Opening Day for the 2025 Major League Baseball (MLB) season is Thursday, so it’s time to check in with Long Beach’s big league representatives as they turn the page from Spring Training to the regular season.
A new star emerged last season in Boston, where former Long Beach State Dirtbag, Jarren Duran, not only made the All-Star Game but won MVP for the Red Sox. He’ll look to replicate his career year in 2025 as Boston’s leadoff man, capable of playing multiple outfield spots at a high level.
Garrett Hampson, another former Dirtbag, has been tearing it up this spring with a new team. After helping the Kansas City Royals to the postseason a year ago, Hampson earned a spot on the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Opening Day roster after signing a minor league deal this offseason.
Hampson’s versatility as a middle infielder and outfielder make him a valuable utilityman, and his .310 batting average through 52 plate appearances in Spring Training certainly helped his cause. He’s also scored 14 runs, driven in eight more and stolen three bases. The 30-year-old, who has now surpassed six years of MLB service time, will be playing in the big leagues for his fourth different franchise in as many seasons.
Another veteran who changed clubs this offseason is Justin Turner, who is with his fifth different organization since 2022. The Long Beach native and longtime Dodgers third baseman was signed by the Chicago Cubs, and actually already made his season debut against his old team. Turner was used twice as a pinch hitter during the Tokyo Series, and should be a veteran corner infielder and DH for the Cubs this season.
In Seattle, Lakewood High alum J.P. Crawford is hoping for a full season of good health at shortstop, and has had a strong Spring Training to prepare. Through 18 games, the lefty has hit .273 with an .854 OPS, smacking a pair of home runs and collecting seven RBIs, the most of any Spring Training in his career.
Another former Lancer is with a new organization this season, as catcher Travis d’Arnaud is back wearing red in Southern California. The former Atlanta Braves backstop was signed to a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Angels this offseason. The 36-year-old will be the backup in Anaheim, but should see plenty of action for the Halos this year.
Long Beach native Trevor Megill appears locked in as the closer for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2025. The 31-year-old has a 4.26 ERA this spring across 6.1 innings after posting a 2.72 ERA during the 2024 season. Megill pitched 46.1 innings in relief last year, collecting 21 saves and six holds for the Brew Crew.
His younger brother, Tylor Megill, earned a spot in the New York Mets’ rotation and will start the second game of the season. Megill made 15 starts last season with a 4.04 ERA and was solid this spring, striking out 18 hitters in 17 innings with a 4.24 ERA in four spring starts. He’s looking to make 2025 his first season spent entirely in the big leagues.
“It’s been a few years of being a fill-in,” Megill told MLB.com. “At some point, things have got to change. I want to be a guy that sticks.”
A pair of Long Beach guys will open the 2025 season on the injured list, after picking up or aggravating injuries this spring. Jeff McNeil (Long Beach State) is dealing with a strained oblique and will miss Opening Day with the New York Mets. The 32-year-old should slot in as their everyday second baseman once he’s healthy.
Spencer Steer out of Millikan High is dealing with an injured shoulder, and won’t quite make it back for Opening Day with the Cincinnati Reds. The versatile Steer could play a number of spots this season for the Reds when healthy, primarily at first base, left field or DH. (Update: Despite indications that Steer would begin the season on the IL, he was included on Cincinnati’s big league roster and should open the season as the Reds’ primary DH)
Fellow Millikan High alum Jon Singleton was not included on the Astros’ Opening Day roster, leaving his future up in the air with Houston. He appeared in 119 games last season in his return to the organization that drafted him out of high school.
RHP Tommy Nance out of WIlson High was pitching in the Toronto Blue Jays bullpen at the end of last season. He was with the Jays throughout Spring Training but didn’t quite make the Opening Day roster for 2025. The 34-year-old should still be in the mix for a bullpen role this season, with prior big league stops with the Cubs and Marlins.
Other guys got a chance to make the big league club in Spring Training, including former Long Beach State RHPs Darren McCaughan (Minnesota Twins), Bryan Shaw (Cincinnati Reds), and Johnathan Lavallee (Twins), plus catcher David Bañuelos (Baltimore Orioles).
The next Long Beach State alum to make his big league debut might just be Jonathon Long with the Chicago Cubs. After a strong season in Double-A in 2024, plus a productive Arizona Fall League stint, the 23-year-old first baseman got 26 at-bats this spring. He also hit cleanup for the Cubs during this year’s “Spring Breakout” which showcases each team’s top prospects. Long went 1/3 in that game, starting at first before moving to left field.
