Fifteen players with Northern Nevada ties are in MLB spring training, which started last week. Additionally, there are several players in major-league organizations who aren’t in big-league spring training but could appear in games and are expected to be assigned to teams before the start of the minor-league season. Below is a recap on each player in big-league camp.

Local players in MLB spring training

* RHP Drew Anderson (Galena High), Tigers: Anderson returns to MLB this season after playing in Korea the last two years. He signed a one-year, $7 million contract and is penciled in as a swingman for the Tigers, who have one of baseball’s top five-man rotations. Anderson has played in five different seasons in the majors (2017-21) but appeared in only 19 games, posting a 6.50 ERA.

* OF Jace Avina (Spanish Springs High), Yankees: Avina topped out in Double-A last season and hit his first spring training homer Tuesday, crushing a 400-foot bomb over the left-field fence. The 22-year-old is expected to start this season in Double-A after splitting time between two minor-league levels last year, hitting .260 with 11 homes in 98 games.

* LHP Christian Chamberlain (Reno High), Royals: A lefty reliever, Chamberlain missed the 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery before returning last year, appearing in 42 games and posting a 2.93 ERA in Double-A. He has swing-and-miss stuff that he’s still trying to corral two years removed from major elbow surgery. He could make his big-league debut in 2026.

* OF TJ Friedl (Nevada), Reds: Friedl is an established big-leaguer who is expected to once again lead off and play center field for the Reds. After an injury-plagued 2024 season, Friedl was healthy last year, appearing in 152 games and hitting .261/.364/.378 with 14 homers and 12 steals. He posted 2.3 WAR and will be a big piece for Cincinnati again in 2026.

* RHP Skylar Hales (Reno High), Cardinals: Hales was traded from Texas to St. Louis at last year’s deadline and posted a 6.79 ERA across Double-A and Triple-A, throwing 53 innings over 50 games. Hales struck out 50 but was homer prone (he allowed 10 dingers). A former fourth-round pick, Hales has big-league stuff and could get the call to the bigs for the rebuilding Cardinals in 2026.

* UTL Garrett Hampson (Reno High), Reds: Hampson made the Arizona Diamondbacks’ 26-man roster last season after signing a minor-league deal and will look to do the same this season with Cincinnati, which is one of three MLB teams he played for last season when he hit .143/.250/.169 over 91 plate appearances in 62 games.

* LHP Ray Kerr (Hug High), Braves: Kerr missed 2025 following Tommy John surgery after Atlanta tried to stretch him from a reliever to a starter in the middle of the 2024 season. A hard-throwing lefty, Kerr appeared in 39 MLB games from 2022-24, posting a 5.30 ERA with 65 strikeouts in 54.1 innings. He made his first pro appearance since 2024 during a spring-training game Tuesday.

* UTL Miles Mastrobuoni (Nevada), Mariners: Mastrobuoni is out of options, so he has to make the 26-man roster or be sent through waivers. The utility man probably has a 50-50 shot of making the team after hitting .250/.324/.296 in 76 games for Seattle last season. Mastrobuoni will play for Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic for the second straight cycle.

* RHP Kade Morris (Nevada), Athletics: A former third-round draft pick, Morris seems to be on the brink of making it to the majors. He spent most of last season in Triple-A, posting a 5.22 ERA in 19 starts in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League (he had a 2.79 ERA in nine Double-A starts). The pitching-starved Athletics could need his services at some point in 2026.

* RHP Connor Noland (Bishop Manogue High), Cubs: Noland’s grind through the Cubs’ minor-league system has topped out in Triple-A where he spent all of last season, going 9-6 with a respectable 4.07 ERA in 27 games (22 starts). He logged 132.2 innings and struck out 115 batters. Still looking to make his MLB debut, Noland finished the 2025 season 20th among Cubs prospects, per MLB Pipeline.

* RHP Cade Povich (Born in Reno), Orioles: Once a top prospect, Povich has struggled in his big-league outings, posting a 5.21 ERA (76 ERA+) in 38 games (36 starts) the last two seasons. A lanky lefty, Povich has struck out around one batter per inning but also walked 3.6 batters per nine. He’s likely to start this season in Triple-A, barring injuries to the Orioles’ top-six starters.

* LHP JoJo Romero (Nevada), Cardinals: On the trade market this offseason, Romero was one of the few veterans the Cardinals retained rather than cash in. The lefty reliever had an excellent 2025, posting a 2.07 ERA in 65 appearances while striking out 55 batters in 61 innings. He’s the likely opening-day closer for St. Louis after recording a career-best eight saves in 2025 and could be a valuable midseason trade chip.

* LHP Robby Snelling (McQueen High), Marlins: Snelling was one of baseball’s top minor leaguers last season (9-7, 2.51 ERA, 166 Ks in 136 innings) and enters this year as a preseason top-75 prospect after also holding that distinction entering 2024. He started the Marlins’ first spring training game and had a 1-2-3 inning against the Mets’ Marcus Semien, Juan Soto and Bo Bichette. He’s ready to pitch in the majors.

* OF Cal Stevenson (Nevada), Tigers: Stevenson signed a minor-league contract with Detroit this offseason after playing in the bigs with the Athletics, Giants and Phillies from 2022-25. He’s likely ticketed for a spot in Triple-A as a career .178/.276/.238 hitter in 52 MLB games (118 plate appearances).

* RHP Peyton Stumbo (Nevada), Pirates: Stumbo has topped out in High-A but appeared in a spring-training game for the Pirates already. Last year in the minors, he had a 4.30 ERA in 25 games (21 starts) between Low-A and High-A. A 20th-round pick in 2023, Stumbo will look to continue his development in the minor leagues this season.

Additionally, formerly big-leaguers Trenton Brooks (Kiwoom Heroes, KBO) and Carson McCusker (Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, NPB) will play in Asia this season while the following are in major-league organizations but did not start the season in spring training. Also included is the highest level of minor-league baseball they’ve reached.

* RHP Blane Abeyta (Nevada), Braves — Reached Double-A

* RHP Grant Ford (Nevada), Pirates — Reached Double-A

* UTL Josh Zamora (Nevada), Marlins — Reached Double-A

* INF Ryan Jackson (Nevada), Padres — Reached Double-A

* 2B Gunner Gouldsmith (Reno High), Athletics — Reached Double-A

* OF JR Freethy (Nevada), Blue Jays — Reached High-A

* RPH Peyton Fosher (Nevada), Marlins — Reached High-A

* RHP Jason Doktorczyk (Nevada), Twins — Reached Low-A

* RHP Cam Walty (Nevada), Guardians — Reached Low-A