Diamond Dozen: Active MLB players from Las Vegas high schools
Here are the 12 active Major League Baseball players who played at Las Vegas Valley high schools:
Tyler Anderson (Spring Valley), Los Angeles Angels — The Colorado Rockies selected Anderson in the 20th round of the 2011 draft, and the pitcher made his big league debut in 2016. He has played with six clubs. Anderson was an All-Star in 2022 with the Los Angeles Dodgers. After the season, he signed a three-year, $39 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels. In 156 career starts, Anderson is 48-45 with a 4.26 ERA and 743 strikeouts in 882 innings.
Kris Bryant (Bonanza), Colorado Rockies
Bryant, who started his career in the infield but now plays the outfield, made his big league debut in 2015 and had an immediate impact, as he won Rookie of the Year and was an All-Star. He followed his stellar rookie year by winning the 2016 National League MVP and helped the Cubs win their first World Series since 1908. Bryant, a four-time All-Star, joined the San Francisco Giants in 2021 and has been with his current club, the Colorado Rockies, since 2022. He is a career .278 hitter with 177 home runs and 519 RBIs.
Bryant was a four-year starter at Bonanza. The Toronto Blue Jays drafted him in the 18th round of the 2010 draft, but Bryant didn’t sign and elected to play at the University of San Diego. As a junior in 2013, he won the Golden Spikes Award, given annually to the nation’s top amateur player. He was drafted that year by the Chicago Cubs with the second overall pick.
Joey Gallo (Bishop Gorman), Minnesota Twins
Gallo made his big league debut with the Texas Rangers in 2015 and remained there until 2021 when he was traded to the New York Yankees. He was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2022 and signed a one-year contract with the Twins in 2023. Gallo is a career .199 hitter with 192 home runs and 414 RBIs. He is a two-time All-Star (2019 and 2021) and two-time Gold Glove award winner (2020 and 2021). He plays outfield for the Twins.
The left-handed power hitter’s name is all over the Nevada high school record books, as he helped Bishop Gorman to four straight state titles. Gallo committed to play at Louisiana State but instead signed with the Rangers, who took him as a supplemental first-round pick in the 2012 draft.
Amir Garrett (Sierra Vista, Findlay Prep), Kansas City Royals
The Cincinnati Reds selected Garrett in the 2011 draft, but he decided to play college basketball at St. John’s for two seasons before embarking on a professional baseball career. He started with the Reds’ Class A affiliate Dayton in 2013 and made his MLB debut in 2017. Garrett spent five seasons in the Reds’ organization and was traded in 2022 to the Royals. In 319 career appearances, the pitcher has a 4.92 ERA with 374 strikeouts in 324 innings.
Bryce Harper (Las Vegas High), Philadelphia Phillies
Harper made his MLB debut with the Washington Nationals, who picked him with the No. 1 overall selection in the 2010 draft, in 2012, when he won Rookie of the Year and was named an All-Star. He won his first of two MVP awards in 2015 at age 23 and became the youngest player to win the award by unanimous decision. He left for the Phillies in 2019. He won his second MVP award in 2021 and in 2022 helped lead the Phillies to their run to the World Series. Harper, a seven-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger award winner, has 288 career home runs and 839 RBIs with a .280 average. He mainly plays designated hitter for the Phillies.
His stardom began when he appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated at age 16. Harper earned his GED after his sophomore year to play at the College of Southern Nevada and make him eligible for the 2010 draft. He won the Golden Spikes Award in 2010.
Bligh Madris (Foothill), Houston Astros
Madris played college baseball at Colorado Mesa and was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the ninth round of the 2017 draft. The outfielder made his big league debut with the Pirates in 2022. He was traded to the Houston Astros in 2023 and spent time in the big leagues and the club’s Triple-A team. In 126 career at-bats, Madris is hitting .175 with a home run and seven RBIs.
Ryne Nelson (Basic), Arizona Diamondbacks
Nelson was selected in the second round of the 2019 draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks. The pitcher worked his way through the Diamondbacks’ system and made his MLB debut late in the 2022 season and made three starts. In 20 career starts, he’s 6-5 with a 4.13 ERA in 109 innings with 80 strikeouts.
The right-hander helped Basic to the 2016 Class 4A state title. After he went undrafted in 2016, he enrolled to play at Oregon. In his junior year, he was named to the All-Pac 12 team, and his stock rose as one of the top pitching prospects in the 2019 draft.
Tommy Pham (Durango), New York Mets
Pham made his MLB debut in 2014 with the St. Louis Cardinals. He’s played with six big league clubs and is hitting .295 with the Mets this season. In his career, the outfielder is hitting .261 with 123 home runs and 397 RBIs.
Pham played at Gorman and Centennial before graduating from Durango. He originally committed to play at Arizona, but switched his commitment to Cal State Fullerton. He didn’t play college baseball and instead pursued his professional career after the Cardinals drafted him in 2006.
Paul Sewald (Bishop Gorman), Seattle Mariners
The New York Mets selected the right-hander in the 10th round of the 2012 draft. He made his big league debut in 2017 and spent four seasons with the Mets before signing a minor league contract with the Mariners before the 2022 season. In 288 career appearances, the reliever has 49 saves and a 4.16 ERA with 376 strikeouts in 311⅓ innings.
Chasen Shreve (Bonanza), Detroit Tigers
The Atlanta Braves selected the left-handed pitcher in the 11th round of the 2010 draft. He made his MLB debut with the Braves in 2014. Shreve has played with seven clubs and signed an offseason minor league contract with the Tigers and made their 2023 opening-day roster. In 351 career appearances, he’s 22-14 with a 3.98 ERA and 372 strikeouts in 341⅓ innings pitched.
Bryson Stott (Desert Oasis), Philadelphia Phillies
As a freshman at UNLV, Stott started all 54 games at shortstop. In 2019, his junior year, he hit .356 with 10 home runs and 36 RBIs in 58 games as his draft stock rose. The Phillies selected him in the first round, 14th overall, in that year’s draft. He made his big league debut in 2022 and, with a strong second half of the season, helped the Phillies reach the World Series. In 734 career at-bats, Stott is a .259 hitter with 17 home runs and 79 RBIs. He now plays second base for the Phillies.
Erich Uelmen (Faith Lutheran), Philadelphia Phillies
The right-handed pitcher played at Cal Poly. The Chicago Cubs selected him in the fourth round of the 2017 draft. He made his MLB debut with the Cubs in 2022 and was traded to the Phillies this year. Uelmen has made 26 career big league appearances with a 5.79 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 28 innings.
Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on Twitter.