Current Pro Baseball Players From Louisiana (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 13 players from the state of Louisiana which ties it with Michigan for the 18th most of any state. Out of the 13 players, 10 different individual cities and towns are represented with Baton Rouge (3) and Shreveport (2) being the only cities with more than one major league player.
MLB Players from Louisiana
Here are the 13 guys representing the state of Louisiana 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Aaron Loup | Raceland | Angels |
| Aaron Nola | Baton Rouge | Phillies |
| Austin Nola | Baton Rouge | Padres |
| Braden Bristo | West Monroe | Rays |
| Hogan Harris | Lafayette | As |
| Jace Peterson | Lake Charles | As |
| Josh H. Smith | Baton Rouge | Rangers |
| JT Chargois | Sulphur | Marlins |
| Seth Lugo | Shreveport | Padres |
| Taijuan Walker | Shreveport | Phillies |
| Tanner Rainey | Folsom | Nationals |
| Travis Swaggerty | Covington | Pirates |
| Wade Miley | Hammond | Brewers |
Player Bios
Here is a little more background info for a few of the standout players from the state of Louisiana.
Aaron Nola
Hometown: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Aaron Nola, from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, has made a significant impact as a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. Nola’s baseball journey began at Catholic High School in Baton Rouge, followed by an outstanding collegiate career at Louisiana State University.
Drafted 7th overall in the 2014 MLB Draft by the Philadelphia Phillies, Nola quickly rose to prominence in the majors. Known for his precise control and devastating curveball, Nola has been a key figure in the Phillies’ rotation, earning an All-Star selection and Cy Young Award consideration.
His career highlights include a strong ERA, high strikeout totals, and the ability to consistently pitch deep into games, making him one of the top pitchers in the National League.
Taijuan Walker
Hometown: Shreveport, Louisiana
Taijuan Walker, hailing from Shreveport, Louisiana, has established himself as a reliable starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. Walker’s path to the majors began at Yucaipa High School in California.
Drafted in the first round (43rd overall) of the 2010 MLB Draft by the Seattle Mariners, Walker has pitched for several teams, including the Mariners, Arizona Diamondbacks, and New York Mets. Known for his high-velocity fastball and effective splitter, Walker has been a consistent presence in MLB rotations.
His career is highlighted by an All-Star selection and the ability to provide quality starts, showcasing his talent and durability as a starting pitcher.
Wade Miley
Hometown: Hammond, Louisiana
Wade Miley, originally from Hammond, Louisiana, has carved out a solid career as a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. Miley’s baseball journey began at Loranger High School in Louisiana, followed by a successful tenure at Southeastern Louisiana University.
Drafted in the first round (43rd overall) of the 2008 MLB Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks, Miley has pitched for multiple teams, including the Diamondbacks, Boston Red Sox, and Cincinnati Reds.
Known for his groundball-inducing style and consistent performance, Miley has been a dependable starter throughout his career. His achievements include an All-Star selection and pitching a no-hitter in 2021, highlighting his skill and longevity in the majors.
Hall of Fame Players from Louisiana
In addition to the current players from Louisiana, we compiled a list of all players that have gone on to make it into the Baseball Hall of Fame:
| Name | City | Induction Year |
|---|---|---|
| Lee Smith | Jamestown | 2019 |
| Willard Brown | Shreveport | 2006 |
| Bill Dickey | Bastrop | 1954 |
| Mel Ott | Gretna | 1951 |
| Ted Lyons | Lake Charles | 1955 |
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.
