Pirates infielder Drew Maggi is one of the most heartwarming stories baseball stories in recent memory, as he spent 13 years in the minor leagues before finally getting his first taste of big-league action earlier in April.
On Saturday, the 33-year-old made a pinch-hit appearance for Pittsburgh during the second game of their doubleheader against the Nationals in Washington.
During the seventh inning, Maggi recorded his first MLB hit, an RBI single to center field. It was an amazing moment for the third baseman, who had waited well over a decade to even have the opportunity to play in the majors.
Fans at Nationals Park, not oblivious to the significance of the moment for Maggi, erupted into celebration. So did his teammates over in the dugout, who were beyond ecstatic for Maggi’s first hit.
A base hit 13 years in the making. pic.twitter.com/SLQuoZU0lD
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) April 30, 2023
Drew Maggi is the ninth-oldest player to debut in the expansion era, the oldest since 34-year-old Alan Zinter debuted for the Houston Astros on June 18, 2022.
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) April 30, 2023
Here was the teams' reaction after his first Major League hit.
🎥 @Piratespic.twitter.com/Y3MxtnMp4k
The base knock from Maggi, which he waited 13 years for, made the score of Saturday night’s game 13-0, as the Pirates continued their red-hot start to the season by securing victories in each leg of the doubleheader against Washington.
Maggi followed up his RBI single with another hit in his next at-bat, which came during the ninth inning. The 33-year-old uncorked a double to left field and later scored on a home run from Miguel Andujar.
This Pirates as a whole have been turning heads throughout the 2023 MLB season, becoming the first team in the National League to reach 20 wins on the year despite the lackluster expectations surrounding the club ahead of the campaign.
Maggi was 21 years old when he first debuted in the minor leagues, all the way back in 2010. Although it took him longer than most, the Pirates infielder finally achieved his lifelong dream by getting a hit in an MLB game.
