A Heat Map for All 50 States

Using High School Locations for Nearly 12,000 Players Active in the Majors or Minors from 2011 to 2017, We Found Each State’s Rate of Pro Players per 100,000 Residents.

See the Complete Data Set

To Answer the Question, “Where Do Pro Baseball Players Come from? ”, Baseball America Crunched the Numbers. We Took a Snapshot of All Players in the Majors and Affiliated Minors from 2011 to 2017 and Determined How Many Come from Each State. to Control for Variances in State Populations, We Ranked the States by Determining the Number of Pro Players per 100,000 State Residents, According to 2017 Population Estimates by the U. S. Census Bureau. Players Are Assigned to the City and State Where They Attended High School. We Give a Nod to Each State’s Hotbed City – the One That Produced the Most Players, Which Is Denoted by a Flame on the Map.

Baseball Hotbeds: Where Do Pro Baseball Players Come from? — College Baseball, Mlb Draft, Prospects

By Elena Rostova

• Oct 8, 2026 • 3 min read

Baseball Hotbeds: Where Do Pro Baseball Players Come from? — College Baseball, Mlb Draft, Prospects

Direct Answer • Key Takeaway

Image Credit: ?? State Hotbed

Elena Rostova

Lead Health, Wellness & Medical Journalist

Elena Rostova holds a Master's degree in Public Health Journalism. She covers groundbreaking medical research, holistic wellness trends, mental health awareness, and nutritional science.

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