Dirtbags Well Represented On MLB Opening Day

LONG BEACH, Calif.—With Major League Baseball's Opening Day on Thursday, Mar. 26, you will find three former Long Beach State players on active MLB Rosters.

Jarren Duran returns to the Boston Red Sox, where he earned All-Star Game MVP honors. He finished eighth in the AL MVP voting after hitting .285 with 24 home runs, 75 RBI, and 111 runs. Duran led MLB in plate appearances (735), at-bats (675), and doubles (48). He tied for the Major League lead in triples with 14.

Garrett Hampson made the Arizona Diamondbacks major league roster after signing a minor league deal with the team in January 2025. Hampson played 113 games last season for the Kansas City Royals, posting a slash line of .230/.275/.300.

Jeff McNeil starts the season on the active roster for the New York Mets despite suffering from a mild oblique injury. McNeil appeared in 129 games in 2024 for the Mets, hitting .238 with 12 home runs and 44 RBI. After the 2024 All-Star break, McNeil hit .289 with seven home runs, posting a .547 on-base percentage.

In addition to the players, five LBSU alumni are on the sidelines to begin the 2025 MLB campaign.

Brandon Hyde enters his seventh season as the Baltimore Orioles' manager. Hyde will look to lead the Orioles back to the postseason for the third consecutive season with over 400 career victories as the Baltimore skipper.

The Athletics feature a pair of former Dirtbags' as coaches. Bobby Crosby begins his second season as first base coach, while Eric Martins starts his second season as third base coach and sixth overall with the club.

Cesár Ramos begins his second season as the Philadelphia Phillies' bullpen coach. Finally, Yosuke Nakajima will again serve as the assistant athletic trainer for the defending World Champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers.

~#LongBeachBuilt~

Long Beach State University Athletics

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