As Houston Astros young outfielder Zach Cole hit his first home run during the beatdown against the Atlanta Braves, 11-2, there's no denying that a star is in the making for the ball club. The home run from the Astros prospect came on the first pitch of his first at-bat, marking an explosive start to an MLB career.
Cole was just called up early on Friday in the hopes of bringing a spark to Houston's offense, as he did immediately in his first at-bat in the third inning. It happened so suddenly that Cole said after the game how he "blacked out," but also described it as an "awesome experience" that he will remember forever.
"I blacked out," Cole said, according to MLB.com. "I don't remember it much. It was cool, kind of a floating feeling. Didn't really hear much of anything. There was a lot of adrenaline. The guys were very welcoming of me in the dugout when I got back."
Zach Cole's first pitch in the big leagues goes 423 feet for a homer, 114.3 mph off the bat. pic.twitter.com/W6VkKBbwmy
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) September 12, 2025
It wasn't just the solo home run, as in total, Cole went three-for-four at the plate with four RBIs as manager Joe Espada explained how the team called up the 25-year-old "at the right time."
"The guys were actually asking me where I have been keeping this guy from them," Espada said. "I said, 'You know what? We brought him up at the right time.' Right now is when we need him. I'm really happy for him. The guys really got excited. It really sparked our club. It really did."
"He's handled himself really well," Espada continued. "I'm proud of him. He'll get another opportunity tomorrow."
Astros' Carlos Correa on how Zach Cole handles himself
With the Astros looking to win the AL West, Cole could be a vital piece in reaching those heights if the play is not just limited to what happened on Friday. Striking out in his final at-bat, the one player who took him aside to give advice was Carlos Correa, saying that Cole handled "himself with a lot of confidence."
"He's got a swing, man," Correa said. "He's got a really good swing. That swing was something that we needed badly, and it took a lot of pressure off everybody's shoulders. To make your debut and make such a great impact, it's truly special. One of the best debuts I've seen in person."
"He handles himself with a lot of confidence, and I love that," Correa continued. "You need that in this game to be good and stay in this game for a long time. He's got a lot of people here that are going to help him navigate through the whole thing about being a big leaguer every day, and he's going to be in a great spot with us here."
Cole looks to continue the momentum going into the rest of the series against Atlanta.
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