Diamondbacks’ Brandon Pfaadt drops ‘incredible’ take on Jose Fernandez’s stellar debut

On Tuesday night, the Arizona Diamondbacks gave third baseman Jose Fernandez the opportunity to make his big-league debut. He was solid in the minors last season, hitting for an OPS of .775 to go along with 17 home runs and 80 runs batted in in 122 games (511 plate appearances). But no one could have foreseen how excellent he would be in his debut when he powered the Diamondbacks to a 7-5 win over the Detroit Tigers.

Fernandez went 3-4 on the night and drove in four runs, with two of those hits being long balls. He played a huge role in the Diamondbacks’ comeback bid, as it was his three-run home run in the eighth inning, which was his second dinger of the night, that gave Arizona a lead they would not relinquish following an epic six-run inning.

After the game, the 22-year-old garnered a ton of praise, with Diamondbacks starter Brandon Pfaadt, who allowed five runs in his six innings of work on Tuesday, showering the rookie with praise.

“That was incredible. Remember watching him play in Spring Training this year, I knew he was special from the jump. What a special debut for him, that was fun to watch,” Pfaadt told reporters, via Alex Weiner of AZ Sports.

"That was incredible." – Brandon Pfaadt on Jose Fernandez's debut. pic.twitter.com/ocffiH1rmU

— Alex Weiner (@alexjweiner) April 1, 2026

Jose Fernandez to be a real keeper for Torey Lovullo’s Diamondbacks?

Fernandez indeed had himself an excellent Spring, which convinced the Diamondbacks that he was ready for some big-league action. In 25 at-bats, the 22-year-old hit three home runs and drove in seven runs, and he recorded a bonkers OPS of 1.148.

It’s clear that Fernandez is ready to hit against big-league opposition, and his stellar debut has at least bought him some time in the Diamondbacks starting lineup. Whether he has a real shot at becoming a long-term keeper remains to be seen, as he needs to improve his on-base skills to have a higher floor of production.

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