Three players with Northern Nevada ties made MLB Opening Day rosters, including one former high school standout and two Nevada Wolf Pack products. Below is that list of players:
* RHP Drew Anderson (Galena High), Tigers: Anderson returned to MLB this season after playing in Korea the last two years, doing so on a one-year, $7 million contract. The Tigers later added starters Framber Valdez and Justin Verlander, which will push Anderson into a swingman role rather than having a spot in the starting rotation. Anderson has played in the majors in five seasons (2017-21) but appeared in only 19 games, posting a 6.50 ERA.
* OF TJ Friedl (Nevada), Reds: Friedl will start in center field and slot in atop the Reds’ lineup yet again as Cincinnati aims to make the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2012-13. After an injury-plagued 2024 season, Friedl was healthy last year, appearing in 152 games and hitting .261/.364/.378 with 14 homers and 12 steals. He posted 2.3 WAR and has racked up 6.9 WAR in his career, the fifth most among Wolf Pack players.
* LHP JoJo Romero (Nevada), Cardinals: Romero was one of the few veterans the Cardinals retained this offseason as it goes through a rebuild. He was one of baseball’s top lefty relief pitchers last season, posting a 2.07 ERA in 65 appearances while striking out 55 batters in 61 innings. He had a career-high eight saves in 2025 and is expected to share the closer role with righty Riley O’Brien. Romero is a free agent in 2027, so he’s a likely trade chip this summer if he pitches well.
Among other locals, Mariners utilityman Miles Mastrobuoni, a Wolf Pack alum, will begin the season on the 10-day injured list as he recovers from a right calf strain sustained playing for Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic. Braves lefty reliever Ray Kerr, a Hug High alum, will start the season on the 60-day IL as he recovers from Tommy John surgery in the middle of the 2024 season. Reno-born Cade Povich, a right-handed pitcher for the Orioles, will begin the season in Triple-A after starting 20 games in the big leagues in 2025. Talented starting pitchers Robby Snelling (McQueen High/Marlins), Connor Noland (Bishop Manogue High/Cubs) and Kade Morris (Nevada Wolf Pack/Athletics) will begin the season in Triple-A as they try and make their big-league debuts. And relievers Skylar Hales (Reno High/Cardinals) and Christian Chamberlain (Reno High/Royals) also will try and debut in 2026.