Rookies were the unmistakable lead story in both fantasy baseball and reality on Thursday’s heavy-slate Opening Day. Carson Benge homered. JJ Wetherholt homered. Munetaka Murakami homered. And then Chase DeLauter hit two in the final game of the night.

We’ll get to the trotting rookies in a moment. But I want to start with someone who didn’t hit a home run, yet perhaps had the best debut of all — Detroit’s Kevin McGonigle.

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Even if you’re not a hardcore prospect hound, you probably knew about McGonigle entering the season. He’s the consensus No. 2 prospect in baseball (trailing only Pittsburgh hotshot Konnor Griffin), and he forced his way into Detroit’s lineup with a dynamic spring. McGonigle had a .250/.411/.477 slash in Florida, with two homers and two steals. And he showed a mature eye at the plate, walking 11 times against nine strikeouts.

Maybe exhibition games don’t mean much to you, but McGonigle hit the ground running Thursday at San Diego. He went 4-for-5 with a couple of doubles — one of them missed a home run by about two feet. Another hit came on a swinging bunt — a chance for McGonigle to show off his speed. He’s the first Opening-Day debut rookie to collect four hits since Delino DeShields turned the trick in 1990.

McGonigle is only 21, but he raced through the Detroit system quickly. Over three years in the minors, he posted a .308/.410/.512 slash line, with 25 homers and 40 steals over 183 games. He profiles as someone who will carry high averages and OBPs, mixed with category juice. And he’s versatile in the field, capable at second, shortstop or third base.

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The Tigers had him playing third base in the opener, batting sixth. I suspect manager A.J. Hinch might quickly take the training wheels off and let McGonigle take the leadoff spot. McGonigle is the perfect triggerman for an offense, getting on base easily and driving up pitch counts. Put stress on the opponent whenever possible.

McGonigle is already 75% rostered in Yahoo leagues, but that number will climb to universal soon enough. He’s just a shortstop in our game at the moment, but he’ll quickly add another position or two. He’s already the runaway favorite for AL Rookie of the Year. Credit the Tigers for putting their best lineup on the field from the jump, recognizing that this should be an all-in season with ace Tarik Skubal facing a contract year.

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Wetherholt isn’t the NL Rookie of the Year favorite, not yet. Mets pitcher Nolan McLean — who kept his rookie status despite eight terrific starts last year — is the first choice, and Griffin — currently in the minors — ranks second. But Wetherholt certainly looks like a can’t-miss prospect.

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His two years in the minors have been a treat — .304/.418/.487, with 19 homers and 25 steals over 138 games. And he launched a two-run homer as part of a comeback win over Tampa Bay on Thursday, a rocket into the right field seats. The Cardinals probably won’t be a contending club this year, but they didn’t want to hold Wetherholt back — he’s ready for the show. They handed him the second base job and slotted him into the leadoff position.

Because Wetherholt had an obvious job all spring while other rookies did not, his roster tag is already chased to 84% in Yahoo. Wetherholt is also a versatile piece, qualifying at second, third and short from the jump. Noted prospect analyst Keith Law talks about Wetherholt as someone who could win a batting title someday, and that’s good enough for me. Wetherholt didn’t have a pretty average this spring, but like McGonigle, he posted more walks than strikeouts. You love a precocious approach at the plate.

Maybe you want to talk about some rookies who might be available in your league. Benge is a good target, trading at 34% as we go to press. The New York outfielder showed a power-speed profile in the minors, and did a bunch of fun things in Thursday’s win over Pittsburgh: homer, steal, two walks, two runs scored.

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The Mets have the luxury of batting Benge in the bottom third of the order, and it’s possible he might sit against some left-handed pitching. But there’s enough plausible upside for us to kick the tires in medium mixed leagues.

DeLauter is the wild-card of the rookie group. A first-round pick from the 2022 draft, he’s been hurt for much of his pro career. But when he’s been on the field, the bat has played: .302/.384/.504, with 20 homers over 504 at-bats. The Guardians believe, too, giving DeLauter the right field job and slotting him second in Thursday’s opener.

DeLauter’s first homer came against Seattle ace Logan Gilbert, and he added a second homer in the ninth. Anytime you can reach the seats through the Seattle marine layer, you have my attention. DeLauter is another lefty swinger who might lose some platoon at-bats, but we need to be mindful of the pedigree, too. He’s rostered in just under half of Yahoo leagues.

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I suspect the White Sox can be much improved this year, and although they were crushed at Milwaukee — Jacob Misiorowski (11 strikeouts) was outstanding and his teammates hit all day — Murakami was a clear Chicago highlight. He drew a couple of walks and added a homer in the ninth. This tracks the profile he showed in NPB play, a power hitter with a discerning eye. Yahoo managers were hip to Murakami all spring, pushing him to 86% rostered, mindful that he covers both corner spots.

Justin Crawford could be a fun player in Philadelphia. The son of former MLB star Carl Crawford, the Philly rookie is already a dynamite defender in center field — a welcome addition for a team that hasn’t had great outfield defense in recent years. Crawford’s minor-league profile was much like his dad’s; a decent average and lots of steals, mixed with the odd home run. Crawford spent 112 games at Triple-A last year and had a .334/.411/.452 slash, with seven homers and 46 steals, the type of stuff you dream about from a first-round pick.

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The Phillies don’t want to overwhelm the rookie for 2026. He batted ninth Thursday and the team is merely asking for good defense and acceptable offense. He collected two hits and a run scored in his debut. Crawford didn’t steal a base, but you have to think those are coming. If you see the upside here, consider Crawford is rostered in a modest 23% of Yahoo leagues.