Current Pro Baseball Players From Kentucky (MLB 2023)
Baseball Players, and athletes of all sports really, take pride in where they’re from. Whether it’s the state, city or area code – you always notice players wanting to rep their home area.
Fans tend to do the same thing. It’s always more fun to pull for a player when they’re from your home state (or even your hometown), especially when that player also happens to be playing on your favorite team.
With all that in mind, we went through MLB.com and pulled the home states (or countries) of every player on the 40-man rosters for each team.
We found 7 players from the state of Kentucky which doesn’t sound like a lot, but it actually puts Kansas right about in the middle of the pack. Kentucky is tied with Connecticut and Massachusetts with 29th overall. Louisville and Lexington have two players each represented and three other Kentucky cities with one each.
MLB Players from Kentucky
Here are the 7 guys representing the state of Kentucky on MLB Rosters at the start of the 2023 season including what town he’s from and what team he plays for.
| Name | City | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Adam Duvall | Louisville | Red Sox |
| Easton McGee | Hopkinsville | Mariners |
| Luke Maile | Edgewood | Reds |
| Phil Maton | Paducah | Astros |
| Trevor Gott | Lexington | Mariners |
| Walker Buehler | Lexington | Dodgers |
| Will Smith | Louisville | Dodgers |
Player Bios
Here is a little more background info on a few of the standout players from the state of Kentucky.
Adam Duvall
Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky
Adam Duvall, from Louisville, Kentucky, has emerged as a powerful outfielder in Major League Baseball. Duvall’s baseball journey began at Butler High School in Louisville, followed by a collegiate career at Western Kentucky University and later at the University of Louisville.
Drafted in the 11th round of the 2010 MLB Draft by the San Francisco Giants, Duvall has made a name for himself with his significant power at the plate.
In the majors, particularly with the Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins, he has been known for his impressive home run totals, including leading the National League in RBIs in 2020.
Walker Buehler
Hometown: Lexington, Kentucky
Walker Buehler, hailing from Lexington, Kentucky, has quickly become one of the top starting pitchers in Major League Baseball. Buehler’s path to the majors began at Henry Clay High School in Lexington, followed by an impressive stint at Vanderbilt University.
Drafted in the first round (24th overall) of the 2015 MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers, Buehler has been a key part of the Dodgers’ rotation. Known for his high-velocity fastball and sharp breaking pitches, Buehler has earned multiple All-Star selections and played a significant role in the Dodgers’ 2020 World Series victory.
His ability to strike out batters at a high rate and maintain a low ERA highlights his status as one of the elite pitchers in the game.
Will Smith
Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky
Will Smith, another Louisville, Kentucky native, has made an impact as a catcher in Major League Baseball. Smith attended Kentucky Country Day School in Louisville and then played college baseball at the University of Louisville.
Drafted in the first round (32nd overall) of the 2016 MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers, Smith quickly rose through the minors thanks to his offensive prowess. In the majors, Smith has become known for his power hitting, particularly his ability to hit home runs and drive in runs.
His skills behind the plate, including game-calling and framing, have also been impressive, making him a key asset for the Dodgers both offensively and defensively.
Hall of Fame Players from Kentucky
In addition to the current players from Kentucky, we compiled a list of all players that have gone on to make it into the Baseball Hall of Fame:
| Name | City | Induction Year |
|---|---|---|
| Jim Bunning | Southgate | 1996 |
| Pee Wee Reese | Ekron | 1984 |
| Happy Chandler | Corydon | 1982 |
| Earle Combs | Pebworth | 1970 |
Baseball Hometown Fun Facts
The state of California, by far, has the most current players of any state with 189.
Second most was Florida with 89, followed by Texas (78), New York (42) and Georgia (40).
The Dominican Republic has 120 players currently in major league baseball which is incredibly impressive considering the country has a total population of only 11 million people. By comparison, the state of California has a population of 39 million and the state of Florida has a population of almost 22 million.
Other States
We are slowly but surely getting all the states published from the data we collected. Here are a few of the other states we currently have available.
