Making the All-Time New Mexico MLB Team

Albuquerque Journal's all-time New Mexico MLB team features Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner and active star Alex Bregman. The lineup showcases a mix of talented players who have made significant contributions to the sport.

Mitch Garver, a catcher with Seattle, is one of seven natives of New Mexico who has played in the big leagues this season. He has the distinction of being the starting backstop of the mythical all-time MLB team of players born in New Mexico.

Here's the all-time team with birthplace, position, and years played in the big leagues, along with a proposed batting order:

Vern Stephens (McAllister, shortstop, 1941-55): A veteran infielder, he played in 1720 games - the most by a native of New Mexico. He was the leadoff hitter for the Orioles in their first home game in Baltimore in 1954.

Fred Haney (Albuquerque, second base, 1922-29): He played for the Tigers, Red Sox, Cubs, and Cardinals, boasting a lifetime batting average of .275. The versatile baseball lifer shows up twice more on our list.

Alex Bregman (Albuquerque, third base, 2016 to present): He helped the Astros win the World Series twice and returned to the playoffs last October with the Red Sox. Now with the Cubs, his 214 career homers as of June 7 is third among New Mexico natives.

Ralph Kiner (Santa Rita, left field, 1946-55): The lefty slugger led the National League in home runs for seven straight seasons with the Pirates and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1975.

Cody Ross (Portales, center field, 2003-15): He won a World Series ring with the Giants in 2010 and his 132 homers is fourth among New Mexico natives.

Mitch Garver (Albuquerque, catcher, 2017 to present): The former La Cueva High and New Mexico star was with Texas when the Rangers won the World Series in 2023.

Jordan Pacheco (Albuquerque, designated hitter, 2011-16): He broke into the majors in 2011 with Colorado and also played for Arizona and Cincinnati, featuring a two-hit MLB debut with the Rockies.

Billy McMillon (Alamogordo, right field, 1996-2004): He was born in New Mexico but grew up in South Carolina and starred in college at Clemson, playing in six seasons but never in more than 66 contests in one year.

Chuck Stevens (Van Houten, first base, 1941-48): Stevens played in 211 games in the majors and had bit roles in two baseball movies, 'The Stratton Story' (1949) and 'The Winning Team' (1952).

Trevor Rogers (Carlsbad, starting pitcher, 2020 to present): The lefty was an American League All-Star in 2021 with the Marlins and was one of the top pitchers in the league with the Orioles last season.

Wade Blasingame (Deming, starting pitcher, 1963-72): He appeared in 222 games with 128 starts and a record of 46-51 with an ERA of 4.52 with Montreal, Atlanta, Houston, and the Yankees.

Duane Ward (Park View aka Los Ojos, relief pitcher, 1986-95): He won a World Series with the Blue Jays in 1992 and 1993, featuring 121 saves in the majors.

Steve Ontiveros (Tularosa, relief pitcher, 1985-2000): Drafted by Oakland out of the University of Michigan, he pitched in 207 games in the majors, with 73 starts and 19 saves.

Mike Dunn (Farmington, relief pitcher, 2009-19): Dunn pitched in 555 games in the majors - the most of a pitcher born in New Mexico, featuring three games in the 2010 playoffs with the Braves.

Ken Giles (Albuquerque, relief pitcher, 2014-22): The right-hander was drafted by the Marlins out of Rio Grande High but opted to attend college in Arizona, breaking in with the Phillies in 2014.

Fred Haney (manager): He guided the St. Louis Browns from 1939-41, the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1953-55, and the Milwaukee Braves from 1956-59, showcasing the only native of New Mexico to manage in the majors.

The seven current MLB players from New Mexico include Alex Bregman, Mitch Garver, Spencer Arrighetti (Astros), Mitchell Parker (Nationals), Chase Silseth (Angels), Josh Ekness (Marlins), and more.

Other notable contributions from the Albuquerque Journal include recent news on local and regional topics, sports updates, and insights into the New Mexico community.