MLB's first "Walbert" makes a mark in his rookie season by being named to the 2026 All-Debut Team.
When Los Angeles Angels manager Kurt Suzuki announced at the end of spring training that Walbert Urena had won a job on the pitching staff, one historic thing was certain: he would become the first player named "Walbert" to appear in the major leagues. Since then, though, Urena has made a name for himself in many more ways.
After two appearances out of the bullpen to open the season, Urena moved into the starting rotation in mid-April and has refused to leave. Overall, he has posted a 2.74 ERA and 4.0 WAR with 140 strikeouts in 144.1 innings, a 1.21 WHIP and a 9-10 record in 26 starts. He has also been one of the Angels' most reliable starters, essentially taking the ball every fifth game since his starting debut on April 19.
In recognition of the strong start to his career, on Friday, MLB.com reporter Anthony Castrovince named Urena to the site's 2026 All-Debut Team, which honors players who actually played their first major-league games this season, i.e., no cups of coffee in any previous year.
In addition to mentioning Urena's unique first name, the writer also noted that Urena is the only rookie pitcher to throw a complete game this season, which came in a 1-0 loss in Pittsburgh on Sept. 6. Castrovince summed up Urena's debut season thusly: "He's got control issues, but he's a groundball machine and an important piece for an Angels team trying to dream things up again."
Urena's ascendance is further noteworthy because by no means was he a can't-miss prospect. He was signed for $400,000 in March 2021 as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic. He didn't take the mound until 2022 when he went 3-4 with a 3.86 ERA in the Arizona Complex League. That led to terms with the Single-A Inland Empire and High-A Tri-City in 2023 and 2024 where he went a combined 6-14 with 161 strikeouts across 176 innings.
Urena started the 2025 season at Double-A Rocket City and ranked 17th on MLB.com's list of top Angels prospects. MLB's evaluation of Urena at the time came close to being prophetic: "He needs to find a true out pitch, and most feel he'll end up in a bullpen eventually, but the Angels don't want to limit the 21-year-old's innings just yet."
From Rocket City, Urena moved to Triple-A Salt Lake and he finished the 2025 season with a total of 28 starts, a 6-9 record, 4.34 ERA and 125 strikeouts in a career-high 141 innings. Most importantly, he showed Angels management enough promise that in November they chose to add him to the 40-man roster in order to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.
That has proved to be a prescient move as, after being given a chance, Urena has shown the ability to be a foundational piece in the Angels' rotation as the team looks to move back into contention under new ownership.
Joining Urena on the MLB.com 2026 All-Debut Team are Miami catcher Joe Mack, Colorado first baseman T.J. Rumfield, Wetherholt at second, Detroit shortstop Kevin McGonigle, Toronto third baseman Kazuma Okamoto, Chicago White Sox left fielder Sam Antonacci, A's center fielder Henry Bolte, New York Mets right fielder Carson Benge, Chicago White Sox designated hitter Munetaka Murakami and Toronto reliever Spencer Miles.
