Phillies' Felix Reyes Accomplishes Feat Not Seen in 36 Years

What was Felix Reyes able to do in his debut that hasn't been seen in 36 years?

Apr 18, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Felix Reyes (29) runs the bases after hitting a home run in his first major league at bat during the second inning against the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies came into Saturday with their ace on the mound, hoping to grab a much-needed victory against the Atlanta Braves. However, another loss means that they have lost their fourth straight series, and panic is undoubtedly starting to set in. 

While it might be early in the season, the Phillies have not been playing good baseball. The pitching staff has struggled for the most part, and the offense has been nonexistent at times. This is a bad combination, and it is no surprise that the team is under the .500 mark and struggling. 

Furthermore, they recently placed their star closer, Jhoan Duran, on the injured list and will need some players to step up in his absence. There is still a lot of talent on the team and plenty of time to turn it around, but the team is in need of a spark. 

Along with the move to put Duran on the IL, the team also made a move that they hope will help their lineup against left-handed pitching. The team called up 25-year-old Felix Reyes to provide a bit of a jolt offensively. On Saturday, in his first at-bat with the team, he was able to do just that. However, that was the only run the team scored. 

Felix Reyes Accomplishes Interesting Feat

Felix Reyes is the first MLB player to homer in his first career at-bat for his team's only run of the game since Jose Offerman did so for the Dodgers on August 19, 1990. pic.twitter.com/GH6z5lTqPn

— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) April 19, 2026

While it was great to see Reyes make a quick impact, that home run being the only run the team was able to score against Chris Sale and the Braves resulted in a loss. For Reyes, he became the first player since Jose Offerman in 1990 with the Los Angeles Dodgers to hit a home run in his first at-bat, and it was the only run that his team scored. 

Success against left-handed pitching has been a major issue early on for Philadelphia, and at least the decision to call up Reyes has helped. The young slugger was performing very well in the minors, slashing .333/.345/.654 with six home runs. He was certainly deserving of the early call-up, and he might be hanging around with his ability to hit southpaws. 

Even though it was a memorable first game for Reyes, the Phillies have to be concerned about how this team is playing. An 8-12 record can be turned around quickly, but not being able to win a series is a major concern. Philadelphia will be trying to avoid being swept on Sunday night, and they need their offense to wake up.