Yesterday, ThinkBlueLA’s Ron Cervenka posted an interesting article about the fact that in only 13.1 major league innings pitched during the 2015 season, former Seattle Mariners left-hander Tyler Olson issued seven intentional walks – second most in the MLB for the entire season. And while this in and of itself is quite amazing, there is yet another incredible feat accomplished by the 26-year-old Spokane, WA native during his (thus far) first 11 games in the big leagues; in fact, it involves his very first game in the majors.

Olson, who was acquired by the Dodgers on Friday afternoon in exchange for cash considerations or a player to be named later, spent the first two seasons of his professional baseball career splitting time between Seattle’s Low Single-A Everett AquaSox, Advanced Single-A High Desert Mavericks, Double-A Jackson Generals and Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers.

But without question, the biggest day of Olson’s young life came on April 7, 2015 when he made his major league debut with the Mariners in the second game of the new season against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

With his team trailing 2-0 in the top of the ninth inning, Olson was brought in with one out and a runner on first base. After completing his warm-up tosses and making an unsuccessful pickoff throw to first base, and undoubtedly dealing with butterflies going crazy in his stomach, Olson made the very first pitch of his MLB career – a 90-MPH sinker to Angels shortstop Erick Aybar. Aybar promptly grounded into an inning-ending 5-4-3 double play. Just like that, Olson’s MLB debut was over in one pitch.

Olson’s MLB debut lasted all of five seconds.
(Photo courtesy of MLB.com)

“While it’s unusual for a pitcher to get two outs with his only pitch of the game, as you might imagine, it’s exceedingly rare for someone to do so in his major league debut,” wrote SB Nation’s  Brendan Gawlowski after the game. “It had never happened before in team history; in fact, Olson is the only Mariners pitcher to get two outs while facing one batter in his debut regardless of how many pitches were thrown.

“[Olson] might also be the only person in major league history to retire two hitters with his only pitch of his first career game,” added Gawlowski. “According to Baseball Reference’s Play Index, there have only been sixteen pitchers in all of baseball history who got two outs while facing one batter in their debut. Of those, BR has pitch count data for ten, and of those, Olson is the only man who finished the game with just one pitch thrown. It’s impossible to track down pitch count data for the other six, meaning that there’s a very real chance that Olson’s debut is unique in major league baseball. Not too shabby for an under-slot seventh round pick.”

And people wonder why we love this game so much.