1956 Major League Rookie Players

World Series Champion: New York Yankees

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NLB - denotes that the player previously exceeded major league rookie limits in the Negro Leagues, but 1956 was considered to be their major league rookie season

Players listed either lost their rookie status in this season or if you are looking at the 2024 rookies page then they have not lost their rookie status and are still active professionals.

Note that there are special cases with regards to rookie status, so please let us know if you find a listing you believe to be in error.

Batting

Batting
Rk	Name	Yrs	From	To	ASG	WAR/pos	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	Debut	Age	Tm
1	Tom Acker	4	1956	1959	0	-0.4	153	96	77	10	5	0	0	0	2	0	0	12	46	.065	.200	.065	.265	Apr 20, 1956	26	CIN
2	Hank Aguirre	16	1955	1970	2	-3.2	447	427	388	14	33	7	1	0	21	1	0	14	236	.085	.117	.108	.225	Sep 10, 1955	25	CLE
3	Luis Aparicio HOF	18	1956	1973	13	55.9	2599	11231	10230	1335	2677	394	92	83	791	506	136	736	742	.262	.311	.343	.653	Apr 17, 1956	22	CHW
4	Earl Averill	7	1956	1963	0	3.6	449	1218	1031	137	249	41	0	44	159	3	3	162	220	.242	.346	.409	.755	Apr 19, 1956	24	CLE
5	Frank Baumann	11	1955	1965	0	1.7	246	260	225	16	49	8	2	2	24	1	1	26	90	.218	.296	.298	.594	Jul 31, 1955	22	BOS
6	Mike Baxes	2	1956	1958	0	-0.9	146	385	337	40	73	13	2	1	13	1	7	39	39	.217	.303	.276	.579	Apr 17, 1956	25	KCA
7	Lou Berberet	7	1954	1960	0	3.8	448	1449	1224	118	281	34	10	31	153	2	3	200	195	.230	.337	.350	.687	Sep 17, 1954	26	WSH
8	Don Blasingame	12	1955	1966	1	18.3	1444	5938	5296	731	1366	178	62	21	308	105	60	552	462	.258	.329	.327	.656	Sep 20, 1955	24	STL
9	Clete Boyer	16	1955	1971	0	27.8	1725	6368	5780	645	1396	200	33	162	654	41	28	470	931	.242	.299	.372	.670	Jun 5, 1955	19	KCA
10	Jackie Brandt	11	1956	1967	2	13.1	1221	4318	3895	540	1020	175	37	112	485	45	30	351	574	.262	.323	.412	.735	Apr 21, 1956	22	TOT
11	Eddie Bressoud	12	1956	1967	1	17.1	1186	4108	3672	443	925	184	40	94	365	9	13	359	723	.252	.319	.401	.719	Jun 14, 1956	24	NYG
12	Jim Brosnan	9	1954	1963	0	-0.3	385	196	177	10	27	10	1	1	9	0	0	7	54	.153	.185	.237	.422	Apr 15, 1954	26	CHC
13	Don Buddin	6	1956	1962	0	5.6	711	2766	2289	342	551	123	12	41	225	15	8	410	404	.241	.358	.359	.717	Apr 17, 1956	22	BOS
14	Wally Burnette	3	1956	1958	0	-0.4	68	89	77	3	11	0	0	0	1	0	0	3	18	.143	.175	.143	.318	Jul 15, 1956	27	KCA
15	Foster Castleman	5	1954	1958	0	-1.3	268	717	662	58	136	24	3	20	65	4	1	35	99	.205	.250	.341	.592	Aug 4, 1954	25	NYG
16	Rocky Colavito	14	1955	1968	9	44.5	1841	7559	6503	971	1730	283	21	374	1159	19	27	951	880	.266	.359	.489	.848	Sep 10, 1955	22	CLE
17	Rip Coleman	5	1955	1960	0	-0.5	95	78	69	5	5	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	37	.072	.123	.072	.196	Aug 15, 1955	24	NYY
18	Wes Covington	11	1956	1966	0	9.1	1075	3291	2978	355	832	128	17	131	499	7	4	247	414	.279	.337	.466	.803	Apr 19, 1956	24	MLN
19	Jack Crimian	4	1951	1957	0	0.1	75	35	26	4	6	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	7	.231	.333	.231	.564	Jul 3, 1951	30	KCA
20	Pete Daley	7	1955	1961	0	-0.3	391	1181	1084	93	259	49	8	18	120	2	2	87	187	.239	.297	.349	.646	May 3, 1955	26	BOS
21	Moe Drabowsky	17	1956	1972	0	-0.2	591	459	420	24	68	10	0	3	29	0	0	13	160	.162	.189	.207	.396	Aug 7, 1956	20	CHC
22	Solly Drake	2	1956	1959	0	-0.4	141	321	285	41	66	10	1	2	18	15	10	32	53	.232	.311	.295	.606	Apr 17, 1956	25	CHC
23	Don Drysdale HOF	14	1956	1969	9	5.8	547	1309	1169	96	218	26	7	29	113	0	2	60	370	.186	.228	.295	.523	Apr 17, 1956	19	BRO
24	Sammy Esposito	10	1952	1963	0	2.0	560	970	792	130	164	27	2	8	73	7	7	145	127	.207	.330	.277	.606	Sep 28, 1952	24	CHW
25	Don Ferrarese	8	1955	1962	0	-0.3	184	137	128	5	20	4	0	1	8	0	1	3	26	.156	.182	.211	.393	Apr 11, 1955	27	BAL
26	Tito Francona	15	1956	1970	1	14.0	1719	5777	5121	650	1395	224	34	125	656	46	21	544	694	.272	.343	.403	.746	Apr 17, 1956	22	BAL
27	Hal Griggs	4	1956	1959	0	-0.5	107	88	79	5	7	1	1	0	4	0	1	3	45	.089	.131	.127	.258	Apr 18, 1956	27	WSH
28	Connie Grob	1	1956	1956	0	0.2	37	20	18	3	6	1	0	0	5	0	0	1	2	.333	.368	.389	.757	Apr 22, 1956	23	WSH
29	Troy Herriage	1	1956	1956	0	-0.2	34	29	25	1	3	0	0	0	1	0	0	2	17	.120	.185	.120	.305	Apr 25, 1956	25	KCA
30	Whitey Herzog HOF	8	1956	1963	0	2.8	634	1885	1614	213	414	60	20	25	172	13	18	241	261	.257	.354	.365	.719	Apr 17, 1956	24	WSH
31	Don Kaiser	3	1955	1957	0	-0.8	58	71	68	2	4	0	0	0	2	0	0	1	38	.059	.070	.059	.129	Jul 20, 1955	21	CHC
32	Sandy Koufax HOF	12	1955	1966	7	-4.2	397	858	776	26	75	9	0	2	28	0	1	43	386	.097	.145	.116	.261	Jun 24, 1955	20	BRO
33	Tommy Lasorda HOF	3	1954	1956	0	-0.2	27	14	14	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	.071	.071	.071	.143	Aug 5, 1954	28	KCA
34	Ken Lehman	5	1952	1961	0	0.3	138	63	56	5	9	2	0	0	5	0	0	6	7	.161	.238	.196	.435	Sep 5, 1952	28	BRO
35	Lyle Luttrell	2	1956	1957	0	-1.6	57	186	167	21	32	9	3	2	14	5	1	11	27	.192	.253	.317	.570	May 15, 1956	26	WSH
36	Joe Margoneri	2	1956	1957	0	-0.3	36	41	37	1	3	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	11	.081	.081	.162	.243	Apr 25, 1956	26	NYG
37	Bill Mazeroski HOF	17	1956	1972	10	36.5	2163	8379	7755	769	2016	294	62	138	853	27	23	447	706	.260	.299	.367	.667	Jul 7, 1956	19	PIT
38	Lindy McDaniel	21	1955	1975	2	-0.8	865	412	378	19	56	11	0	3	17	0	0	8	159	.148	.168	.201	.369	Sep 2, 1955	20	STL
39	Jack McMahan	1	1956	1956	0	-0.3	34	15	15	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	8	.000	.000	.000	.000	Apr 18, 1956	23	TOT
40	Charlie Neal	8	1956	1963	3	10.1	970	3754	3316	461	858	113	38	87	391	48	36	337	557	.259	.329	.394	.723	Apr 17, 1956	25	BRO
41	Tex Nelson	3	1955	1957	0	-1.0	79	139	122	11	25	2	2	0	11	0	0	15	40	.205	.295	.254	.549	Jun 22, 1955	19	BAL
42	Taylor Phillips	6	1956	1963	0	-1.3	147	125	113	3	6	0	0	0	3	0	0	5	55	.053	.093	.053	.146	Jun 8, 1956	23	MLN
43	Al Pilarcik	6	1956	1961	0	1.7	668	1860	1614	205	413	66	7	22	143	41	18	185	150	.256	.334	.346	.680	Jul 13, 1956	25	KCA
44	Herb Plews	4	1956	1959	0	-1.5	346	1107	1017	125	266	42	17	4	82	3	9	74	133	.262	.312	.348	.660	Apr 18, 1956	28	WSH
45	Frank Robinson HOF	21	1956	1976	14	107.2	2808	11744	10006	1829	2943	528	72	586	1812	204	77	1420	1532	.294	.389	.537	.926	Apr 17, 1956	20	CIN
46	Tony Roig	3	1953	1956	0	-1.0	76	209	184	14	39	7	3	0	11	2	0	22	45	.212	.295	.283	.577	Sep 13, 1953	27	WSH
47	Bob Ross	3	1950	1956	0	-0.1	20	13	12	0	1	1	0	0	2	0	0	1	2	.083	.154	.167	.321	Jun 16, 1950	27	PHI
48	José Santiago NLB	4	1948	1956	0	0.1	33	27	20	4	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	1	.200	.304	.200	.504	Apr 17, 1954	26	KCA
49	Norm Siebern	12	1956	1968	4	21.0	1406	5269	4481	662	1217	206	38	132	636	18	25	708	748	.272	.369	.423	.792	Jun 15, 1956	22	NYY
50	Dave Sisler	7	1956	1962	0	0.0	247	197	159	14	25	1	1	0	5	0	0	15	48	.157	.227	.176	.403	Apr 21, 1956	24	BOS
51	Lou Skizas	4	1956	1959	0	1.7	239	788	725	80	196	27	4	30	86	8	3	50	37	.270	.317	.443	.759	Apr 19, 1956	24	TOT
52	Jim Small	4	1955	1958	0	-0.3	108	153	141	22	38	6	2	0	10	0	2	10	22	.270	.318	.340	.658	Jun 22, 1955	19	DET
53	Hal Smith	7	1956	1965	3	1.9	570	1824	1697	126	437	63	8	23	172	6	8	102	128	.258	.300	.345	.644	May 2, 1956	25	STL
54	Tim Thompson	4	1954	1958	0	-0.3	187	560	517	49	123	24	2	8	47	2	4	39	52	.238	.293	.338	.632	Apr 20, 1954	32	KCA
55	Frank Torre	7	1956	1963	0	3.8	714	1704	1482	150	404	78	15	13	179	4	1	155	64	.273	.349	.372	.720	Apr 20, 1956	24	MLN
56	Bob Trowbridge	5	1956	1960	0	-0.8	116	83	77	3	6	1	0	0	0	0	0	3	32	.078	.113	.091	.203	Apr 22, 1956	26	MLN
57	Vito Valentinetti	5	1954	1959	0	0.2	108	62	55	1	12	0	0	0	0	0	1	4	20	.218	.271	.218	.489	Jun 20, 1954	27	CHC
58	Lee Walls	10	1952	1964	1	8.1	902	2868	2558	331	670	88	31	66	284	21	18	245	470	.262	.329	.398	.726	Apr 21, 1952	23	PIT
59	Fred Waters	2	1955	1956	0	-0.2	25	21	21	1	1	0	1	0	3	0	0	0	5	.048	.048	.143	.190	Sep 20, 1955	29	PIT
60	Bill White	13	1956	1969	8	38.6	1673	6680	5972	843	1706	278	65	202	870	103	68	596	927	.286	.351	.455	.806	May 7, 1956	22	NYG
	Totals	464	1948	1976	90	433	34744	111931	99226	12815	25578	4070	777	2647	11799	1334	678	10218	14527	.258	.328	.394	.723

Pitching

Pitching
Rk	Name	Yrs	From	To	ASG	WAR	W	L	W-L%	ERA	G	GS	GF	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	BK	WP	BF	WHIP	Debut	Age	Tm
1	Tom Acker	4	1956	1959	0	4.9	19	13	.594	4.12	153	23	35	5	1	8	380.1	365	181	174	43	150	20	256	17	0	6	1629	1.354	Apr 20, 1956	26	CIN
2	Hank Aguirre	16	1955	1970	2	21.0	75	72	.510	3.25	447	149	124	44	9	33	1375.1	1216	562	496	123	479	35	856	47	9	35	5790	1.232	Sep 10, 1955	25	CLE
3	Frank Baumann	11	1955	1965	0	3.4	45	38	.542	4.11	244	78	59	19	4	14	797.1	856	406	364	70	300	32	384	12	0	14	3470	1.450	Jul 31, 1955	22	BOS
4	Jim Brosnan	9	1954	1963	0	14.2	55	47	.539	3.54	385	47	201	7	2	68	831.1	790	356	327	81	312	46	507	9	1	16	3510	1.326	Apr 15, 1954	26	CHC
5	Wally Burnette	3	1956	1958	0	3.8	14	21	.400	3.56	68	27	21	5	1	1	262.2	259	124	104	23	97	6	122	3	3	5	1118	1.355	Jul 15, 1956	27	KCA
6	Rocky Colavito	14	1955	1968	9	0.3	1	0	1.000	0.00	2	0	1	0	0	0	5.2	1	0	0	0	5	0	2	0	1	0	23	1.059	Sep 10, 1955	22	CLE
7	Rip Coleman	5	1955	1960	0	-0.9	7	25	.219	4.58	95	33	26	3	1	5	247.1	287	144	126	21	124	2	130	4	1	6	1123	1.662	Aug 15, 1955	24	NYY
8	Jack Crimian	4	1951	1957	0	-2.2	5	9	.357	6.36	74	7	25	0	0	3	160.0	177	121	113	27	65	4	69	5	0	2	706	1.513	Jul 3, 1951	30	KCA
9	Moe Drabowsky	17	1956	1972	0	19.9	88	105	.456	3.71	589	154	220	33	6	54	1641.0	1441	758	676	182	702	62	1162	63	5	53	7005	1.306	Aug 7, 1956	20	CHC
10	Don Drysdale HOF	14	1956	1969	9	61.3	209	166	.557	2.95	518	465	34	167	49	6	3432.0	3084	1292	1124	280	855	123	2486	154	10	82	14097	1.148	Apr 17, 1956	19	BRO
11	Don Ferrarese	8	1955	1962	0	4.3	19	36	.345	4.00	183	50	49	12	2	5	506.2	449	249	225	38	295	13	350	7	0	17	2205	1.468	Apr 11, 1955	27	BAL
12	Hal Griggs	4	1956	1959	0	-1.7	6	26	.188	5.50	105	45	24	6	1	3	347.0	372	241	212	43	209	7	172	4	0	19	1590	1.674	Apr 18, 1956	27	WSH
13	Connie Grob	1	1956	1956	0	-2.3	4	5	.444	7.83	37	1	15	0	0	1	79.1	121	79	69	14	26	1	27	1	1	3	380	1.853	Apr 22, 1956	23	WSH
14	Troy Herriage	1	1956	1956	0	-1.5	1	13	.071	6.64	31	16	7	1	0	0	103.0	135	83	76	16	64	6	59	6	0	2	501	1.932	Apr 25, 1956	25	KCA
15	Don Kaiser	3	1955	1957	0	1.6	6	15	.286	4.15	58	35	12	6	1	0	240.2	255	128	111	21	85	11	108	2	0	6	1040	1.413	Jul 20, 1955	21	CHC
16	Sandy Koufax HOF	12	1955	1966	7	53.1	165	87	.655	2.76	397	314	44	137	40	9	2324.1	1754	806	713	204	817	48	2396	18	7	87	9497	1.106	Jun 24, 1955	20	BRO
17	Tommy Lasorda HOF	3	1954	1956	0	-1.1	0	4	.000	6.48	26	6	9	0	0	1	58.1	53	49	42	9	56	3	37	4	0	11	283	1.869	Aug 5, 1954	28	KCA
18	Ken Lehman	5	1952	1961	0	2.5	14	10	.583	3.91	134	13	59	2	0	7	265.0	273	125	115	24	95	18	134	3	0	8	1136	1.389	Sep 5, 1952	28	BRO
19	Joe Margoneri	2	1956	1957	0	0.5	7	7	.500	4.29	36	15	4	3	0	0	126.0	132	68	60	13	70	5	67	1	0	3	570	1.603	Apr 25, 1956	26	NYG
20	Lindy McDaniel	21	1955	1975	2	29.0	141	119	.542	3.45	987	74	577	18	2	174	2139.1	2099	934	821	172	623	136	1361	15	5	112	8971	1.272	Sep 2, 1955	20	STL
21	Jack McMahan	1	1956	1956	0	-0.1	0	5	.000	5.04	34	9	11	0	0	0	75.0	87	49	42	8	40	0	22	2	0	2	343	1.693	Apr 18, 1956	23	TOT
22	Taylor Phillips	6	1956	1963	0	-0.4	16	22	.421	4.82	147	45	37	9	1	6	438.2	460	251	235	42	211	24	233	22	3	18	1944	1.530	Jun 8, 1956	23	MLN
23	Bob Ross	3	1950	1956	0	-0.8	0	2	.000	7.17	20	3	7	0	0	0	47.2	55	40	38	5	38	0	29	0	1	4	232	1.951	Jun 16, 1950	27	PHI
24	José Santiago NLB	4	1948	1956	0	0.4	5	4	.556	4.18	33	9	7	3	0	0	88.1	92	53	41	11	44	2	55	11	0	4	405	1.540	Apr 17, 1954	26	KCA
25	Dave Sisler	7	1956	1962	0	3.0	38	44	.463	4.33	247	59	103	12	1	28	656.1	622	352	316	70	368	15	355	16	3	25	2907	1.508	Apr 21, 1956	24	BOS
26	Bob Trowbridge	5	1956	1960	0	1.1	13	13	.500	3.95	116	25	39	4	1	5	330.1	324	164	145	25	156	15	201	5	0	13	1443	1.453	Apr 22, 1956	26	MLN
27	Vito Valentinetti	5	1954	1959	0	1.2	13	14	.481	4.73	108	15	43	3	0	3	257.0	266	145	135	35	122	15	94	6	1	9	1132	1.510	Jun 20, 1954	27	CHC
28	Fred Waters	2	1955	1956	0	1.4	2	2	.500	2.89	25	5	8	1	0	0	56.0	55	20	18	4	32	1	14	1	0	1	248	1.554	Sep 20, 1955	29	PIT
	Totals	190	1948	1975	29	215.9	968	924	.512	3.60	5299	1722	1801	500	122	434	17272.0	16080	7780	6918	1604	6440	650	11688	438	51	563	73298	1.853

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