The best thing about the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game is seeing all of these talents, all of these future stars, on the field at the same time. We use the candy store kid metaphor a lot because it’s so apt.
Before you see them all at 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT) at T-Mobile Park on Saturday, July 8, you should see them all on “paper,” a metaphor that’s not so relevant these days . But you understand what matters. Find scouting reports on each organization’s Futures Game 2023 participants.
Blue Jays: Yosver Zulueta, RHP (No. 3); Sem Robberse, RHP (No. 7)
Zulueta threw a pitch (a 96.9mph fastball on a Francisco Alvarez groundout) in last year’s Futures Game and will be looking for a more robust performance this time. The 25-year-old right-hander can hit 98 but generally sits around 95-97 with his four-seamer and sinker while mixing in a mid-80s slider. Control was a big problem at Triple-A (31 walks in 37 2/3 innings) and a reason he hasn’t made his Toronto debut yet. Dutch native Robberse has gained some power to throw the low 90s in recent years and boasts a four-pitch mix to keep batsmen honest. He has a 4.54 ERA with 66 strikeouts in 67 1/3 innings at Double-A New Hampshire.
We’re running out of superlatives for our new #1 contender. Holliday, the No. 1 pick in last year’s draft, makes his first full pro ball season look easy as all five tools will help him secure promotion already and another potentially in the future. Kjerstad has put his health issues on the back burner and is making it clear that the guy we saw in the Arizona Fall League in 2022 is real by showing off his hit and power tools across two levels this year.
Caminero has been our top 100 climber for two consecutive updates based on his ability to consistently make hard contact on all fields at such a young age. At just 19, he achieved Double-A and has held his own in 23 games with a .482 slugging percentage, 19.8 percent K-rate and 123 WRC+. Likewise, Manzardo was aggressively pushed to the Triple-A by Tampa Bay to start his second full season. Unlike most first basemen, the 2021 second-rounder has a better batting tool than batting ability, but has the discipline and enough raw pop to be above average in both categories when he reaches St. Petersburg.
The Red Sox have drafted California midfielders with their first-round picks in each of the last three drafts, two of which will be in Seattle. Mayer and Yorke are double-play partners at Double-A Portland, with the former having the tools to create impact on both sides of the ball and the latter being more of an offensive second baseman. Drohan has emerged as one of the best mound contenders in the system as his skills have taken it a step further as he now operates a 92-95mph fastball and a solid transition.
Yankees: Spencer Jones, OF (#3); Clayton Beeter, RHP (#13)
Six feet tall, 225 pounds, Jones had one of the best combinations of height and athleticism in last year’s draft, picking him 25th overall from Vanderbilt and hitting 10 home runs and 18 steals in 60 High-A games. Acquired by the Dodgers in a trade for Joey Gallo last summer, Beeter boasts some of the best stuff among futures game pitchers, highlighted by a mid-’90s fastball and a mid-’80s wipeout slider.
Supervisor: Joey Cantillo, LHP (#15)
As part of Mike Clevinger’s nine-player transfer with the Padres in August 2020, Cantillo has picked up pace over the past few years and now works with a 91–95 mph, 98-touch fastball for a plus Vulcan To add change that falls on the plate.
Royals: Will Klein, RHP (No. 22)
Klein, who had a 10.51 ERA last season, has recovered incredibly well in 2023, advancing to Triple-A Omaha in his season at age 23. The 6’1″ right-hander can hit triple digits with his four-seater and generally clocks in at around 97-99 mph. He adds an upper 80s cutter and a low 80s curveball to create whiffs, and he’s hit 34.5 percent of the batters he faced this season in two upper levels of the minors.
It’s going to be a big couple of weeks for Keith as he joins Triple-A Toledo this week before heading to Seattle. The 21-year-old infielder uses his impressive strength to effortlessly generate power down the right flank, and his high dismount speeds also help him post solid batting averages. Before his promotion, he hit .325/.391/.585 with 14 homers in 59 games with Double-A Erie. Malloy, who he took over from the Braves during the offseason, remains his greatest strength, his plate discipline and his ability to walk with a .386 OBP in 72 Triple-A games. He has experience at both third base and left field, but is considered an underperforming glover who puts more pressure on the bat.
Twins: David Festa, RHP (#10)
Festa has thrown harder since breaking into pro ball from Seton Hall in 2021 and now boasts a fastball that averages over 94 mph and 98 mph along with a slider from the mid-80s and a changeup thrown at about the same rate. They missed bats by a percentage of 40 percent or more in 2023.
White Sox: Jonathan Cannon, RHP (#10)
Cannon was exactly what the White Sox were hoping for when they paid him an inflated $925,000 in the third round from Georgia last year: an advanced collegiate pitcher who throws four pitches for strikes, highlighted by an Ober -80 cutter and a 92-96 mph sinker.
Only 20 years old, Quero is holding his own after an aggressive jump to the Double-A earlier this year, showing his advanced approach to the plate and ability to make a lot of contact from either side of the plate while also maintaining his defense improved behind the plate . Paris can play both middle infield positions well and, thanks to the added strength, has an interesting power-speed combination that’s already hit double digits in home runs and steals in Double-A this year.
This is Soderstrom’s second trip to the Futures Game (2021) and he brings with him a very strong offensive profile, particularly a powerful record that led to 29 home runs in 2022 and allowed him to continue hitting the ball hard in triple-A Las Vegas in this one Season. Butler has good speed and power across the board, with a 20-20 potential, and he did a good job of further refining his approach in his first Double-A taste of the year.
Gilbert, a sparkplug man who quickly found his way to Double-A, finished 28th overall in last year’s draft from Tennessee and has a 20-20 lead while playing good midfield.
Sir Harry, the World Baseball Classic standout for Great Britain, is allowed to bring his five-man potential behind the court to what he hopes will be his home ground in the future. Ford has raw right-side pop and plus speed. Speaking of speed, Clase is one of baseball’s faster youngsters, one who has clinched 55 sacks in 2022 and already has 42 this year while capitalizing on his surprising pop on the plate.
White, the top-ranked pitcher on the American League roster, has evolved into an athletic four-pitch right-hander who can achieve at least a plus grade at his best since he signed as a second-round pick from a North Carolina high school in 2018 .
Braves: Spencer Schwellenbach, RHP (#6)
Schwachenbach, a talented two-way player in Nebraska, had surgery from Tommy John right after the Braves got him, so he’s throwing for the first time this year, showing a three-pitch mix (fastball, slider, changeup), everything can be at least above average. He also throws strikes, giving him a chance to start in college after his relief.
Marlins: Nasim Nuñez, SS (#20); Patrick Monteverde, LHP (#28)
Nuñez is one of the Minors’ best defenders and prolific base stealers, and the 2019 Georgia prepster second-rounder also pulls plenty of walks to make up for the lack of power. An eighth-round and fifth-year graduate of Texas Tech in 2021, Monteverde ranks seventh among the Minors in ERA (2.13) thanks to his ability to change speeds and work both corners of the plate.
Mets: Mike Vasil, RHP (No. 8)
While there was a huge focus on the at-bats in the New York system, Vasil soon proved to be a viable pitching option for the big club. The 2021 eight-rounder works his four-seater in the 93-95 mph range, tops out at 96 and works with an upper 80 slider and low 80 curveball to throw the batsmen off balance. His .84 WHIP for Binghamton — aided by just eight walks in 51 innings — led all Double-A pitchers before joining Triple-A Syracuse this month.
Wood is one of the top five tool talents heading to Seattle this year. He gets his best marks for the power and speed he’ll show with his 1.80 meter physique. The 20-year-old has made the Harrisburg Double-A and is on track to play at least one 20-20 season with 12 home runs and 13 steals in 66 games across two tiers. House — the 11th overall pick of 2021 — saw his stocks drop last year due to a back injury, but is healthy and productive this season, climbing to High-A three weeks ago. At six feet tall, the right-handed racquet has at least a plus in pop potential, and his powerful throwing arm has helped him transition from short to third throws with ease.
While Abel still has to hone his skills, he shows why his straight performances in the Double-A made him a first-round pick this year by leading with a triple-digit fastball and an average speed of 96.6mph . Its heater is complemented by a slider that flashes plus and has missed bats by a rate of 45 percent this year. Crawford, the club’s first-rounder last year, broke through immediately (literally, using his 70-degree speed to hit 32 bases) with his stellar approach and talent for making a ton of contacts ).
Milwaukee boasts one of the busiest futures game classes of 2023, highlighted by 19-year-old Chourio making his second FG appearance. The Venezuelan native has at least more power and more speed, both of which he demonstrates in the Double-A competition against much more advanced competition. Quero is a defensive wizard behind the plate that NL pitchers would love to work with, and AL runners might want to think twice about testing on the basepaths. With 10 double-A homers this season, he might as well hit a ball or two on the plate. Misiorowski, a 2022 second round player, shows nasty stuff with an upper 90s fastball and a mid 80s slider that can make batsmen look stupid. At 6’1″ tall, control can be an issue, but the stuff could delight everyone in attendance.
The only gripe I have with Folge is that he’s not really deep into the games yet, but since everyone in Seattle will be at tight limits, that won’t be a problem there. Instead, he brings some of the best pure stuff to the showcase, including a mid-’90s fastball and a whole bunch of above-average off-speed stuff in his curve, slider, and changeup. Scott will be one of the fastest Futures Game participants this year. How fast? He has been leading the Minors with 50 steals since Tuesday.
Crow-Armstrong was acquired by the Mets in 2021 in a trade with Javier Báez and Trevor Williams. He is the Minors’ most dynamic outfield defender and continues to display higher offensive performance than originally expected. Murray has displayed one of the best combinations of power potential and plate discipline in the system since the Cubs drafted him in the 15th round from Florida Atlantic two years ago.
As if the Reds need yet another prospect to knock on the door to the big league, Marte has just climbed up to the Triple-A and at 21 has taken his easy, gritty pop to the highest level of the Minors while continuing to walk draws and plays in both positions on the left side of the infield.
As a catcher in MLB Pipeline’s 2022 Prospect Team of the Year, Rodríguez has a chance to be a true run producer with the ability to hit average and powerful. He also continues to show his versatility on the defensive end, getting most of his reps behind plate this year but also folding at first base. Massey was the club’s seventh-round pick last year and has featured a fastball that can go up to 97mph and two breaking pitches in a slider that can go up to 86mph and a slightly slower turn with more vertical break ability to miss at-bats, recently proven a promotion up to High-A Greensboro.
The Double-A-Amarillo double-play partnership makes their way to the Futures Game together. Lawlar is in the midst of his hottest month of the season yet, batting .325/.378/.602 in 19 games in June — numbers that are fine for someone of his skills as a potential hitter with above-average hitting power. He’ll also be a plus for the NL team, and with 20 steals this season, he should be a threat on the basepaths. Bliss has been one of Double-A’s most prolific hitters this season after adjusting at the plate in 2022 to reduce the steep angle of his swing. The 23-year-old second baseman, who is also an above-average runner, is The Sod Poodles are .350/.396/.581 with 11 homers and 21 steals this season.
The Dodgers’ top pick (round two) of 2022, Rushing is a Louisville product that combines hitting ability, power and plate discipline and should be able to stay behind the plate.
The Giants have two of the six lefties on the Top 100 Prospects list and are sending both of them to Seattle. Harrison, a 2020 third-round player from a California high school, has better clean stuff (mid-’90s fastball with great carry, plus low-’80s sliders, solid mid-’80s switches). Whisenhunt, a 2023 second-round player from East Carolina, is more polished and has one of the best substitutions in the minors.
San Diego is sending its face of the farming system to Seattle. The 27th overall winner of 2021 took some time to familiarize himself with Midwest League weather on his first trip to High-A, but is averaging .297 since the start with just a 12 percent K-Rate and a solid 114 wRC+ in 42 allowed to play. The 20-year-old shortstop is considered a future plus-hitter with the ability to cover the zone and spread the ball all over the field, and he’s moving well enough to stay in the premium position of the six.
At just 20 years old, Fernandez just broke into the top 100, and with good reason. Recently promoted to Double-A while developing into a legitimate run producer with tremendous raw power, one that fits well into the corner outfield profile and might remind some of Yordan Alvarez.