Bright future: MLB's youngest players

The Padres not only have one of the best teams in baseball, but they also have one of the youngest.

San Diego features the two youngest players on MLB Opening Day rosters, and two more who cracked the top 10. Ryan Weathers and Tucupita Marcano are 21-year-old rookies, while 22-year-olds Adrian Morejon and Fernando Tatis Jr. made their big league debuts two seasons ago.

The list includes two of the game's biggest stars in Tatis and Juan Soto, both of whom finished in the top five in National League MVP voting in 2020. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., one of the most talented hitting prospects in recent memory, already has been a regular for two years and could be poised for a breakout in 2021.

The Nationals' roster is in flux as the team is dealing with COVID-19 issues, so this list could change. Three players have tested positive and a fourth is considered likely positive, which means that the club won't play its first game until Monday at the earliest. Washington reportedly will add Luis Garcia after optioning him to Triple-A on March 27, and his May 16, 2000 birthdate would make him the youngest player in the Majors.

As of now, here are the 10 youngest players who opened the season in the big leagues:

1. Ryan Weathers, LHP, Padres (age 21, DOB: Dec. 17, 1999)
Weathers' first Major League appearance was 1 1/3 scoreless innings in the National League Division Series last fall, highlighted by a strikeout of Cody Bellinger. The son of 19-year big leaguer David Weathers, he went seventh overall in the 2018 Draft and saw his fastball and slider add 4-5 mph of velocity at San Diego's alternate site last summer.

2. Tucupita Marcano, INF, Padres (age 21, DOB: Sept. 16, 1999)
Like Weathers, Marcano saw his last regular-season action in low Class A. He'll probably return to the Minors once Trent Grisham comes off the injured list, but he's an interesting long-term prospect as a bat-first infielder.

3. Garrett Crochet, LHP, White Sox (age 21, DOB: June 21, 1999)
Crochet became the first player to make his pro debut in the Majors since Mike Leake a decade earlier when he joined the White Sox last September. The 11th overall choice in the 2020 Draft, he averaged 100.1 mph with his fastball during six scoreless relief innings.

4. Luis Oviedo, RHP, Pirates (age 21, DOB: May 15, 1999)
Oviedo hasn't pitched above low Class A but has to stay on the Pirates' active big league roster all year after they acquired him in the Rule 5 Draft last December from the Mets, who selected him from the Indians. He signed out of the same Venezuelan program that produced Carlos Carrasco and has a similar build and stuff at the same stage of their careers.

5. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1B, Blue Jays (age 22, DOB: March 16, 1999)
The son of Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero has yet to tear up big league pitching, but his numbers in his age-20 and -21 seasons (.269/.336/.442) are better than league average and similar to those of Willie Mays. Vlad Jr. celebrated Opening Day with a 114.1 mph single off Gerrit Cole, the hardest hit recorded off Cole in the Statcast era (2015-21).

6. Adrian Morejon, LHP, Padres (age 22, DOB: Feb. 27, 1999)
The Padres spent $78 million in bonuses and penalty tax on their 2016-17 international crop, including an $11 million bonus and matching tax for Morejon. He became the second-youngest pitcher in franchise history (20 years, 144 days) in 2019 and owns one of the hardest sinkers (averaging 96.6 mph last year) in the Majors.

7. Fernando Tatis Jr., SS, Padres (age 22, DOB: Jan. 2, 1999)
The third son of a longtime big leaguer on this list, Tatis Jr. showcases some of the best talent and flair in the game. He hit .301/.374/.582 with 39 homers and 27 steals in 143 contests over his first two seasons, which earned him the fourth-highest contract ($340 million over 14 years) in MLB history in February.

8. Cristian Pache, OF, Braves (age 22, DOB: Nov. 19, 1998)
Recognized for years as the top defender in the Minors, Pache cracked the Braves' playoff roster last fall despite having just two games of big league experience. His brilliance in center field will remind Atlanta fans of Andruw Jones.

9. Alejandro Kirk, C, Blue Jays (age 22, DOB: Nov. 6, 1998)
Kirk has outstanding bat-to-ball skills that have resulted in a .315/.418/.500 line in the Minors and a 9-for-24 splash in Toronto last September. He's beginning the season as Danny Jansen's backup but could take the starting job if he polishes his defense.

10. Juan Soto, OF, Nationals (age 22, DOB: Oct. 25, 1998)
Soto is one of the youngest players in the game and perhaps the most single devastating offensive talent, batting .295/.415/.557 with 69 homers and 228 walks in 313 games before turning 22. He led the NL in hitting (.351) and the Majors in on-base percentage (.490), slugging (.695) and OPS (1.185) last year and only Mel Ott, Tony Conigliaro and Eddie Matthews have hit more homers through their age-21 seasons.