Current Pro Baseball Players from Ohio (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 19 players from the state of Ohio on major league rosters. A very respectable number that ties Ohio for 10th overall with Arizona and North Carolina. As far as individual cities, Cincinnati, Columbus and Toledo are all tied with 3 players each representing their hometown.
MLB Players from Ohio
Here are the 19 guys representing the state of Ohio 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 Engel | Cincinnati | Padres |
| Alex Young | Westlake | Reds |
| Andrew Benintendi | Cincinnati | White Sox |
| Andrew Chafin | Kettering | Diamondbacks |
| Caleb Ferguson | Columbus | Dodgers |
| Chris Bassitt | Toledo | Blue Jays |
| Evan White | Columbus | Mariners |
| Joey Wiemer | Sylvania | Brewers |
| Josh Harrison | Cincinnati | Phillies |
| Josh Winckowski | Toledo | Red Sox |
| JT Brubaker | Springfield | Pirates |
| Kyle Schwarber | Middletown | Phillies |
| Luke Raley | Hinckley | Rays |
| Peyton Burdick | Batavia | Marlins |
| Scott Effross | Twinsburg | Yankees |
| Spencer Strider | Columbus | Braves |
| Tanner Scott | Warren | Marlins |
| Taylor Ward | Dayton | Angels |
| Zach McKinstry | Toledo | Tigers |
Player Bios
Here is a little more background info for a few of the standout players from Ohio:
Kyle Schwarber
Hometown: Middletown, Ohio
Kyle Schwarber, originating from Middletown, Ohio, has established himself as a powerful force in Major League Baseball. Schwarber’s journey to the big leagues began at Middletown High School, followed by an impressive collegiate career at Indiana University.
Drafted 4th overall in the 2014 MLB Draft by the Chicago Cubs, Schwarber quickly made a name for himself with his formidable power hitting.
Notable achievements include playing a key role in the Cubs’ 2016 World Series win and consistently posting high home run totals, including a career-high 38 homers in 2019. Schwarber’s robust slugging percentage and ability to draw walks highlight his offensive prowess.
Andrew Benintendi
Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio
Andrew Benintendi, a Cincinnati, Ohio native, has risen as a versatile outfielder in MLB. Benintendi’s baseball roots trace back to Madeira High School in Cincinnati, followed by a stellar collegiate stint at the University of Arkansas, where he won the Golden Spikes Award.
Selected 7th overall in the 2015 MLB Draft by the Boston Red Sox, Benintendi quickly gained recognition for his all-around skills. He played a crucial role in the Red Sox’s 2018 World Series championship, known for his consistent batting average, on-base skills, and solid defensive play.
Benintendi’s career highlights include high batting averages and noteworthy stolen base totals, reflecting his balanced offensive and defensive game.
Chris Bassitt
Hometown: Curtice, Ohio
Chris Bassitt, hailing from Curtice, Ohio, has carved a niche as a reliable starting pitcher in MLB. His baseball journey began at Genoa Area High School and continued at the University of Akron, leading to his selection in the 16th round of the 2011 MLB Draft by the Chicago White Sox.
Bassitt’s major league career, notably with the Oakland Athletics and New York Mets, has been marked by his effectiveness and durability on the mound.
He has consistently posted commendable ERA figures and strikeout totals, including a standout 2021 season with the Athletics where he recorded a 3.15 ERA and 159 strikeouts. Bassitt’s success in MLB is a testament to his skillful pitching and adaptability.
Hall of Fame Players from Ohio
In addition to the current players from Ohio, we compiled a list of all players that have gone on to make it into the Baseball Hall of Fame:
| Name | City | Induction Year |
|---|---|---|
| Barry Larkin | Cincinnati | 2012 |
| Sol White | Bellaire | 2006 |
| Ray Brown | Alger | 2006 |
| Phil Niekro | Blaine | 1997 |
| Mike Schmidt | Dayton | 1995 |
| Rollie Fingers | Steubenville | 1992 |
| Walter Alston | Walter Alston | 1983 |
| Rube Marquard | Cleveland | 1971 |
| Jesse Haines | Clayton | 1970 |
| Branch Rickey | Portsmouth | 1967 |
| Miller Huggins | Cincinnati | 1964 |
| Elmer Flick | Bedford | 1963 |
| Ed Delahanty | Cleveland | 1945 |
| Roger Bresnahan | Toledo | 1945 |
| Kenesaw Landis | Millville | 1944 |
| George Sisler | Manchester | 1939 |
| Buck Ewing | Hoagland | 1939 |
| Cy Young | Gilmore | 1937 |
| Ban Johnson | Norwalk | 1937 |
Baseball Hometown Fun Facts
California, by far, has the most current MLB players of any state with 189.
The second most was the state of Florida with 89, followed by Texas (78), Georgia (40) and New York (38).
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.
Current MLB Players from North Dakota
