Homegrown baseball stars return to Sacramento with A’s relocation. Here’s who and when
Sacramento has long been known for producing talented baseball players. Baseball stars like Dusty Baker, Dustin Pedroia and Alyssa Nakken have all come out of the capital region and gone on to have successful careers in Major League Baseball.
With the A’s stop in West Sacramento on their way to Las Vegas, several players with ties to the area will get to experience a homecoming of sorts as MLB arrives in the region for the first time.
Here are some notable MLB players returning home to the Sacramento area and when you can see them:
Aaron Judge
Team: New York Yankees
Position: Outfielder
Hometown: Sacramento
High school: Linden
Aaron Judge and the Yankees will take on the Athletics in a three-game series at Sutter Health Park beginning Friday, May 9.
Judge was born Sacramento and raised in Northern California, where he played three sports at Linden High School before graduating in 2010. Drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 31st round of the 2010 MLB Amateur Draft, Judge instead chose to play college baseball at Fresno State.
In the 2013 MLB draft, Judge was selected by the New York Yankees as the 32nd pick in the first round. Since then, Judge has gone on to be named Rookie of the Year, a two-time MVP and a six-time All-Star. He hit an American League-record 62 home runs in 2022.
Mauricio Dubon
Team: Houston Astros
Position: Outfielder
Hometown: San Pedro Sula, Honduras
High school: Capital Christian
Mauricio Dubon and the Astros will head to West Sacramento for a four-game series starting on Monday, June 16. They will return to Sutter Health Park for a three-game series beginning Tuesday, Sept. 23.
Born and raised in Honduras, Dubon was 15 when a group of Christian missionaries saw him play and invited him back to California to join the Capital Christian High School team.
Dubon was drafted out of Capital Christian in the 26th round of the 2013 draft by the Red Sox. He had stints with the Milwaukee Brewers and San Francisco Giants before landing with the Astros in 2022, where he went on to win a World Series the same year.
Logan Webb
Team: San Francisco Giants
Position: Starting pitcher
Hometown: Rocklin
High school: Rocklin
The Giants and right-handed pitcher Logan Webb will take on their former cross-town rival in a three-game series starting Friday, July 4.
Webb was named to the The Sacramento Bee’s 2014 All-Metro baseball team as a senior for Rocklin High after posting a 0.49 ERA and striking out 73 in 57 2/3 innings, according to Bee archives. Webb was also a standout quarterback at Rocklin.
He was selected by the Giants, his favorite team growing up, in the fourth round of the 2014 draft. In the past few seasons Webb has become the Giants’ ace, earning his first All-Star appearance in 2024.
Max Stassi
Team: San Francisco Giants
Position: Catcher
Hometown: Yuba City
High school: Yuba City
Max Stassi is looking to break onto the Giants roster after two years away from baseball. If Stassi can earn a roster spot, he will join Webb playing the A’s in a three-game series in West Sacramento starting Friday, July 4.
While in high school Stassi was twice named The Bee’s Baseball Player of the Year and a four-time All-Metro selection. After graduating from Yuba City High School, Stassi was drafted by the Oakland A’s in the fourth round of the 2009 draft.
Stassi signed a contract with the Giants in late 2024, returning to baseball after taking two years off to be with his son who was born at 25 weeks weighing only 1 pound and 8 ounces, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Nathan Lukes
Team: Toronto Blue Jays
Position: Outfielder
Hometown: Antelope
High school: Center
Nathan Lukes is making his homecoming when the Blue Jays head to Sacramento in the final series of a three-series homestand for the Athletics. The Blue Jays will play at Sutter Health Park for a three-game set starting Friday, July 11.
During his time at Sacramento State, Lukes developed from a walk-on to a Western Athletic Conference standout. After three seasons with the Hornets, Lukes was drafted in the seventh round of the 2015 draft.
Players you might be able to see next season
The A’s won’t play every team at home this season, but fans still have an opportunity to see some local guys take the field. Keep an eye out for these names when you watch the A’s on the road and at home over the next few seasons.
A disclaimer, though: There’s no guarantee these players will still be on their current team in 2026 or beyond.
Nick Madrigal
Team: New York Mets
Position: Second baseman
Hometown: Sacramento
High school: Elk Grove
The A’s will host the Mets for a three-game series starting Friday, April 11. Absent from the Mets roster will be Elk Grove High and Oregon State product Nick Madrigal.
Madrigal was selected by the Chicago White Sox with the fourth overall pick in the 2018 draft, the highest selection ever for a player coming out of the Sacramento region.
Madrigal signed a split contract with the Mets earlier this year and reported to spring training. During a Grapefruit League game, Madrigal fractured his shoulder when he landed on it following an off-balance throw. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza later said Madrigal would likely be out for the entirety of the 2025 season as he undergoes surgery, ESPN reported.
Rhys Hoskins
Team: Milwaukee Brewers
Position: First baseman
Hometown: Sacramento
High school: Jesuit
The A’s will head to Milwaukee to take on the Brewers in a three-game series starting Friday, April 18.
Rhys Hoskins was a multi-sport athlete and maintained a 4.0 GPA while at Jesuit High School. His commitment to endeavors outside baseball meant he wasn’t often seen by baseball scouts. As a result, Hoskins was passed over by bigger baseball schools, eventually landing at Sacramento State.
Hoskins was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the fifth round of the 2014 draft. He eventually landed with the Brewers after six seasons with the Phillies.
Derek Hill
Team: Miami Marlins
Position: Outfielder
Hometown: Des Moines, Iowa
High school: Elk Grove
Elk Grove graduate Derek Hill has been battling for an opening day roster spot during spring training. If Hill does earn a spot, he will have to wait for his homecoming as the A’s will head to Miami to take on the Marlins in a three-game series starting Friday, May 2.
Hill, a Bee first-team All-Metro player in 2014, batted .500 with 18 extra-base hits and 30 RBI during his senior senior year, according to Bee archives. He was taken in the first round of the 2014 draft with the 23rd pick by the Detroit Tigers.
Since being drafted by the Tigers, Hill has had stints with the Washington Nationals, Texas Rangers and San Francisco Giants before landing with the Marlins in 2024.
Rowdy Tellez
Team: Seattle Mariners
Position: First baseman, designated hitter
Hometown: Sacramento
High school: Elk Grove
The A’s will host the Seattle Mariners in a three-game series beginning Monday, May 5. The Elk Grove graduate is making an argument to be included on the Mariners roster this season.
Tellez, now 30, was born Ryan John Tellez but became Rowdy because of his rambunctious nature while in the womb. The nickname stuck. The Bee’s Player of the Year in 2012 and 2013, Tellez was selected in the 30th round of the MLB draft after batting .500 with nine homers and 46 RBI this senior year.
The Mariners have been giving Tellez a legitimate look during spring training.
Dylan Carlson
Team: Baltimore Orioles
Position: Outfielder
Hometown: Sacramento
High school: Elk Grove
The Baltimore Orioles will head to Sacramento for a three-game series starting Friday, June 6. Elk Grove High graduate Dylan Carlson is making his case to be an Orioles outfielder this season.
Carlson, son of longtime Elk Grove head coach Jeff Carlson, The Bee’s Player of the Year in 2016 after batting .406 with nine home runs, 13 doubles, 40 RBIs and 41 runs as a senior.
In high school, Carlson played alongside current and former major leaguers Madrigal, Hill, Dom Nunez and Tellez.
Matt Manning
Team: Detroit Tigers
Position: Starting pitcher
Hometown: Elk Grove
High school: Sheldon
Sheldon graduate Matt Manning has made appearances in the majors on multiple occasions, even throwing 6.2 inning of a combined no-hitter. If Manning can once again break into the Tigers rotation, he could face the A’s in a three-game series starting Tuesday, June 24 in Detroit.
Manning was a 2016 All-Metro selection after posting a 1.91 ERA and striking out 77 in 40 1/3 innings his senior year. He was drafted ninth overall out of high school by the Tigers, where he agreed to a $3.5 million signing bonus.
This story was originally published March 25, 2025 at 5:00 AM.