players to accomplish that feat as well.
Bryce Harper joins Vladimir Guerrero and Gary Carter as only players in team history to homer in consecutive Opening Days
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 4, 2016
Also, this:
Bryce Harper hit his 4th career Opening Day home run. That’s the most in the Modern Era by a player before turning 24 (via @EliasSports)
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 5, 2016
Not a bad start for the MLB season. Unless you're a pitcher.
