With the final stretch run of the 2019 season on the horizon and MLB award debates heating up, we decided to find out who the best active player is from each state. With so much talent reigning from Florida, Texas, Georgia, among other highly populated states, our choices for the best of the best may surprise.
In an effort to remove subjectivity, each player was determined as the "best of their state" by the amount of Wins Above Replacement (WAR) they have accumulated this season. For instance, the state of California is home to many of the best players in the game (i.e. Cole Hamels, Nolan Arenado), but only the player with the highest WAR (from baseball-reference) in 2019 will be chosen to represent their state.
Also noteworthy, we understand many players later moved on to play youth and high school baseball in other states and, in some cases, other countries. For simplicity reasons, our list is based on each respective player's birth state.
Keep in mind, all 50 states will not be listed due to the fact that not every state has (or has had) an active representative play in 2019. The following are the only states without an active big league player: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont.
Enough rules, here are the best active players in each state.
Alabama
Tim Anderson
MIA • SS • #7
BA0.329
R54
HR12
WAR2.6
BirthplaceTuscaloosa (AL)
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Alaska
Tony Barnette
CHC • RP • #43
ERA6.75
WHIP1.50
IP1.1
WAR0.0
BirthplaceAnchorage (AK)
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Arizona
Cody Bellinger
CHC • RF • #24
BA0.318
R97
HR41
WAR8.1
BirthplaceScottsdale (AZ)
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Arkansas
Jalen Beeks
COL • RP • #68
ERA4.13
WHIP1.42
IP85.0
WAR.7
BirthplaceFayetteville (AR)
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California
Christian Yelich
MIL • RF • #22
BA0.333
R86
HR41
WAR6.0
BirthplaceThousand Oaks (CA)
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Colorado
Marco Gonzales
PIT • SP • #27
ERA4.26
WHIP1.36
IP152.0
WAR1.9
BirthplaceFort Collins (CO)
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Connecticut
George Springer
TOR • CF • #4
BA0.294
R72
HR26
WAR4.2
BirthplaceNew Britain (CT)
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Delaware
Paul Goldschmidt
STL • 1B • #46
BA0.258
R72
HR27
WAR2.1
BirthplaceWilmington (DE)
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Florida
Jacob deGrom
TEX • SP • #48
ERA2.61
WHIP1.05
IP155.0
WAR5.1
BirthplaceDeLand (FL)
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Georgia
Byron Buxton
MIN • CF • #25
BA0.262
R48
HR10
WAR3.1
BirthplaceBaxley (GA)
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Hawaii
Kolten Wong
BAL • 2B • #25
BA0.277
R44
HR9
WAR3.6
BirthplaceHilo (HI)
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Idaho
Josh Osich
CIN • RP • #35
ERA5.36
WHIP1.19
IP50.1
WAR0.0
BirthplaceBoise (ID)
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Illinois
Mike Tauchman
CHC • LF • #40
BA0.290
R40
HR12
WAR3.4
BirthplacePalatine (IL)
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Indiana
Lance Lynn
STL • SP • #31
ERA3.54
WHIP1.20
IP160.0
WAR5.9
BirthplaceMarion (IN)
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Iowa
Tony Watson
SF • RP • #56
ERA4.50
WHIP1.33
IP46.0
WAR0.0
BirthplaceSioux City (IA)
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Kansas
John Means
BAL • SP • #47
ERA3.75
WHIP1.21
IP110.1
WAR3.1
BirthplaceOlathe (KS)
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Kentucky
Will Smith
LAD • C • #16
BA0.325
R18
HR10
WAR1.3
BirthplaceLouisville (KY)
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Louisiana
Aaron Nola
PHI • SP • #27
ERA3.56
WHIP1.26
IP154.1
WAR3.7
BirthplaceBaton Rouge (LA)
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Maryland
Bryan Reynolds
PIT • LF • #10
BA0.329
R65
HR13
WAR3.5
BirthplaceBrentwood (MD)
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Massachusetts
Nick Ahmed
SF • SS • #40
BA0.273
R67
HR16
WAR4.5
BirthplaceSpringfield (MA)
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Michigan
Matt Shoemaker
SF • SP
ERA1.57
WHIP.87
IP28.2
WAR1.2
BirthplaceWyandotte (MI)
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Minnesota
Brad Hand
ATL • RP • #45
ERA2.74
WHIP1.14
IP49.1
WAR1.5
BirthplaceMinneapolis (MN)
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Mississippi
Hunter Renfroe
KC • LF • #16
BA0.238
R57
HR31
WAR3.4
BirthplaceCrystal Springs (MS)
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Missouri
Max Scherzer
TEX • SP • #31
ERA2.41
WHIP.99
IP134.1
WAR5.4
BirthplaceSt. Louis (MO)
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Montana
Caleb Frare
NYY • RP • #67
ERA10.13
WHIP2.25
IP2.2
WAR-0.1
BirthplaceMiles City (MT)
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Nebraska
Alex Gordon
KC • LF • #4
BA0.258
R65
HR12
WAR.7
BirthplaceLincoln (NE)
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Nevada
Kris Bryant
COL • 3B • #23
BA0.290
R88
HR25
WAR3.6
BirthplaceLas Vegas (NV)
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New Jersey
Mike Trout
LAA • CF • #27
BA0.298
R99
HR41
WAR8.2
BirthplaceVineland (NJ)
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New Mexico
Alex Bregman
HOU • 3B • #2
BA0.275
R92
HR29
WAR5.9
BirthplaceAlbuquerque (NM)
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New York
Patrick Corbin
WAS • SP • #46
ERA3.34
WHIP1.18
IP153.2
WAR4.4
BirthplaceClay (NY)
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North Carolina
Corey Seager
TEX • SS • #5
BA0.267
R62
HR12
WAR2.9
BirthplaceCharlotte (NC)
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North Dakota
Matt Strahm
PHI • SP • #25
ERA5.23
WHIP1.28
IP96.1
WAR.1
BirthplaceWest Fargo (ND)
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Ohio
Andrew Benintendi
CHW • LF • #23
BA0.289
R62
HR12
WAR2.8
BirthplaceCincinnati (OH)
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Oklahoma
Jon Gray
TEX • SP • #22
ERA3.84
WHIP1.35
IP150.0
WAR4.9
BirthplaceShawnee (OK)
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Oregon
Sam Gaviglio
LAD • RP • #46
ERA4.48
WHIP1.14
IP78.1
WAR.7
BirthplaceAshland (OR)
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Pennsylvania
Christian Walker
ARI • 1B • #53
BA0.260
R64
HR22
WAR1.7
BirthplaceNorristown (PA)
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Rhode Island
Chris Iannetta
NYY • C • #22
BA0.222
R20
HR6
WAR-0.4
BirthplaceProvidence (RI)
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South Carolina
Brett Gardner
NYY • CF • #11
BA0.251
R67
HR17
WAR3.3
BirthplaceHolly Hill (SC)
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South Dakota
Sean Doolittle
WAS • RP • #63
ERA4.33
WHIP1.40
IP52.0
WAR.8
BirthplaceRapids City (SD)
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Tennessee
Mike Minor
CIN • SP • #31
ERA2.94
WHIP1.18
IP162.0
WAR7.3
BirthplaceChapel Hill (TN)
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Texas
Trevor Story
BOS • SS • #10
BA0.293
R90
HR28
WAR5.4
BirthplaceIrving (TX)
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Utah
Brady Lail
PHI • RP • #62
ERA10.13
WHIP1.13
IP2.2
WAR-0.2
BirthplaceSouth Jordan (UT)
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Virginia
Justin Verlander
HOU • SP • #35
ERA2.81
WHIP.84
IP169.2
WAR5.4
BirthplaceManakin Sabot (VA)
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Washington
Michael Brantley
HOU • LF • #23
BA0.333
R75
HR18
WAR4.6
BirthplaceBellevue (WA)
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West Virginia
Harrison Musgrave
COL • RP • #59
ERA3.60
WHIP1.60
IP10.0
WAR.3
BirthplaceMorgantown (WV)
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Wisconsin
Pat Neshek
PHI • RP • #93
ERA5.00
WHIP1.39
IP18.0
WAR-0.1
BirthplaceMadison (WI)
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Jordan Zimmermann
MIL • SP • #27
ERA6.66
WHIP1.51
IP77.0
WAR-0.1
BirthplaceAuburndale (WI)
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Wyoming
Brandon Nimmo
NYM • LF • #9
BA0.200
R20
HR3
WAR-0.3
BirthplaceCheyenne (WY)
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Snubs and top states
- Biggest snubs: Walker Buehler for Kentucky (1.3 WAR), Mookie Betts for Tennessee (5.0 WAR)
- Other notable players from California: CC Sabathia, Cole Hamels, Giancarlo Stanton, Freddie Freeman, Nolan Arenado, Matt Chapman, Stephen Strasburg, Gerrit Cole, DJ LeMaheiu, Aaron Judge
- Other notable players from Florida: Trea Turner, Chris Sale, Anthony Rizzo, Andrew McCutchen, J.D. Martinez, Manny Machado, Zack Greinke, Pete Alonso, Josh Donaldson
- Other notable players from Georgia: Will Smith, Buster Posey, Matt Olson, Lorenzo Cain
- Other notable players from Texas: Clayton Kershaw, Anthony Rendon, Charlie Blackmon, Noah Syndergaard, Josh Bell