Any given MLB season has a standout rookie, but a first-year player can occasionally electrify the sport.

The latest example is Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes, who rapidly ascended through the minors to make his debut in 2024. Within a few months, the phenom commanded the spotlight as the National League's starting pitcher in the All-Star Game.

In recent years, we've also watched the immediate rise of sluggers like Aaron Judge and Pete Alonso.

The following eight players—chosen on a blend of their individual production and a more unquantifiable factor of attention—took the MLB world by storm as rookie-eligible players.

Kris Bryant (2015)

Early in the 2015 season, the Chicago Cubs annoyingly but understandably played the service-time manipulation game with Kris Bryant. He opened the year in Triple-A despite being very ready for the majors.

And he quickly showed the uproar was worth the noise.

Bryant joined the Cubs after a couple of weeks and proceeded to earn an All-Star invitation. For the season, the third baseman hit .275 with 31 doubles, five triples, 26 homers and 99 runs driven in. Bryant won NL Rookie of the Year and even finished 11th in NL MVP voting.

For good measure, he won NL MVP in 2016 and made the last out of the Cubs' epic, drought-snapping World Series title.

Aaron Judge (2017)

Aaron Judge debuted with the New York Yankees late in the 2016 campaign but exploded during his official rookie year.

The outfielder blasted an American League-high 52 homers, setting a then-MLB record for first-year players. Judge brought in 114 runs, leading the AL with 128 runs scored and 127 walks (and 208 strikeouts, yes). He added 27 more extra-base hits for a .627 slugging percentage.

Judge cruised to an All-Star appearance, later earning AL Rookie of the Year honors and a Silver Slugger award.

Although it became a bit controversial in hindsight because of the Houston Astros' sign-stealing scandal, Judge finished second to Jose Altuve in AL MVP voting, too.

Cody Bellinger (2017)

Were it not for Judge's monster year, Cody Bellinger would've generated even more excitement in 2017.

The sweet-swinging lefty on the Los Angeles Dodgers was also the unanimous Rookie of the Year choice on the opposite side of the league. Bellinger hit .267 with 26 doubles, four triples, 39 home runs and 97 RBIs.

Most impressively, he put up those numbers—pacing the Dodgers in runs (87), homers and RBI—after being called up in late April.

Bellinger's versatility was an immediate bonus for Los Angeles, which won the NL pennant. He opened 83 games at first base and 43 in the outfield, starting at all three positions throughout the season.

Shohei Ohtani (2018)

Shohei Ohtani rose to prominence as a professional in Japan, and he didn't disappoint as a rookie on the Los Angeles Angels.

The standout two-way player hit .285 with 22 homers and 61 RBI while posting a 3.31 ERA with 63 strikeouts in 51.2 innings. Ohtani became the only player in MLB history other than Babe Ruth to hit 20 homers and make 10 appearances as a pitcher in a season.

Elbow issues limited him to 104 games and ended his contributions on the mound late in the season, but Ohtani did more than enough to earn a convincing AL Rookie of the Year honor.

And set the stage for what's becoming a stellar career.

Ronald Acuna Jr. (2018)

Pretty good season for NL East debutants, I would say.

As the Washington Nationals introduced Juan Soto, the Atlanta Braves rolled out Ronald Acuna Jr. in 2018. They put together an enjoyable NL Rookie of the Year chase that ended with Acuna earning the award.

Acuna settled into the leadoff spot for Atlanta, hitting .293 while showcasing his power and speed. He tallied 26 doubles, four triples, 26 homers—which included a stretch where he became the youngest MLB player with a home run in five straight games—and 16 stolen bases.

Though the Braves lost their opening series in the playoffs, Acuna also locked up a place in the record books as the youngest to hit a grand slam during the postseason.

Pete Alonso (2019)

Two seasons after Judge reigned supreme in the Big Apple, it was Pete Alonso's turn on the New York Mets.

A power-hitting first baseman, the "Polar Bear" hammered 53 homers to break Judge's young MLB rookie mark. Alonso, fittingly, won the Home Run Derby amid his first All-Star trip.

Beyond the big flies, Alonso collected 30 doubles and drove in 120 runs. He slugged .583 on the season with a .941 OPS, both of which ranked among the 10 highest marks of all players in the National League.

Alonso dominated the vote for 2019 NL Rookie of the Year while checking in seventh on the NL MVP ballot.

Yordan Alvarez (2019)

Yordan Alvarez could not stop crushing the ball in 2019.

Before even getting called up to the Houston Astros, he lashed 23 homers in just 56 Triple-A games. Houston gave Alvarez his debut in June, and he proceeded to smack a home run in his second at-bat.

And in his second game. And fourth. And fifth. All the way to sending 27 pitches out of the park in 87 appearances.

Despite barely playing half of the season, Alvarez deservedly was the unanimous choice for AL Rookie of the Year.

Julio Rodriguez (2022)

During the earliest month of his career, Julio Rodriguez struggled at the plate. That didn't necessitate panic, but he exited April hitting .205 with no homers and a 41.1 strikeout rate.

And then, the prized prospect exploded.

Rodriguez surged to an All-Star appearance—in front of his hometown Seattle Mariners crowd—and ended the season with a .284 average. He became the third MLB rookie to notch 25 homers and 25 steals, winning AL Rookie of the Year and a Silver Slugger. Rodriguez also finished seventh in AL MVP voting.

As a bonus, he played a crucial role in the Mariners ending a 21-year drought and returning to the playoffs.

Spencer Strider (2022)

Spencer Strider rose through the minors so quickly in 2021 that the Braves actually entertained putting him on the postseason roster after 3.1 innings of MLB work.

While that ultimately didn't happen, the rationale was obvious.

Strider was a strikeout machine that season and carried that dominance into the majors in 2022. Across 31 appearances (20 starts), the fire-baller tallied 13.8 strikeouts per nine innings. Strider closed the campaign with an 11-5 record, 2.67 ERA and 202 strikeouts.

Although teammate Michael Harris II won NL Rookie of the Year, Strider was an equally deserving choice and one of the most exciting rookie hurlers in recent memory.

Corbin Carroll (2023)

Corbin Carroll is already in a class of his own.

Nobody else in MLB history has gathered at least 30 doubles, 10 triples, 25 homers and 50 stolen bases in a season. Carroll accomplished those incredible numbers as a rookie with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

As you can imagine, it led to plenty of recognition. After making the All-Star team, he brought home the NL Rookie of the Year unanimously and placed fifth in NL MVP voting.

Carroll's individual excellence played a significant part in the D-backs winning the NL pennant for the first time in 22 years.

Paul Skenes (2024)

Armed with a triple-digit fastball and unique splinker, Paul Skenes has flown past any traditional development timeline.

The numbers are obscene. He entered the 2024 All-Star break with a perfect 6-0 record and 1.90 ERA in 11 starts, whiffing 89 batters in 66.1 innings and posting a dominant 0.920 WHIP.

The accolades are amazing, too.

Skenes is the first No. 1 overall draft pick in league history to make the All-Star team one year after being drafted, and the Pittsburgh Pirates' ace is the first rookie pitcher in 29 years—and only the fifth ever—to open the Midsummer Classic.

There's plenty of competition in 2024, but Skenes could join Fernando Valenzuela as the only rookies to win a Cy Young.