ARLINGTON, Texas – First held in 1999, the All-Star Futures Game has long been an annual showcase for the game’s top prospects, who are invited to participate in an innings exhibition. seven as one of the first events of All-Star weekend. .
In 2024, for the first time, MLB introduced a new feature beyond the exhibition game: a hitting tournament featuring a selection of eight young hitters who showcase their offensive skills and earning points. around three different stages.
Here are five Futures Players who stood out on All-Star Saturday at Globe Life Field:
Roman Anthony’s Red Sox
Let’s start with the winner of the inaugural Talent Show, a 20-year-old player who was one of those expected to break out in 2023. Despite his low scores in the first two seasons, focusing on hitting the balls to the target and certain areas. On the field, his early struggles dissipated when he caught fire in the third and final game, focusing on a much lighter task: hitting the underdogs. His streak of consecutive runs gave Anthony enough bonus points to make a furious comeback to the top of the leaderboard, and he got the crowd in attendance excited to go through the previous stages. What a strange thing: People just want to watch now!
It was a notable display of strength for a prospect known for his all-around offensive prowess and not just on tape. Anthony has only 10 home runs in 66 Double-A games this season but has 15 doubles and a .350 OBP as one of the youngest players in the Eastern League, which is a reflection of his offensive ability. Along with catcher Kyle Teel and shortstop Marcelo Mayer — also in Arlington for the Futures Game festivities — Anthony is the third member of a trio of players slated to arrive in Boston sometime in 2025.
Reds 3B Cam Collier
Despite being two years removed from being Cincinnati’s first-round pick in 2022, Collier was still one of the youngest players on the Futures League roster, as he doesn’t turn 20 until November . The son of Lou Collier, a former major league pitcher, Cam graduated high school early and enrolled at a small college in Florida, where he was able to raise his stock against the competition. old – similar to the path taken by Bryce Harper, although he was much lower. . The strategy generally worked: Despite falling to the 18th pick, Collier received the 10th-highest signing bonus on his team ($5M) as one of the players more promising than available. His early returns in pro ball were mixed, but his home run to open the scoring in the Futures Game was enough to earn him the game’s MVP award.
In just two plate appearances, Collier’s performance was a solid example of why there is reason to be excited about his potential and reason to be skeptical. In his first at-bat, he slugged a 94 mph fastball from the Angels’ Caden Dana into the bullpen in right-center field, a 405-foot single to give the NL lead 1-0. That’s a common sight for Collier in the first half, as his 13 strikeouts rank third in the High-A Midwest League, a stellar mark for one of the few youngsters in the rotation.
However, in his second game, Collier struck out White Sox southpaw Noah Schultz in an inning in which Schultz had allowed three hits and a walk, a stark reminder of those struggles. Collier’s stats against lefties this season: He’s hitting .128/.171/.218 in 82 plate appearances compared to a .269/.355/.472 line in 248 plate appearances against correct. Collier’s ability to reach his power in games appears to be improving, but how his overall hitting tool improves against big pitches in the coming years will go a long way toward determining his potential. they are a major league player.
Mets RHP Brandon Sproat
New York’s second-round pick out of the University of Florida in 2023 — and, ironically, its third-round pick in 2022, when he opted not to sign and instead returned to school for his senior year high – Sproat threw two of the hardest pitches. of the Futures Game, with sinkers at third base of 99.2 mph. He also bowled a four-seamer that peaked at 98.9, making him the latest hard-hitting pitcher to feature two different balls on top of his arsenal.
Sproat has been one of the most productive starting prospects in the minors this season, with his 1.71 ERA and .167 batting average against both ranking third among all minor league arms with and at least 70 innings. His progress toward becoming a 100-hit prospect is a major development for a Mets farm system hungry for impact.
It’s RHP Luis Morales
Morales, a 21-year-old right-hander, ranks behind Sproat in second-fastest in the game, with his two best fastballs clocking in at 99.1 mph. He received the highest signing bonus ($3M) of any international student in his class when he signed with Oakland out of Cuba a few years ago, and things they have been evident since he began his work.
In addition to his superior heat, Morales can also spin it the best. His slider registered a rate of 2,998, the highest of any in the Futures game, and his slider and curveball averaged 2,900 RPM, which would be among of the best in MLB. While he’s in High-A and making only short snaps as he slowly builds up his workload, Morales is probably a few years away from getting the A’s. That said, he clearly has one of the highest ceilings of any pitcher in the Oakland system.
Braves C Drake Baldwin
In the top of the sixth inning, Baldwin hit the second home run of the game to left field, an impressive, 107.5 mph outfield hit — the fastest ever. to any ball. This year’s Future Game. My favorite in the 2022 Draft, Baldwin has risen through the minor leagues quickly and was promoted to Triple-A last month. The timing of the promotion seemed odd, considering he had a .650 OPS in 52 games at Double-A, but apparently Atlanta had seen enough to believe that Baldwin could handling and jumping.
And it turns out they were right: Baldwin hit .309/.440/.532 in 24 Triple-A contests, with more walks than strikeouts. In the Braves’ relatively shallow farm system in need of position players, Baldwin has emerged as perhaps the most promising bat. As for whether he will eventually replace Sean Murphy as Atlanta’s primary center or be traded for a critical position of need? That is a question for another day.
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