Alabama - Don Sutton (66.7 bWAR): The crafty right-hander piled up 324 wins over his 23-year MLB career, making old “Black & Decker” the fourth-best player from the state of Alabama behind just Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and Ozzie Smith.

Alaska - Trajan Langdon (N/A): Alaska has produced just 12 big league players, and although Trajan Langdon is not among them, he did reach the NBA following a storied career at Duke and currently serves as general manager of the New Orleans Pelicans. This year’s Opening Night starter Gabriel Hughes was born in Anchorage and certainly has the potential to dethrone Langdon as the top Indians player from the Land of the Midnight Sun.

Arizona - Ian Kinsler (54.1 bWAR): The four-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner isn’t just the best Indians player from Arizona, he’s the best MLB player ever from the Grand Canyon State (right-hander John Denny is Kinsler’s closest competition at 32.2 bWAR).

Arkansas - Willie Davis (60.7 bWAR): ‘Three-Dog’ recorded over 2,500 hits and nearly 400 stolen bases during his 18-year career, and trails only HOFers Brooks Robinson and Arky Vaughan in career bWAR among Arkansans.

California – Roy White (46.81 bWAR): A two-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion with over 1,800 career hits, White doesn’t even rank among the top 40 from the Golden State in bWAR (Barry Bonds is at No. 1 with 162.79). Other notable Indians from California include HOFer George “High Pockets” Kelly (25.9 bWAR) and Bill Buckner (15.1 bWAR).

Colorado - Sandy Vance (0.65 bWAR): The Centennial State has coincidentally produced exactly 100 MLB players entering the 2023 season, including a pair of Hall of Famers in Roy Halladay and Goose Gossage. Lamar, Colorado native and Indians alum Sandy Vance burst on to the scene with a strong 1970 season for the Dodgers, but was out of baseball just a year later as a result of arm problems, finishing his MLB career with a 3.83 ERA and 9-8 record.

Connecticut - Bobby Valentine (2.03 bWAR): Valentine seemed destined for stardom after winning the 1970 Pacific Coast League MVP with the Indians, but injuries limited him to just 639 games over his 10-year career. Bobby V did enjoy a successful second act as a manager though, winning over 1,100 games and leading the New York Mets to the NL Pennant in 2000.

Delaware - Randy Truselo/Jamie Jarmon/Shawn Phillips (N/A): A total of 62 Delawareans have reached the majors, including potential Hall of Famer and 2022 NL MVP Paul Goldschmidt. Spokane hasn’t yet had a player from the Mudhen State hit the big leagues, with the trio of Randy Truselo, Jamie Jarmon, and Shawn Phillips all topping out in A-ball.

Florida – Zack Greinke (76.5 bWAR): Greinke is third all-time in bWAR among players from the Sunshine State, trailing only Steve Carlton and Chipper Jones, and has accumulated the most WAR of any former Spokane Indians player in franchise history. The right-hander easily outpaced 1974 NL MVP Steve Garvey (37.9 bWAR) for the title of top Indians player from Florida.

Georgia - Ron Fairly (35.1 bWAR): Ron Fairly was born in Macon, GA, where his father, Carl, was playing minor league baseball for the Macon Peaches. The younger Fairly went on to a 21-year career in MLB, winning three World Series titles and earning a pair of All-Star appearances before moving into the broadcast booth with the Seattle Mariners.

Hawaii - Charlie Hough (38.4 bWAR): One of baseball’s best knuckleball pitchers, the Honolulu-born Hough is the Aloha State’s top WAR producer at 38.4 over his 25-year big league career. Spokane has had three of the top 15 players from Hawaii suit up for the Indians with Hough, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and Lenn Sakata.

Idaho - Bruce Ellingsen (-0.1 bWAR): The Gem State does not have a rich history of producing big league players - with the notable exception of Harmon Killebrew - and the lone Indians player to reach the majors, Pocatello’s own Bruce Ellingsen, appeared in just 16 games with Cleveland in 1974.

Illinois - Larry Gura (21.3 bWAR): Illinois has sent the fourth-most players to the big leagues of any U.S. state, including underrated southpaw Larry Gura, who won 126 games over his 16-year MLB career and is a member of the Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame.

Indiana - Tommy Hunter (11.4 bWAR): The Hoosier State might be better known for basketball, but it has produced 10 Hall of Fame players (likely to be 11 soon with Scott Rolen). Big right-hander Tommy Hunter has won 56 games and saved 22 more over his 15 years in the majors – good enough to be the 58^th-most valuable player from Indiana and best that played for Spokane.

Iowa - Joe Decker (6.7 bWAR): A native of Storm Lake (which also claims Gene Hackman), Decker won 36 games – including a career-high 16 in 1974 – over a nine-year stint in the big leagues with the Cubs, Twins, and Mariners.

Kansas - Bill Russell (31.4 bWAR): A three-time All-Star who racked up nearly 2,000 big league hits, Russell is sixth-most valuable player in baseball history to emerge from the Sunflower State (Walter Johnson is the WAR leader at 164.90 and lone HOFer from Kansas).

Kentucky - Lou Johnson (8.1 bWAR): ‘Sweet Lou’ from Lexington hit a pivotal home run in Game 7 of the 1965 World Series to help the Dodgers clinch their second title in three seasons. He spent a total of eight seasons in the big leagues and is the 60^th-most valuable player out of the Bluegrass State.

Louisiana - Herb Souell (4.2 bWAR): A native of West Monroe, Souell spent 11 years in the Negro Leagues with the Kansas City Monarchs, where he was selected to appear in five East-West All-Star Games.

Maine - Stan Thomas (2.2 bWAR): The state of Maine has yet to produce a Hall of Famer and only 78 Mainers have reached the big leagues at all. Right-hander Stan Thomas, who appeared in 23 games with Spokane in 1974, was born in the small town of Rumford and went on to win 11 games over parts of four seasons in the majors.

Maryland - Geoff Zahn (20.3 bWAR): Crabcakes and baseball – that’s what Maryland does. This tiny state has produced some of the sport’s greatest players ever – Babe Ruth, Cal Ripken Jr., and Jimmie Foxx, just to name a few. Baltimore’s Geoff Zahn, who was part of the legendary 1970 Spokane Indians team, won 111 games over his 13-year career, making him the 23^rd-most valuable player in Maryland’s history.

Massachusetts - Joe Coleman (23.2 bWAR): Joe was part of a three-generation line of Coleman pitchers in the big leagues (his father Joe pitched from 1942-1955 and his son Casey from 2010-2014) and recorded 142 wins over a career spanning 15 seasons.

Michigan - Lary Sorenson (13.0 bWAR): The Detroit-born right-hander was an All-Star his second season in the majors when he won 18 games and posted a 3.21 ERA over 280.2 innings for the Brewers. He bounced around with six other teams over the next decade, finishing with a career record of 93-103.

Minnesota - Brad Gulden (-0.4 bWAR): The Land of 10,000 Lakes has produced just 180 MLB players including Indians alum and New Ulm native Brad Gulden, who batted exactly .200 over parts of seven seasons in the big leagues.

Mississippi - Mitch Moreland (10.9 bWAR): A true-blue Mississippian, Moreland grew up in the small town of Armory before attending Mississippi State University. The hard-hitting first baseman was a Gold Glove winner in 2016 and earned his lone All-Star appearance in 2018 – retiring following the 2021 season as the 34^th-most valuable player from the Magnolia State.

Missouri - Ken Sanders (11.2 bWAR): Though he never played for his beloved Cardinals, St. Louis native Ken Sanders didn’t have to stray far from home, spending the bulk of his career with Kansas City and Milwaukee. The right-hander posted a 1.91 ERA and led the American League with 31 saves in 1971.

Montana - N/A: The Treasure State has not struck gold when it comes to producing ballplayers, with just 26 Montanans reaching the majors and none enshrined in Cooperstown - although Spokane Indians Senior Vice President Otto Klein does hail from Missoula.

Nebraska – Rick Henninger (0.6 bWAR): Hailing from the same town where Kool-Aid was invented (Hastings), right-hander Rick Henninger went 1-0 with a 2.74 ERA over six appearances during his lone season in the big leagues.

Nevada - Joey Gallo (14.7 bWAR): Viva Las Vegas! Nevada had just three players reach the big leagues before 1970, but has been producing some of the game’s best players this century with the likes of Bryce Harper, Kris Bryant, and Barry Zito. Although he struggled mightily in 2022, Gallo is still a two-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner, making him the fifth-most valuable player in the Silver State’s history.

New Hampshire - Stan Williams (22.2 bWAR): Despite joining the Union in 1788, the Granite State is still looking for its first Hall of Famer (pitcher Chris Carpenter is the state’s best player with a career 34.2 bWAR). Stan ‘Big Daddy’ Williams may not have reached the heights of Cooperstown, but he put together a solid career that included over 100 wins, a World Series title in 1959, and an All-Star appearance in 1960.

New Jersey - Don Newcombe (38.9 bWAR): A four-time All-Star and winner of the first Cy Young Award in 1956, Newcombe is the 11^th-best player to emerge The Garden State behind notables like Mike Trout, Derek Jeter, and Goose Goslin.

New Mexico – Jim Kremmel (-0.4 bWAR): The Land of Enchantment has had only 32 players reach the majors, but can claim HOFer Ralph Kiner, eight-time All-Star Vern Stephens, postseason sensation Cody Ross, and Houston Astros star Alex Bregman among its diaspora. Though technically not from the state, southpaw Jim Kremmel attended the University of New Mexico, and following a brief stint in the big leagues, received a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Gonzaga.

New York - Tommy Davis (20.5 bWAR): The Empire State is responsible for a record 33 Hall of Famers so it should come as no surprise that despite being a three-time All-Star and two-time batting champion, former Spokane Indians player Tommy Davis is only the 91^st-most productive player out of New York.

North Carolina - Hoyt Wilhelm (46.8 bWAR): ‘Old Sarge’ didn’t reach the majors until he was 29, but stuck around for two decades as one of the game’s top relief pitchers. An eight-time All-Star and two-time league leader in ERA, Wilhelm is the 5^th-most productive player to emerge from the Tarheel State.

North Dakota - Erik Swanson (1.0 bWAR): The big right-hander from Fargo is already top 10 in career bWAR among North Dakotans, though Swanson will have his work cut out for him to catch up with state-leader Darin Erstad (32.3).

Ohio - Frank Howard (37.6 bWAR): A native of Columbus who attended Ohio State University, ‘The Capital Punisher” was four-time All-Star who clubbed 382 home runs over his 16 years in the majors. His mark of 37.6 bWAR is 29^th-best in the history of the Buckeye State.

Oklahoma - Bobby Morgan (9.5 bWAR): Mickey Mantle and Johnny Bench are the Sooner State’s most famous baseball exports, but Oklahoma City’s Bobby Morgan fashioned a solid big league career over eight seasons as an infielder with the Dodgers, Phillies, Cardinals, and Cubs.

Oregon - Ken Williams (43.0 bWAR): The first 30-30 player in baseball history, Grants Pass native Ken Williams is the third-most valuable player out of the Beaver State, trailing just Mickey Lolich and Dale Murphy.

Pennsylvania - Stan Coveleski (61.5 bWAR): Honus Wagner. Stan Musial. Ken Griffey Jr. The Keystone State is absolutely loaded with some baseball’s brightest stars. Although not quite in the same rare air as those three legends, Indians alum Stan Coveleski was no slouch, winning 215 games and leading the league in ERA twice during his 14-year career – good for the 12^th-best WAR mark in Pennslyvania history.

Puerto Rico - Carlos Beltrán (70.1 bWAR): Although Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory and not a state, we couldn’t ignore the HOF-caliber career of former Spokane Indians outfielder Carlos Beltrán, who is second to only Roberto Clemente in bWAR among players from la Isla del Encanto.

Rhode Island – Davey Lopes (42.4 bWAR): America’s smallest state can claim one of the sport’s most underrated Hall of Famers in Nap Lajoie (106.9 bWAR) as well another unappreciated star with Indians alum Davey Lopes. Born in East Providence, Lopes was elected to four consecutive All-Star games, won a Gold Glove Award in 1978, and helped lead the Dodgers to a World Series title in 1981.

South Carolina – Gorman Thomas (19.8 bWAR): A native of Charleston, Stormin’ Gorman led the American League in home runs twice (1979 & 1982) and retired with a career total of 268. A key part of the iconic ‘Harvey’s Wallbangers’ squad that helped Milwaukee reach the 1982 World Series, Thomas’s 19.8 bWAR mark is the 18^th-best out of the Palmetto State.

South Dakota – Mark Elllis (33.5 bWAR): An underrated star for some overachieving Oakland Athletics teams in the early-2000s, the Rapid City native is the most valuable player to emerge from South Dakota.

Tennessee - Bill Madlock (38.2 bWAR): The Volunteer State has produced just one Hall of Famer thus far - Negro League star Turkey Stearnes - though Todd Helton appears poised to add to that total soon. Memphis-born Bill Madlock could certainly make a case for Cooperstown as well, earning three All-Star appearances, four National League batting titles, and a World Series ring with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1979.

Texas - John Danks (20.2 bWAR): The Lonestar State could field a formidable lineup of Hall of Famers with the likes of Tris Speaker, Rogers Hornsby, Frank Robinson, Greg Maddux, Joe Morgan, and Nolan Ryan among others. Southpaw John Danks might not have reached those levels of greatness, but he did produce three straight seasons of 5+ bWAR (2008-10) to become the top Indians alum from the country’s second-largest state.

Utah - Joe Barlow (1.0 bWAR): Utahns must be too busy skiing or hiking to practice baseball, because the state has produced just 43 big leaguers – headlined by right-hander Bruce Hurst (34.1 bWAR). Texas Rangers reliever Joe Barlow – a native of Riverton who attended Salt Lake Community College - is already the 13^th-most valuable in the Beehive State’s history after just two partial seasons in the majors.

Vermont - (N/A): Vermont can claim just 38 big league players and a lone Hall of Famer in Carlton Fisk. Although he was born in Vermont, Fisk considers himself from New Hampshire, and had the Red Sox remove a line calling him a “Vermont native” from his plaque in the team’s Hall of Fame. The Spokane Indians are still waiting for their first player from the Green Mountain State to reach MLB.

Virginia - Jim Beattie (14.8 bWAR): Sharing the same hometown (Hampton) as basketball star Allen Iverson and songwriter Steve Earle, Jim Beattie carved out his own place in Virginia history with a sterling performance for the New York Yankees in Game 6 of the 1978 World Series (9 IP, 2 ER, 8 K). He went on to win 52 games over nine MLB seasons before working in player development with the Seattle Mariners and Montreal Expos.

Washington - Ron Cey (53.8 bWAR): The Penguin was born in Tacoma before waddling over to Pullman to play collegiately for Washington State, where he starred for the Cougars before being drafted in the third round by the Dodgers in 1968. Cey was outstanding for Spokane in 1971 (.328, 32 HR, 123 RBI) – a springboard to his 17-year MLB career that included six All-Star appearance and a World Series MVP award in 1981. He currently ranks as the fourth-most valuable player from the Evergreen State, trailing just Ron Santo, Ryne Sandberg, and John Olerud.

Washington D.C. - Maury Wills (39.6 bWAR): Although Washington D.C. is a federal district and not a state, we weren’t about to leave out one of the greatest players in franchise history. The speedy Wills was a five-time All-Star, three-time World Series champion, two-time Gold Glove winner, and NL MVP in 1962 when he set a new MLB record with 104 steals. His career bWAR mark of 39.6 is the second-highest out of The District, behind only deadball-era pitcher Doc White (48.6 bWAR).

West Virginia - Bob Milliken (2.0 bWAR): A right-hander out of the tiny hamlet of Majorsville, Milliken performed admirably in a pair of seasons with the Brooklyn Dodgers (13-6, 3.59) but spent the majority of his career in the minor leagues. The best player to ever emerge from the Mountain State should be a familiar name to Spokane Indians fans – George Brett (88.6 bWAR) – who was born in Glen Dale, WV before relocating to California.

Wisconsin - Jim Gantner (22.4 bWAR): A dyed-in-the-wool Wisconsinite, Ganter was born in Fond du Lac, attended the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, and spent the entirety of his 17-year MLB career with the Milwaukee Brewers. ‘Gumby’ retired with nearly 1,700 big league hits – making him the 17^th-most valuable player to call The Badger State home.

Wyoming (N/A): The Cowboy State has developed just 16 MLB players since joining the Union in 1890, although three have gone on to earn All-Star appearances (Tom Browning, John Buck, and Dick Ellsworth) and another was named MVP of the 1995 NLCS (Mike Deveraux). Wyoming does not have high school baseball and the University of Wyoming last fielded a team in 1996, so the Spokane Indians are still looking for their first big league player from the state.

ABOUT THE SPOKANE INDIANS

The Spokane Indians are the High-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies located in Spokane, Washington, and were named 2021 MiLB Organization of the Year. Avista Stadium is home to the MultiCare Kids Bench Seat. Parking at all Spokane Indians games is FREE. The Spokane Indians Office and Team Store hours are 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM on Monday through Thursday and 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM on Fridays. On game days, the Office and Team Store are open from 10:00 AM through the end of the game.