Johnny Evers of Troy, New York, with the Chicago Cubs in 1913. Photo: Charles M. Conlon / Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons
When baseball historians talk about New York, the conversation almost instantly locks onto the five boroughs: the Polo Grounds, Ebbets Field, Yankee Stadium, and the stickball asphalt of outer-borough youth. But long before Cooperstown became the spiritual shrine of the national pastime, the small towns, canal cities, industrial centers, and farming communities of Upstate New York were producing some remarkable Major League Baseball players.
From the hard-clay diamonds of the Capital District and the snow-swept fields of Buffalo to the Mohawk Valley, North Country, Finger Lakes, and Western New York, the region has sent Hall of Famers, batting champions, Cy Young winners, World Series heroes, and dependable big-league regulars to the majors. For this list, “from Upstate New York” means the player was born in an Upstate New York community, giving every name the same geographic standard.
1. Warren Spahn – Buffalo (Erie County)
Warren Spahn was born in Buffalo and graduated from South Park High School before becoming the winningest left-handed pitcher in Major League history. Spahn won 363 games, captured the 1957 Cy Young Award, made 17 All-Star teams, and helped lead the Milwaukee Braves to the 1957 World Series championship. His career was interrupted by military service during World War II, where he earned a Purple Heart and Bronze Star before returning to baseball and building a Hall of Fame career.
2. John McGraw – Truxton (Cortland County)
John McGraw was born in the small Central New York town of Truxton and became one of baseball’s most influential figures. A fiery third baseman during the 1890s, McGraw later managed the New York Giants for more than three decades. He finished with 2,763 managerial victories, ten National League pennants, and three World Series championships. Known as “Little Napoleon,” McGraw was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937.
3. Johnny Evers – Troy (Rensselaer County)
Johnny Evers was born in Troy and became one-third of the famous “Tinker to Evers to Chance” double-play combination with the Chicago Cubs. The Hall of Fame second baseman won World Series championships with the Cubs in 1907 and 1908 and with the Boston Braves in 1914. Evers also won the 1914 Chalmers Award, the era’s equivalent of the Most Valuable Player award, during Boston’s remarkable championship season.
4. Eddie Collins – Millerton (Dutchess County)
Eddie Collins was born in Millerton and went on to become one of the greatest second basemen in baseball history. A Columbia University graduate, Collins finished his career with 3,315 hits, a .333 batting average, and 741 stolen bases. He won the American League’s Chalmers Award in 1914 and was a central figure on championship clubs with the Philadelphia Athletics and Chicago White Sox. Collins entered the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939.
5. Dan Brouthers – Sylvan Lake (Dutchess County)
Dan Brouthers was born at Sylvan Lake in Dutchess County and became one of the dominant hitters of 19th-century baseball. The powerful first baseman won five batting titles, finished with a .342 career batting average, and collected 2,303 hits. Brouthers starred for several clubs, including Buffalo and Detroit, and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1945.
6. King Kelly – Troy (Rensselaer County)
Michael “King” Kelly was born in Troy and became one of the first true celebrities in professional baseball. The colorful 19th-century star played nearly every position on the diamond, hit .307 over his career, won batting titles, and became one of the sport’s biggest drawing cards. Kelly was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1945 and remains one of the most fascinating personalities of baseball’s early professional era.
7. George Davis – Cohoes (Albany County)
George Davis was born in Cohoes and developed into one of the finest shortstops of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A switch-hitter with power, speed, and defensive range, Davis collected 2,665 hits and played major roles for the New York Giants and Chicago White Sox. He was a member of the White Sox team that won the 1906 World Series and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1998.
8. Bid McPhee – Massena (St. Lawrence County)
Bid McPhee was born in Massena along the St. Lawrence River and became a Hall of Fame second baseman during baseball’s barehanded era. McPhee played 18 major league seasons and was famous for resisting the use of a fielding glove for most of his career. He finished with 2,258 hits and more than 500 stolen bases and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000.
9. Cy Seymour – Albany (Albany County)
Cy Seymour was born in Albany and built one of the most unusual careers in Major League history. He began as a successful pitcher, twice leading the National League in strikeouts, before reinventing himself as an everyday outfielder. In 1905, Seymour won the National League batting title with a .377 average and also led the league in hits, doubles, triples, and slugging percentage. He finished his career with 1,724 hits and a .303 batting average.
10. Bill Dahlen – Nelliston (Montgomery County)
Bill Dahlen was born in Nelliston in the Mohawk Valley and became one of the most accomplished shortstops of his era. Nicknamed “Bad Bill,” Dahlen played 21 Major League seasons, collected 2,461 hits, and put together a 42-game hitting streak in 1894. He later became a key member of John McGraw’s New York Giants and was part of the club that won the 1905 World Series.
11. Hooks Wiltse – Hamilton (Madison County)
Hooks Wiltse was born in Hamilton and became a dependable left-handed pitcher for John McGraw’s New York Giants during the dead-ball era. Wiltse won 139 Major League games and appeared in multiple World Series. He first made his name in Upstate New York baseball before reaching the Giants in 1904, giving the region another important connection to one of the strongest National League clubs of the early 20th century.
12. Sal Maglie – Niagara Falls (Niagara County)
Sal Maglie was born and raised in Niagara Falls and became one of the most intimidating pitchers of the 1950s. Known as “The Barber” for pitching aggressively inside, Maglie won 119 Major League games and helped the New York Giants win the 1954 World Series. In 1956, while pitching for the Brooklyn Dodgers, he threw a no-hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies. Maglie also spent time with the New York Yankees, making him one of the relatively few players to appear for all three New York clubs of that era.
13. Johnny Antonelli – Rochester (Monroe County)
Johnny Antonelli was born and raised in Rochester and signed with the Boston Braves as a highly prized teenager. His greatest season came after joining the New York Giants in 1954, when he went 21-7, led the National League with a 2.30 ERA, and helped the Giants sweep Cleveland in the World Series. Antonelli followed that season with several more outstanding years and remained one of Rochester’s greatest contributions to Major League Baseball.
14. Hal Schumacher – Hinckley (Oneida County)
Hal Schumacher was born in Hinckley and attended Dolgeville High School before pitching at St. Lawrence University. Nicknamed “Prince Hal,” he spent his Major League career with the New York Giants, winning 158 games and earning two All-Star selections. Schumacher was also part of the Giants’ 1933 World Series championship team and later returned to baseball after serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II.
15. Andy Van Slyke – Utica (Oneida County)
Andy Van Slyke was born in Utica and starred at New Hartford High School before the St. Louis Cardinals selected him sixth overall in the 1979 amateur draft. Over a 13-year Major League career, Van Slyke became one of the game’s premier defensive center fielders, making three All-Star teams and winning five Gold Gloves. His best-known years came with the Pittsburgh Pirates teams that won three straight National League East titles from 1990 through 1992.
16. Dave Giusti – Seneca Falls (Seneca County)
Dave Giusti was born in Seneca Falls, attended high school in North Syracuse, and pitched at Syracuse University before beginning a 15-year Major League career. After spending much of his early career as a starter, Giusti became a top relief pitcher with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He led the National League in saves in 1971 and pitched scoreless baseball in that year’s World Series as Pittsburgh defeated Baltimore for the championship.
17. Dave LaPoint – Glens Falls (Warren County)
Dave LaPoint was born in Glens Falls and was drafted directly out of Glens Falls High School by the Milwaukee Brewers in 1977. The left-hander pitched 12 seasons in the Major Leagues for nine teams, winning 80 games. LaPoint was part of the St. Louis Cardinals club that won the 1982 World Series and later pitched for the New York Yankees, giving Capital Region baseball fans a hometown connection to several generations of Major League teams.
18. Jim Deshaies – Massena (St. Lawrence County)
Jim Deshaies was born in Massena, attended Massena Central High School, and later pitched at Le Moyne College in Syracuse. The left-hander spent 12 seasons in the Major Leagues and won 84 games. His strongest years came with the Houston Astros, and in 1986 he struck out the first eight batters he faced in a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, setting a modern Major League record at the time.
19. Mark Lemke – Utica (Oneida County)
Mark Lemke was born in Utica and drafted by the Atlanta Braves out of Notre Dame High School in 1983. The switch-hitting second baseman became a familiar face on the Braves teams that dominated the National League during the 1990s. Lemke played in four World Series with Atlanta and was part of the 1995 team that won the franchise’s first championship after its move to Atlanta.
20. Patrick Corbin – Clay (Onondaga County)
Patrick Corbin was born in Clay and attended Cicero-North Syracuse High School before pitching at Mohawk Valley Community College and Chipola College. The left-hander became a two-time Major League All-Star and later played a major role for the Washington Nationals during their 2019 World Series championship run. His career has made him one of the most accomplished modern pitchers to come out of Central New York.
21. Tommy Kahnle – Latham (Albany County)
Tommy Kahnle was born in Latham and starred at Shaker High School before the New York Yankees drafted him in the fifth round in 2010. The hard-throwing right-hander reached the Major Leagues with Colorado in 2014 and developed into a high-leverage reliever. Kahnle later returned to the Yankees and became particularly well known to New York fans for his changeup, strikeout ability, and intensity out of the bullpen.
22. Jeff Hoffman – Latham (Albany County)
Jeff Hoffman was also born in Latham and attended Shaker High School, giving the Capital Region two prominent Major League pitchers from the same community and school. The Toronto Blue Jays selected Hoffman ninth overall in the 2014 draft after his college career at East Carolina University. He reached the Major Leagues in 2016 and later established himself as an effective late-inning relief pitcher.
23. Ian Anderson – Rexford (Saratoga County)
Ian Anderson was born in Rexford and starred at Shenendehowa High School before the Atlanta Braves made him the third overall pick in the 2016 draft. Anderson reached the Major Leagues in 2020 and quickly became an important part of Atlanta’s young rotation. In 2021, he helped the Braves win the World Series and delivered five hitless innings in Game 3 against the Houston Astros.
24. Tim Locastro – Syracuse / Auburn (Onondaga and Cayuga Counties)
Tim Locastro was born in Syracuse, attended Auburn High School, and played college baseball at Ithaca College before the Toronto Blue Jays drafted him in 2013. His speed became his defining Major League weapon. Locastro successfully stole the first 29 bases he attempted in the majors, establishing the modern record for consecutive successful steals to begin a career before the streak ended in 2021.
25. Ernie Clement – Rochester (Monroe County)
Ernie Clement was born in Rochester and starred at Brighton High School before playing at the University of Virginia, where he was part of the Cavaliers’ 2015 College World Series championship team. Cleveland selected him in the fourth round of the 2017 draft, and he reached the Major Leagues in 2021. Clement’s ability to play multiple infield positions has helped him build a substantial Major League career while adding another Rochester name to Upstate New York’s long baseball tradition.
For more New York baseball history, read our Complete History of the New York Yankees, Complete History of the New York Mets, and Baseball’s Opening Day in New York. For a broader look at notable New Yorkers beyond sports, see 25 Famous People You Didn’t Know Were From Upstate New York.
