The High Desert has produced its share of baseball talent over the years.
From major league all-stars and World Series champions to record-setting high school stars and longtime major league coaches, local diamonds have served as the launching pad for remarkable careers at every level of the game.
Last month, Daily Press readers voted on the High Desert football player who left the greatest legacy. Now it’s baseball’s turn.
Who do you believe left the biggest impact on baseball in the High Desert?
Vote in our poll below!
Aaron Sanchez
Few High Desert baseball players have reached the heights that Sanchez achieved.
A two-time Daily Press Baseball Player of the Year, Sanchez dominated both on the mound and at the plate for Barstow High School. As a junior, the pitcher and shortstop batted .542 with 14 home runs, 34 RBIs and a staggering .972 slugging percentage while striking out 74 batters in 45 ⅓ innings. His senior season was even better, as he posted a perfect 7-0 record with a 0.73 ERA and 104 strikeouts in 57 2/3 innings while hitting .403.
His talent was impossible to ignore. The Toronto Blue Jays selected Sanchez with the 34th overall pick in the first round of the 2010 MLB Draft.
Sanchez debuted in the major leagues on July 23, 2014, against the Boston Red Sox. His breakthrough season came in 2016 when he earned an American League All-Star selection after leading the league with a 15-2 record while compiling a 3.00 ERA and 161 strikeouts over 192 innings.
After a trade to Houston in 2019, Sanchez threw the first six innings of a combined no-hitter against the Seattle Mariners.
Sanchez is still pitching. He signed a minor league deal with the Kansas City Royals earlier this season after pitching in the Dominican League, where in eight starts had a 4-2 record with a 1.55 ERA. This season, named the International League Player of the Week between May 4 to 10 after tossing six scoreless innings with eight strikeouts.
In his major league career, Sanchez has a 38-38 record, a 4.16 ERA and 541 strikeouts over 113 starts.
Amir Garrett
Although Garrett spent his high school years in Las Vegas, his roots trace back to the High Desert.
Born in Victorville and raised in Barstow, Garrett emerged as a gifted two-sport athlete who excelled in both basketball and baseball. His athleticism eventually led him to St. John’s University, where he balanced both sports before committing fully to baseball.
The Cincinnati Reds selected Garrett in the 22nd round of the 2011 MLB Draft, and after several years developing through the minor leagues, he made his major league debut on April 7, 2017. Garrett impressed immediately, tossing six scoreless innings while allowing just two hits against the St. Louis Cardinals.
His best season came in 2019 when he became one of the Reds’ most reliable relievers. Garrett posted a 5-3 record with a 3.21 ERA and 78 strikeouts in 56 innings while establishing himself as a high-leverage bullpen arm. He later recorded seven saves during the 2021 season.
Garrett also spent time with the Kansas City Royals and Los Angeles Angels. He remains active in professional baseball, currently pitching in Mexico for the Charros de Jalisco.
Chris Smith
Smith proved that not every path to the major leagues begins with high school stardom.
While attending Hesperia High School, where he is currently a coach, Smith earned All-Mojave River League second-team honors as a pitcher, but few would have predicted he would eventually reach the highest level of professional baseball.
His breakthrough came at UC Riverside, where he developed into one of the nation’s top pitchers. After recording 127 strikeouts during his junior season, Smith was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the fourth round of the 2002 MLB Draft.
Smith made his major league debut on June 21, 2008, entering a game against the St. Louis Cardinals with the bases loaded. Over the next decade, he spent parts of five seasons in the majors with the Red Sox, Milwaukee Brewers and Oakland Athletics.
One of the most memorable moments of his career came in 2017 when he pitched six innings of a combined no-hitter in the minor leagues. Smith finished his career with 112 strikeouts across 148 innings pitched in the major leagues.
Craig Van Hulzen
No baseball player from the High Desert owns a more untouchable high school record than Van Hulzen.
Pitching before the era of modern pitch counts and innings restrictions, the Apple Valley Christian star overwhelmed hitters throughout his four-year varsity career. His 646 career strikeouts remain the California state record and rank sixth all-time nationally.
Van Hulzen’s senior season was one for the history books. He struck out 216 batters, the sixth-highest single-season total in state history, and capped his career by fanning 19 hitters in a one-hit victory over Linfield Christian that secured Apple Valley Christian’s first league championship while establishing him as California’s all-time strikeout leader.
Major programs such as Cal State Fullerton, Arizona and San Diego pursued him, and professional scouts showed significant interest. However, Van Hulzen chose college baseball at Point Loma Nazarene over signing professionally.
Unfortunately, injuries, including a torn rotator cuff, derailed a promising future. While he never reached the major leagues, his accomplishments remain among the greatest ever recorded by a California high school pitcher.
Dan Norman
Norman was among the first High Desert products to establish himself in Major League Baseball.
A graduate of Kennedy High School in Barstow, Norman earned All-CIF honors after batting .453 as a senior in 1973. Following a season at Barstow College, he was selected in the 15th round of the 1974 MLB Draft by the Cincinnati Reds.
Norman’s career took an interesting turn in 1977 when he became part of one of baseball’s most famous trades. He was included in the blockbuster deal that sent Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver from the New York Mets to the Cincinnati Reds.
Later that season, Norman made his major league debut with the Mets against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He hit his first career home run on Sept. 6, 1978, and spent parts of five seasons in the major leagues with the Mets and Montreal Expos.
By the end of his career, Norman had totaled 11 home runs and 37 RBIs, becoming one of the early trailblazers for High Desert players with major league aspirations.
Derrin Ebert
Few pitchers in Hesperia High School history were as dominant as Ebert.
The left-hander finished his senior season with a 9-1 record and an eye-popping 0.51 ERA. He also put together a 33-inning scoreless streak and appeared destined for a standout collegiate career after committing to Cal State Fullerton.
Instead, professional baseball came calling. The Atlanta Braves selected Ebert in the 18th round of the 1994 MLB Draft, and he chose to begin his professional career immediately.
Ebert reached the major leagues on April 6, 1999, recording a three-inning save against the Philadelphia Phillies in his debut. Although his major league playing career lasted only five appearances, his impact on professional baseball continued long after he stopped pitching.
Ebert transitioned into coaching and spent more than a decade developing pitchers throughout the minor leagues. He later joined the Cincinnati Reds’ major league staff before moving into a player development role with the Los Angeles Angels organization.
Interestingly to note, Ebert appeared in the 2011 film “Moneyball” as former Oakland pitcher Mike Magnante.
Dino Ebel
Ebel never played in the major leagues, but few High Desert natives have left a larger mark on professional baseball.
A 1984 Barstow High School graduate, Ebel starred as both a pitcher and hitter. As a senior, he earned San Andreas League co-MVP honors after going 7-2 with a 2.78 ERA while batting .409 with six home runs and 19 RBIs.
After six seasons in the Dodgers’ minor league system, Ebel transitioned into coaching and management. He spent eight seasons managing in the minors, compiling a 531-496 record while developing future major league talent.
Ebel eventually reached the big leagues with the Angels, where he served as third-base coach, bench coach and even acting manager at times. Since joining the Dodgers in 2019, he has helped the franchise capture three World Series championships.
Beyond his coaching duties, Ebel has become one of baseball’s most recognizable figures during the Home Run Derby. He has pitched to Vladimir Guerrero Sr., Albert Pujols, Joc Pederson and Teoscar Hernandez, helping Hernandez capture the 2024 title. He also served on Team USA’s coaching staff during the World Baseball Classic.
Jason Thompson
When discussing the greatest baseball player to ever come out of the High Desert, Thompson’s name is usually at the center of the conversation.
The Apple Valley High School graduate earned All-Golden League and All-CIF honors as both a pitcher and first baseman. He threw two no-hitters during his prep career and hit .368 while helping establish Apple Valley as one of the area’s top programs.
Drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the fourth round of the 1975 MLB Draft out of Cal State Northridge, Thompson wasted little time making an impact. He collected a hit in his major league debut and quickly became one of baseball’s most feared power hitters.
Nicknamed “Rooftop” Thompson because of his towering home runs, he blasted 31 home runs and drove in 105 runs during his breakout 1977 season with Detroit. He later matched that home run total in 1982 with the Pittsburgh Pirates, earning his third All-Star selection.
Thompson finished his career with 208 home runs, 782 RBIs and a .261 batting average. His 24.9 career WAR is the highest of any High Desert player to reach the major leagues, making him arguably the most accomplished player the region has ever produced.
Jason Vargas
No High Desert pitcher spent more time in the major leagues than Vargas.
After beginning his prep career at Victor Valley High School before transferring to Apple Valley, Vargas established himself as one of the area’s most decorated players. He earned All-State, All-Area and All-League honors while finishing his high school career with a 20-10 record, a 1.50 ERA and 272 strikeouts. At the plate, he hit .450 with 12 home runs and 78 RBIs.
The Florida Marlins selected Vargas in the second round of the 2004 MLB Draft out of Long Beach State, and he made his major league debut the following season.
Vargas went on to pitch 14 seasons in the majors for seven different organizations. His greatest accomplishment came in 2014 when he became the only High Desert graduate to appear in a World Series game, pitching for the Kansas City Royals against the San Francisco Giants.
He earned his lone All-Star selection in 2017 at age 34 after leading the American League with 18 victories. By the time he retired, Vargas had compiled a 99-99 career record, a 4.29 ERA and 1,147 strikeouts across 1,643 innings. His 16.8 WAR remains the highest of any High Desert pitcher.
Ryan Christenson
Christenson built an impressive baseball career both on the field and in the dugout.
As a senior at Apple Valley High School, Christenson earned San Andreas League MVP honors after batting .395 with three home runs, 27 RBIs and 13 stolen bases. He was equally effective on the mound, posting a 9-1 record with a 1.71 ERA.
After walking on at Pepperdine University, Christenson developed into an All-American and caught the attention of professional scouts. The Oakland Athletics selected him in the 10th round of the 1995 MLB Draft.
Christenson made his major league debut on April 20, 1998, and hit his first home run just eight days later. He went on to play six seasons in the major leagues with the Athletics, Diamondbacks, Brewers and Rangers, including time with the 2001 World Series champion Arizona Diamondbacks organization.
His baseball career flourished after retirement. Christenson worked his way through the coaching ranks before becoming Oakland’s bench coach in 2018. He later served as bench coach with the San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants before returning to the Athletics as first-base coach this season.
Few High Desert baseball figures can match Christenson’s longevity and influence at both the playing and coaching levels.
USA TODAY 250 for 250: Who do you think is the best of the best?
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Vote: Who is the best High Desert baseball player of all time?
Reporting by Jose Quintero, Victorville Daily Press / Victorville Daily Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
