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Top 5 prospects to watch in 2025 MLB Draft

The Southwest Times Record’s Jackson Fuller shares his top five MLB draft prospects who could hear their names called early.

It’s official. Palm Desert grad Travis Adams is a Major League Baseball player.

Adams, a right-handed pitcher who was a sixth-round pick of the Minnesota Twins in 2021, was called to the majors by the Twins in June, but was sent back down to Triple A before he got into a game.

On Saturday, though, the 25-year-old was finally able to fulfill his lifelong dream.

Adams was called up again from the team’s Triple A affiliate in St. Paul on Saturday morning and pitched for the Twins against the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday afternoon. In doing so, Adams became the ninth player to play in a Major League game after attending a desert high school.

Wearing No. 45, Adams entered the game to start the third inning of Saturday’s game as the “bulk pitcher” in a bullpen game for the Twins. He pitched four full innings and was touched up a bit. He yielded five earned runs on nine hits. The Twins did, however, rally to win the game 6-5.

In all, Adams threw 68 pitches, 46 of them for strikes.

Here were some of his firsts from Saturday’s game:

First batter he ever faced: Taylor Walls, who grounded out to first baseFirst hit yielded: A single by Chandler Simpson, the second batter he facedFirst strikeout: Josh Lowe, in a seven-pitch at-bat that ended with a swing and miss at a curveball

There are currently two other desert grads in the Major Leagues aside from Adams. Shadow Hills grad Taylor Ward is an outfielder for the Los Angeles Angels. Now in his eighth season, he has played by far the most games of any desert product at over 600. San Diego Padres relief pitcher Jeremiah Estrada is a Palm Desert grad and has pitched in 41 games for San Diego this season.

Adams becomes the fifth Palm Desert grad to play Major League Baseball.

Desert Major Leaguers

These are the nine players who have graduated from a desert high school and gone on to play in the major leagues (in order of number of games played through Saturday, July 5): 

Taylor Ward (632 games): Shadow Hills grad, outfielder with Los Angeles Angels 2018-presentJeremiah Estrada (120 games): Palm Desert grad, pitcher with the Cubs 2022-2023, Padres 2024-presentBrian Serven (101 games): Palm Desert grad, catcher with the Colorado Rockies 2022-2023, Blue Jays 2024.Tyson Miller (74 games): Shadow Hills grad, pitcher with the Cubs in 2020, Rangers in 2022, Brewers, Dodgers and Mets in 2023, Mariners and Cubs in 2024-currentChris Clapinski (70 games): Palm Desert grad, infielder with the Marlins 1999-2000Tony Perezchica (69 games): Palm Springs grad, infielder with the Giants and Indians 1988-1992Brooks Kriske (20 games): Palm Desert grad, pitcher with the Yankees 2020-21, Orioles in 2021 and Royals in 2023Anthony Claggett (3 games): Palm Springs grad, pitcher with the Yankees and Pirates in 2009Travis Adams (1 game): Palm Desert grad, pitcher with Twins in 2025