If you want to see recent or even current major leaguers playing baseball in Tucson, head to Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium this weekend.
Kino is the site of the inaugural cross-border International Series featuring two teams from the Mexican Pacific Winter League: Aguilas de Mexicali and Yaquis de Obregon. The series runs Friday-Sunday.
Both rosters are dotted with MLB players of the past and present. Mexicali’s roster includes infielder Alex Mejia, who helped the University of Arizona win the 2012 College World Series before spending part of one season with the St. Louis Cardinals. Obregon’s roster includes former Cardinals pitcher Carlos Martinez, a two-time National League All-Star.
Former Arizona shortstop Alex Mejia dives to try to stop a hit in a College World Series game in Omaha, Neb., on June 21, 2012. Mejia would help the Wildcats win the CWS. He currently plays for Aguilas de Mexicali, which will participate in the International Series at Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium Friday-Sunday.
In all, 17 current or former MLB players have played for the two teams at some point this season, according to Baseball Reference. Here’s the rundown:
Aguilas de Mexicali
LHP Clayton Andrews
MLB team(s): Milwaukee Brewers (2023), New York Yankees (2024)
MLB stats: 5 G, 0-1 W-L, 27.00 ERA, 5 K in 3⅔ IP
Notable: Andrews — listed at 5-6, 160 pounds — played at Long Beach State and was drafted twice, first by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 40th round in 2017 and then by the Brewers in the 17th round in ’18.
OF Wynton Bernard
MLB team(s): Colorado Rockies (2022)
MLB stats: .286 AVG, 3 RBI, 3 SB in 42 AB
Notable: Bernard was the San Diego Padres’ 35th-round pick in the 2012 MLB Draft out of Niagara University in Lewiston, New York.
OF Conner Capel
MLB team(s): St. Louis Cardinals (2022), Oakland Athletics (2022-23), Cincinnati Reds (2024)
MLB stats: .278 AVG, .398 OBP, 3 HR, 14 RBI, 7 SB in 133 AB
Notable: Capel was a fifth-round pick of the then-Cleveland Indians in 2016 out of Seven Lakes High School in Katy, Texas.
RHP Jesus Cruz
MLB team(s): St. Louis Cardinals (2020), Atlanta Braves (2022)
MLB stats: 8 G, 0-0 W-L, 7.45 ERA, 8 K in 9⅔ IP
Notable: Cruz has played for 23 teams across nine professional seasons, accumulating a 22-29 record with a 4.13 ERA and 20 saves.
RHP Adrian Martinez
MLB team(s): Oakland Athletics (2022-23)
MLB stats: 34 G, 4-8 W-L, 5.51 ERA, 100 K in 112⅔ IP
Notable: Signed as a free agent by the Padres in 2015, Martinez was part of a ’22 trade that sent LHP Sean Manaea from Oakland to San Diego.
IF Alex Mejia
St. Louis Cardinals infielder Alex Mejia, right, is congratulated by Stephen Piscotty after hitting a solo home run during the eighth inning of their game against the Washington Nationals on July 1, 2017, in St. Louis. It was the only home run of Mejia's MLB career.
MLB team(s): St. Louis Cardinals (2017)
MLB stats: .109 AVG, 1 HR, 3 RBI in 46 AB
Notable: Mejia was the Cardinals’ fourth-round pick in 2012 out of Arizona, where he was the starting shortstop for the 2012 CWS champion Wildcats and batted .357 in his final season.
IF Jonathan Ornelas
MLB team(s): Texas Rangers (2023-24)
MLB stats: .205 AVG, 2 2B, 3 RBI in 44 AB
Notable: The Rangers selected Ornelas in the third round of the 2018 draft out of Raymond S. Kellis High School in Glendale.
Eli Villalobos
MLB team(s): Miami Marlins (2024)
MLB stats: 3 G, 0-0 W-L, 2.08 ERA, 3 K in 4⅓ IP
Notable: Villalobos was the Marlins’ 14th-round pick in the 2018 draft out of Long Beach State; he subsequently signed with and was released by the Detroit Tigers
Yaquis de Obregon
OF Anthony Alford
MLB team(s): Toronto Blue Jays (2017-20), Pittsburgh Pirates (2020-22)
MLB stats: .209 AVG, 8 HR, 20 RBI, 11 SB in 220 AB
Notable: The Blue Jays selected Alford in the third round of the 2012 draft out of Petal (Mississippi) High School; he has had stints with three other organizations.
IF Jonathan Arauz
MLB team(s): Boston Red Sox (2020-22), Baltimore Orioles (2022), New York Mets (2023)
MLB stats: .184 AVG, 8 HR, 31 RBI in 234 AB
Notable: Arauz originally signed with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2014 and was part of the ’15 trade that sent Ken Giles from the Phillies to the Houston Astros.
RHP Luis Cessa
MLB team(s): New York Yankees (2016-21), Cincinnati Reds (2021-23)
MLB stats: 208 G, 17-22 W-L, 4.43 ERA, 4 saves, 331 K in 425 IP
Notable: Cessa signed with the New York Mets as a free agent in 2008 and was part of three trades from 2015-21, eventually landing with the Reds.
OF Allen Cordoba
MLB team(s): San Diego Padres (2017)
MLB stats: .208 AVG, 4 HR, 15 RBI, 2 SB in 202 AB
Notable: Cordoba signed with the St. Louis Cardinals as a free agent in 2013 and was acquired by the Padres in 2016 via the Rule 5 Draft.
RHP Odrisamer Despaigne
MLB team(s): San Diego Padres (2014-15), Baltimore Orioles (2016), Miami Marlins (2016-18), Los Angeles Angels (2018), Chicago White Sox (2019)
Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Carl Edwards Jr. throws against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the eighth inning of their game on Aug. 16, 2018, in Pittsburgh.
MLB stats: 109 G, 13-26 W-L, 5.11 ERA, 224 K in 363 IP
Notable: Despaigne played eight seasons in his native Cuba before signing with the Padres in May 2014; he made his MLB debut in June of ’14.
RHP Carl Edwards Jr.
MLB team(s): Chicago Cubs (2015-19), San Diego Padres (2019, 2024), Seattle Mariners (2020), Atlanta Braves (2021), Toronto Blue Jays (2021), Washington Nationals (2022-23)
MLB stats: 296 G, 16-14 W-L, 3.54 ERA, 7 saves, 328 K in 280 IP
Notable: The Texas Rangers’ 48th-round pick in 2011 out of Mid-Carolina High School in Prosperity, South Carolina, Edwards was traded in 2013 to Chicago, where he helped the Cubs win the World Series three years later.
LHP Arturo Lopez
MLB team(s): San Diego Padres (2009)
St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Carlos Martinez, right, celebrates with catcher Yadier Molina after the final out of a 9-7 victory over the Diamondbacks on Sept. 23, 2019, in Phoenix.
MLB stats: 4 G, 0-0 W-L, 19.29 ERA in 2⅓ IP
Notable: Lopez signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers as a free agent in 2001; he has compiled 162 wins and 1,813 strikeouts across 23 seasons of professional baseball.
RHP Carlos Martinez
MLB team(s): St. Louis Cardinals (2013-21)
MLB stats: 274 G, 62-52 W-L, 3.74 ERA, 31 saves, 927 K in 967 IP
Notable: After his free-agent contract with the Boston Red Sox was voided, Martinez signed with St. Louis, where he made the All-Star team in 2015 and ’17; Martinez went 50-33 from 2015-18.
1B/OF Sam Travis
MLB team(s): Boston Red Sox (2017-19)
MLB stats: .230 AVG, 7 HR, 24 RBI in 256 AB
Notable: Boston’s second-round pick in 2014 out of Indiana, Travis spent six years in the Red Sox organization before being traded to the Texas Rangers in January 2020.
