A full list of MLB players born in Wyoming

After taking a look at players born in Alaska earlier this week, I take a look into the 17 players to come from the least populous state in the country.

As a lifelong baseball fan, it’s always been of great interest to me to learn where players came from before becoming professionals, oftentimes including a journey that spells out the vastly different experiences one can have growing up as an athlete in the U.S.

It’s certainly no surprise that California dominates when it comes to producing MLB players – with much of the state possessing a mild winter climate, those growing up in California simply have more time to hone their skills outside than those coming from colder areas do – which helps explain why the state has produced over 1,000 more players than the next closest state.

This of course made it interesting to dive into players born in Alaska, the state that has produced the fewest MLB players thus far – a fact that I don’t think too many would find surprising. In addition to its geographic separation from the rest of the country, the state’s brutal year-round climate makes outdoor sports quite difficult in much of the state – with several of the players born in the state to make it to MLB having played high school ball in the continguous U.S.

Yet within the lower 48, there’s another state that has produced notably few MLB players over the years, also challenging young athletes with its relative geographic isolation, unfriendly climate and lack of scholastic competition.

Despite the state’s population growing by nearly 100,000 people over the last 25 years, Wyoming remains the least populous state in the country with approximately 588,753 people residing in the state as of July 2025. Cheyenne, the state’s capital and largest city, has a population of just over 65,000 – slightly more people than the population of Portage Park, Chicago, the Northwest Side neighborhood my wife and I lived in before relocating to California.

Unsurprisingly, Wyoming has been far from a baseball factory, producing just 17 MLB players over the years – though with a few more notable names than what Alaska was able to provide.

The Wyoming list is highlighted by active player and 11-year MLB veteran Brandon Nimmo, who was raised in Cheyenne and has previously talked about his unique journey to The Show from a city the vast majority of Americans will never step foot in.

While Nimmo leads the pack with nearly 28 WAR in his big-league career, other notable names include All-Stars Dick Ellsworth, Tom Browning and John Buck, with 12-year MLB outfielder Mike Devereaux also being born in the state.

As of August 2026, here’s a look at the 17 MLB players to have been born in Wyoming, listed alongside their birthplace, career years and total WAR:

1. Brandon Nimmo, Cheyenne, 2016-present: 27.94 WAR
2. Dick Ellsworth, Lusk, 1958-1971: 20.08 WAR
3. Tom Browning, Casper, 1984-1995: 19.76 WAR
4. Mike Devereaux, Casper, 1987-1998: 14.62 WAR
5. Mike Lansing, Rawlins, 1993-2001: 9.94 WAR
6. Dan Spillner, Casper, 1974-1985: 8.94 WAR
7. John Buck, Kemmerer, 2004-2014: 5.79 WAR
8. Bob Harris, Gillette, 1938-1942: 4.51 WAR
9. Bill Wilkinson, Greybull, 1985-1988: 1.84 WAR
10. Bucky Jacobsen, Riverton, 2004: 0.62 WAR
11. Jeremy Horst, Cheyenne, 2011-2013: 0.61 WAR
12. Jan Dukes, Cheyenne, 1969-1972: 0.29 WAR
13. Dennis DeBarr, Cheyenne, 1977: -0.05 WAR
14. Zach Walters, Cheyenne, 2013-2016: -0.16 WAR
15. Josh McCloskey, Laramie, 1906-1907: -0.35 WAR
16. Rick Sofield, Cheyenne, 1979-1981: -0.71 WAR
17. Robert Poinsette, Cheyenne, 1939: -0.73 WAR