Baseball's No. 1 state: Cases for California, New York and Texas
By Pedro Moura
FOX Sports MLB Writer
Throughout its history, California has produced more major-leaguers, current and retired, than the next two most prolific states combined.
It has almost twice as many professional teams as the state in second. It has the most collegiate teams and the second-most Hall of Famers. Californians are responsible for more home runs, more Little League World Series championships and more College World Series championships than the next three states combined.
According to Major League Baseball, six of the 10 most-sold jerseys last year bore the names of players who played in California. Another two of those 10 hailed from California. And the sport’s best player, Mike Trout, wasn't even on that list.
This is not just a matter of population advantage, though that has certainly helped California catch up, despite its late start. In terms of baseball pedigree, the data is clear: California is the No. 1 state in the union, and it has been for at least a couple of decades now.
Perhaps the better question is: Which is the No. 2 baseball state?
New York has the single most storied professional team, another famous (or infamous) one and the sport’s Hall of Fame. It’s No. 2 in all-time players, current pro teams and current college teams. Other notable teams, of course, once called it home. New York is also No. 1 in Hall of Famers. It’s the location of the league’s headquarters.
What it is not is a breeding ground for future major-leaguers. Many states nowhere near our top 10, including No. 24 Washington, No. 29 Hawaii, No. 31 South Carolina and No. 33 Indiana, produced more 2021 major-leaguers per capita than New York.
Texas, the other main contender, has two major-league teams, both increasing in relevance of late, though both with alarmingly short track records of success. It is home to the single most storied collegiate team, plenty of other amateur squads and Sports City USA. It is home to the strongest state archetypal player: the tall Texas pitcher. And per capita, Texas is home to more than 50% more major-leaguers than New York.
Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman repeatedly debated the question of second place after compiling the data listed above. Just before publication, they landed on New York, as an homage to the past. Texas, really, would've been a bet on the future.
Texas continues to lead the U.S. in population growth. If such a thing could be quantified, it’d surely lead the nation in the growth of amateur ballplayer cultivation, too. Not long ago, Texas taxpayers agreed to foot a roughly $500 million bill to build the Rangers’ new stadium. This is, literally, an invested state.
It’s conceivable that, in time, Texas could surpass even California in baseball supremacy. It has more advantages to modern major-leaguers than meet the eye. It might be the third-most popular offseason home, after Arizona and Florida. I have covered ballplayers who made sure to travel to Texas with their California-based teams, even when they were hurt, so they could benefit from the state’s lack of an individual income tax and save thousands on what they earned from a two-series road trip.
And California has its downfalls. For all its historical college baseball success, its programs don’t bring in nearly as many fans as stronghold Southern schools such as LSU and Mississippi State. The University of Southern California has twice as many baseball titles as any other Division I school — but none this century. The Trojans haven’t qualified for the College World Series in 21 years. Their home stadium, Dedeaux Field, can’t fit one-sixth as many fans as Mississippi State’s legendary Dudy Noble Field or much more than one-third as many as the Texas Longhorns’ home ballpark.
California is also one of only two states currently in danger of losing a major-league team, as the Oakland Athletics investigate a possible move to neighboring Nevada. But even that outcome would still leave it with twice as many MLB teams as any other state. Any seizing of California’s supremacy won’t happen this decade — and probably not the next, either.
Mookie Betts, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Mike Trout are too popular — and on too long-term of contracts — for things to change right now. The list of star Californians, by employment or heritage, is much too long: Betts and Tatis and Trout, plus Shohei Ohtani, Cody Bellinger, Manny Machado and Anthony Rendon.
Freddie Freeman, Christian Yelich and Nolan Arenado were all born in California, to pick three players who most recently played in other major regions of this country.
But the throne might be something to monitor. Once, New York would have reigned supreme on this list. California has now surpassed it, and Texas is gaining ground.
Pedro Moura is the national baseball writer for FOX Sports. He most recently covered the Dodgers for three seasons for The Athletic. Previously, he spent five years covering the Angels and Dodgers for the Orange County Register and L.A. Times. More previously, he covered his alma mater, USC, for ESPNLosAngeles.com. The son of Brazilian immigrants, he grew up in the Southern California suburbs. Follow him on Twitter @pedromoura.