LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- It's Opening Day across Major League Baseball.

The Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs officially kicked off the 2025 season last week in Tokyo, but domestically, the season starts for the other 28 teams Thursday.

Here's a rundown of some players with local connections who made MLB rosters to start the season:

University of Louisville

Will Smith | Los Angeles Dodgers: The catcher has quite a resume before he turns 30 on Friday. Smith went the season with back-to-back all-star game appearances and is a two-time World Series champion with the dynastic Dodgers. Smith once again had another productive season behind the plate, hitting 20 home runs with 75 RBI and an OPS+ of 116. On a team filled with stars, Smith holds his own as one of top-ranked catchers in baseball. The Dodgers agree. Last offseason, the Kentucky Country Day graduate signed a 10-year, $140 million contract extension.

Tyler Fitzgerald | San Francisco Giants: He will have a new position this year after the Giants signed shortstop Willy Adames. Fitzgerald, known as a utility man, played primarily shortstop last year, but he'll now move to second base. Last season, Fitzgerald won NL Rookie of the Month in July when he hit eight home runs in a 10-game span. Fitzgerald finished with a slash line of .280/.334/.497 with 15 home runs, 34 RBI and 17 stolen bases. Fitzgerald had a 136 OPS+ in 96 games.

Chad Green | Toronto Blue Jays: The reliever did well in his first full season back after Tommy John surgery. Green had a 3.21 ERA in 53.1 innings, including a career-high 17 saves, for a Blue Jays team that struggled throughout the year. Green will turn 34 years old during the season and is in his final year of a three-year contract. Depending on how the Blue Jays fare in the first few months, Green could be a coveted reliever around the trade deadline. 

Reid Detmers | Los Angeles Angels: The left-handed starter had an up-and-down year last season. He finished with a 4-9 record and 6.70 ERA in 87.1 innings despite pitching to a 3.12 ERA through his first six games. Detmers could potentially be a starter or long reliever for the Angels. 

University of Kentucky

Taylor Rogers | Cincinnati Reds: The 34-year-old was traded to the Reds this offseason. A left-handed reliever with a 2.40 ERA in 60 innings last season, he's got one more year left on a three-year, $33 million contract. Rogers adds a solid arm to the Reds' bullpen. He finished 16 games last year and has 83 career saves. 

Sean Hjelle | San Francisco Giants: He's the tallest player in the MLB at 6 feet, 11 inches. He became a dependable reliever for the Giants last season, pitching to a 3.90 ERA in 80.2 innings. Hjelle, which is pronounced "jelly," has quite a walk-up song.

Zach Pop | Toronto Blue Jays: The Canadian reliever pitched in 58 games this year, ending the year with a 5.59 ERA in 48.1 innings. Pop finished 12 games.

Bellarmine University

Brandon Pfaadt | Arizona Diamondbacks: The right-hander won a competition in spring training for the Diamondbacks' final rotation spot. Pfaadt finished 11-10 with a 4.71 ERA in 181.2 innings and 185 strikeouts last season. He had some big postseason moments during the Diamondbacks run to the World Series in 2023.

Indiana University

Kyle Schwarber | Philadelphia Phillies: He's not the stereotypical leadoff hitter — or maybe in baseball's modern era, he is. Last season, the 6-foot, 229-pound designated hitter set a record for leadoff home runs in a single season. Schwarber hit 15 first inning, leadoff homers this year, breaking Alfonso Soriano's previous record of 13 set for the Yankees in 2003. Schwarber ended the year with 38 home runs, 104 RBI and led the NL in walks. Schwarber had a slash line of .248/.366/.485 with a 137 OPS+ as the Phillies won the NL East. In the past three seasons for the Phillies, Schwarber has hit 131 home runs and driven in 302 runs.

Tim Herrin | Cleveland Guardians: The left-hander was a member of the Guardians' dominant bullpen for manager Stephen Vogt. The reliever had a 1.92 ERA in 65.2 innings as Cleveland won the AL Central. Last season, the 6-foot-6-inch Munster, Indiana, native limited left-handed hitters to a .143 average, and right-handed hitters struggled almost as much, hitting .194. 

Louisville high school products

Jo Adell | Los Angeles Angels: The outfielder from Ballard High School played 130 games, the most in his career, last season. The 10th overall pick in the 2017 MLB Draft hit 20 home runs, drove in 62 runs and stole 15 bases in 2024. He finished with a slash line of .207/.280/.402 and an OPS+ of 91, but his season ended in early September.

Trey Sweeney | Detroit Tigers: The St. Xavier High School graduate was called up in August as the Tigers surged to a postseason berth. The shortstop played in 36 games, hitting four home runs and driving in 17 runs. He keeps his rookie status this season.

Editor's note: Players on the injured list, unsigned or minor leagues were not included on this list.

Other Sports Stories:

Copyright 2025 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.