Former Zags, Cougs, local prep stars to represent Inland Northwest on opening day | MLB locals
The list of Major League Baseball players with ties to the area includes a rising slugger for Cleveland, the ace for Tampa Bay, a Seattle reliever and San Francisco’s closer.
As the MLB season gets underway this week, here’s a rundown on the players produced by local schools.
Cleveland first baseman/designated hitter Kyle Manzardo
The Coeur d’Alene native and Washington State great is projected to be a key piece in the Guardians’ lineup after establishing himself last year as a regular in the majors.
Manzardo will primarily play first base, but he’ll also see some time at designated hitter.
“We wanted Kyle to go through the winter and prepare to play first base four or five days a week,” Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt told MLB.com in January. ”We don’t know how we shake out until we get into the flow of the season, but Kyle did a tremendous job putting on strength.”
Manzardo, 25, reportedly bulked up by about 15 pounds over the offseason. The Guardians had asked him to put on weight so he could better handle the toll of a long season.
“I just spent more time in the weight room than I have in years past,” Manzardo told Cleveland.com during spring camp. “It’s always easier to gain weight, but I was more conscious about what I was eating, especially over the holidays.”
The left-handed-hitting Manzardo broke out in 2025, slashing a respectable .234/.313/.455 with 27 home runs, 19 doubles and 70 RBIs over 142 games – he ranked second among Cleveland players in homers and RBIs. Manzardo hit the wall in the postseason, going 1-for-11 during Cleveland’s Wild Card series loss to Detroit.
Manzardo was otherwise fairly steady, avoiding major slumps and enjoying a couple of nice stretches. He had a 10-game hitting streak in July and tallied a hit in 17 of 25 games in September. He opened the 2025 campaign with a rare feat, becoming the third MLB player since 1901 to record a homer, a triple and a double on opening day. Manzardo found a groove after the All-Star break, hitting 11 homers and driving in 28 RBIs during a 40-game stretch. Coincidentally, Manzardo’s hot streak began just after his mother underwent a successful heart transplant at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center.
The Lake City High grad collected Collegiate Baseball first-team All-America honors as a junior at WSU in 2021, when he batted .365 with 11 homers and 60 RBIs. Tampa Bay drafted him in the second round, and Manzardo starred in the Rays’ farm system before Cleveland traded for him in July 2023.
He made his MLB debut with Cleveland in 2024 and appeared in 53 games that year, batting .234 with five homers and 15 RBIs. He went 6-for-19 with a homer in nine postseason games.
Manzardo had a quiet spring camp, hitting .182 in 19 games. But he had three homers, including a grand slam against the Dodgers on March 3. Unlike in past years, Manzardo didn’t have to prove much during spring training, as he’s now an everyday contributor in the majors.
The Guardians open at Seattle on Thursday.
Tampa Bay pitcher Drew Rasmussen
The Mt. Spokane High grad, coming off an All-Star season, is the Rays’ ace.
Rasmussen will be Tampa Bay’s opening day starter on Thursday against St. Louis.
“I’m really honored,” Rasmussen said Feb. 19 after he was named the opening day starter, per the Tampa Bay Times. “It’s really cool to get the opportunity to pitch on opening day. … It is a blessing, and it is humbling.”
The 30-year-old right-hander settled in last year at the front of the Rays’ rotation, earning his first All-Star nod and finishing with a 10-5 record and a 2.76 ERA over a career-high 31 starts. He logged an impressive WHIP of 1.020 and struck out 127 batters against 37 walks. Rays manager Kevin Cash said it was a “pretty easy call” to give Rasmussen opening-day duties.
Despite undergoing three major elbow surgeries throughout his career, Rasmussen has developed into one of the more effective arms in the AL since he joined the Rays in 2021, posting a 29-16 record and a 2.73 ERA over 103 games (81 starts) with the club. He boasts an excellent career WHIP of 1.066.
“It proves it can be done,” Rasmussen said of overcoming injuries. “But it is one of those things that you’ve got to go out and you’ve got to earn it every day. So, we’re not going to rest on our laurels. Just understand that last year was a good year, but it is in the rearview mirror now. There’s new goals this year that I would like to achieve.”
Selected by Milwaukee out of Oregon State in the sixth round of the 2018 draft, Rasmussen made his MLB debut in 2020 and spent a year and change with the Brewers before he was traded to the Rays.
San Francisco pitcher Ryan Walker
Walker is expected to reprise his role as the Giants’ closer in 2026.
The 30-year-old righty out of Washington State earned the job during his dominant 2024 campaign, going 10-for-10 in save opportunities and finishing with a 10-4 record and a 1.91 ERA in 76 appearances.
He battled with inconsistency early last season, losing his regular closing role a couple of months into the year, but he later reclaimed closing duties and held them down for the last two months of the season. Walker went 5-7 with a 4.11 ERA and converted 17 of 24 save opportunities in 2025.
The Giants will reportedly evaluate the closer role as the year progresses, but a couple of other potential closing candidates are working through injuries and Walker is the club’s best option to handle ninth-inning responsibilities early in the season.
“I’m coming in confident, coming in with the intention of earning that closer role,” Walker told MLB.com ahead of spring camp. “That’s where I want to be. I want to be in that role. I like that role a lot. I’m coming in with a competitive and confident mindset of doing my thing and earning that position.”
Walker didn’t leave much doubt during spring training, pitching seven scoreless innings. He allowed three hits, no walks and struck out eight.
Walker, who hails from Arlington, Washington, made 87 appearances for the Cougs between 2015-18. He was then drafted by the Giants in the 31st round. Walker made his MLB debut in 2023. For his big league career, Walker has a 20-14 record with a 2.98 ERA over 193 games, all with San Francisco.
Seattle pitcher Casey Legumina
After appearing in a career-high 48 games last year during his first season with the Mariners, the Gonzaga product made the club’s opening day roster and will look to maintain a role out of the Seattle bullpen.
The 28-year-old righty made eight appearances at spring training, posting a 6.23 ERA with seven strikeouts against three walks in 8⅔ innings. He had a scoreless stretch of six straight innings, but struggled in the other 2⅔ innings, giving up six hits, two home runs and six earned runs.
Legumina is out of minor league options, meaning the Mariners would have had to designate him for assignment – and he likely would have been claimed by another team – if he didn’t make the opening day roster. The M’s apparently didn’t want to risk losing Legumina, so they’re giving him a chance to improve on his up-and-down 2025.
Legumina went 4-6 with a 5.62 ERA in 49⅔ innings last year. He enjoyed a couple of impressive stretches – 13 straight games without an earned run from late April to late May, then two runs surrendered over 11 games in June – but he was inconsistent in July and August, and was sent down to Triple-A Tacoma for a bit. He was on the Mariners’ postseason taxi squad, but didn’t appear in a game.
An eighth-round draft pick by the Twins in 2019, Legumina made his big league debut with Cincinnati in 2023. He pitched in 17 games over two years with the Reds, but couldn’t hold down a role and was dealt to the M’s in February 2025.
Legumina set the Gonzaga single-season saves record (13) in 2018.
Colorado first baseman Troy Johnston
Johnston shined throughout spring training and the Rockies rewarded him with a spot on their opening day roster.
The Gonzaga alum posted a phenomenal slash line of .375/.438/.589 with seven doubles, a triple, a homer, nine RBIs and three stolen bases over 23 Cactus League games in Arizona. The Rockies will reportedly use him as a utility player who will split time at first base and in the outfield.
Johnston, 28, was in a tightly contested competition for a roster spot during spring training. He initially committed to play for Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic, but backed out so he could focus on earning a big league job.
“It didn’t come as an easy decision,” Johnston said earlier this month, per MLB.com. “But this is my main priority here in Colorado … to try to win a job here first.”
Johnston, a graduate of Rogers High in Puyallup, was an All-WCC first-teamer in 2019 at Gonzaga, then went to Miami in the 17th round of the MLB draft. He made his major league debut with the Marlins in July 2025, finishing the year batting .277 with four homers and 13 RBIs over 44 games before the Rockies claimed him off waivers in November.
Baltimore pitcher Andrew Kittredge
The veteran reliever will begin the year on the 15-day injured list due to lingering shoulder inflammation. But the right-hander from Ferris High expects to miss only the minimum 15 days and will rehab for a short time in the minors before rejoining the big league club in Baltimore, according to CBS Sports.
The 36-year-old is expected to be the Orioles’ setup man. He pitched well for Baltimore last year, posting a 3.45 ERA in 31⅓ innings before being traded to the Chicago Cubs. Kittredge logged a 3.32 ERA across 21⅔ innings with Chicago, pitching an immaculate inning in August, then was sent back to Baltimore after the season.
After attending the University of Washington, Kittredge signed with Seattle and spent his first six minor league seasons in the M’s system before landing with Tampa Bay. He made his MLB debut in 2017. Kittredge pitched for the Rays from 2017-23, earning an All-Star nod in 2021 when he went 9-3 with a 1.88 ERA.
Kittredge has established himself as a reliable MLB reliever, registering a 27-15 record and a 3.43 ERA over 309 career games, with 337 strikeouts against 87 walks.
San Diego pitcher Alek Jacob
The former Gonzaga ace and North Central High grad entered spring camp with the San Diego Padres in a competition for one of the final spots in the big league club’s bullpen, but he was optioned to Triple-A El Paso on Saturday.
Jacob pitched 3⅔ innings during spring training, allowing two runs on two hits with six strikeouts. The 27-year-old right-hander also appeared for Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic, giving up two runs in 2⅓ innings.
Jacob made his big league debut in 2023 with the Padres. He worked 17⅔ innings of relief for San Diego between 2023-24, then saw his MLB reps expand in 2025. He went 1-0 last year with a 5.13 ERA in 33⅓ innings, and will likely see some more opportunities this year.
After wrapping up his decorated prep career at North Central, Jacob pitched at GU from 2018-21. He was a Collegiate Baseball second-team All-American and the West Coast Conference Pitcher of the Year as a senior, then was drafted by the Padres in the 16th round.
Kansas City pitcher Eli Morgan
The Royals gave Morgan a spot on their 40-man roster, but they’ll keep him stashed at Triple-A Omaha for now.
The former Gonzaga star entered spring camp with an outside shot of making Kansas City’s big league roster after an injury-plagued 2025 season with the Chicago Cubs. He had a stellar spring, posting a 0.87 ERA over 10⅓ innings in nine games out of the bullpen, with 12 strikeouts against four walks. The Royals selected Morgan’s contract on Wednesday, then optioned him to Omaha.
Morgan, a 29-year-old righty, was limited to seven appearances with the Cubs last year due to an elbow injury. He finished the year out at Triple-A Iowa.
Before then, Morgan was a key reliever for Cleveland, appearing in 161 games over four years with the Guardians. He posted a 3.27 ERA between 2022-24. Morgan signed a minor league deal with the Royals in January after he was non-tendered by Chicago.
Morgan was drafted by Cleveland in the eighth round in 2017 after picking up Perfect Game/Rawlings All-America first-team honors at GU.
Athletics third baseman Brett Harris
Harris started spring camp in a competition for the job at third base for the A’s, but the team optioned him to Triple-A Las Vegas earlier this month after he hit .190 in 11 Cactus League games.
The 27-year-old Harris, who made his MLB debut with the Athletics in 2024, has appeared in 68 major league games over the past two seasons. He hit .274 with five doubles last year.
Harris captured WCC Defensive Player of the Year and was named to Collegiate Baseball’s All-America third team after hitting .355 for Gonzaga in 2021. The A’s then drafted him in the seventh round.
Atlanta pitcher Ian Hamilton
The Braves outrighted Hamilton to Triple-A Gwinnett over the weekend.
The 30-year-old Washington State product signed with Atlanta in December on a one-year, non-guaranteed contract. He pitched 1⅔ innings in relief at spring training, allowing one run on three hits and two walks.
Hamilton spent the past three seasons with the New York Yankees, posting a 5-4 record and a 3.45 ERA over 135⅔ innings in 110 games with the club. He was non-tendered by the Yankees after the season.
Drafted out of WSU by the Chicago White Sox in the 11th round in 2016, Hamilton made his MLB debut in 2018 and appeared in 14 games with the franchise before a short stint with Minnesota in 2022. For his big league career, Hamilton has a 6-6 record with a 3.59 ERA over 125 games.
San Diego pitcher Marco Gonzales
The former Gonzaga standout and Mariners starter was reassigned to the minors on Saturday.
Gonzales signed a minor league deal with the Padres in January, but struggled at spring camp, going 0-3 with a 10.80 ERA in 13⅓ innings.
The 34-year-old lefty hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2024 with Pittsburgh. He spent the previous seven years with the M’s, posting a 61-47 record and a 4.08 ERA over 151 games in a Seattle uniform.