2019 MLB Futures Game Breakdown: The NL Hitters
The 2019 MLB Futures Game will take place on Sunday, July 7th at Cleveland’s Progressive Field. Gone is the World vs USA format that had long outlived its usefulness in what has long been a global sport. Regardless of the format of the competition, we will still get a chance to see some of MLB’s very best prospects face off against one another. Here is the NL Futures Game hitters breakdown. We also have insights on NL Pitchers, AL Hitters, and AL Pitchers. Within each of the prospect breakdowns, you will find the players position, their organizational affiliation, their current minor league level, my grades for each of their offerings, and the rankings relative to their peers (Top 100, within the organization, and at their position) as decided by Baseball America’s latest release and MLB’s prospect pipeline.
CATCHERS
Joey Bart, C, San Francisco Giants A+
12/15/96 Power: 60 Field: 60 Arm: 60 Hit: 50
BA #14 MLB #19. SF BA #1 MLB #1 C BA #1 MLB #1
Joey Bart was drafted with the 2nd overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft by the San Francisco Giants. He was the ACC Player of the Year in 2018 for Georgia Tech and signed for the largest bonus given to a position player. Since signing with the Giants he has impressed with his bat, leadership, and defensive ability. He has hit .283/.348/.553 with 19 home runs through 80 career games. Earlier this season, he broke his catching hand on a hit by pitch and didn’t return until June 4th. Joey Bart seems like the type of player who will move quickly and he has a good chance to make it to the majors sometime next year. He is the #1 Catching prospect in all of baseball and the top prospect of the San Francisco Giants according to Baseball America and mlbpipeline.
Miguel Amaya, C, Chicago Cubs A+
3/9/99 Field: 60. Arm: 55. Hit: 50. Power: 50
BA #NR. MLB #76. CHC BA #2 MLB #4 C BA #6 MLB #4
Miguel Amaya was one of the top international signings out of Panama during the 2015-16 signing period and the Cubs have been fairly aggressive with his assignments for a young catcher showing confidence in his ability to handle those levels. In 2018 at 19, Amaya made it to the Futures Game out of the Midwest League and will be making his second straight Futures Game appearance there this year.
Daulton Varsho, C, Arizona Diamondbacks AA
7/2/96. Hit: 55 Run: 55. Power: 50 Field: 50
BA #100. MLB #NR. ARI BA #3 MLB #4. C. BA #6 MLB #6
Daulton Varsho is the son of former major league outfielder Gary Varsho. Daulton has hit 267/.346/.444 with 9 Home Runs and 9 Stolen Bases through 61 Games at Double-A. He probably doesn’t have the arm to play catcher regularly but is athletic enough to play there from time to time as needed and looks like he could be a solid 2nd baseman in the future. In the Austin Barnes role, he could be a valuable MLB piece if his hitting improves slightly.
FIRST BASEMEN
Will Craig, 1B, Pittsburgh Pirates AAA
11/16/94 Power: 55 Arm: 55 Field: 50
Will Craig was drafted in the first round by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2016, when he was known for his power hitting. He finished 3rd in Division I baseball in slugging and hit 37 home runs and slugged .623 during his collegiate career at Wake Forest. Through the first 2 seasons (or 186 games) of his pro career, he only managed to hit 8 home runs. In 2018, he changed his approach and ended up hitting 20 home runs at AA and through 76 games at AAA this year he has hit 15 home runs showing that the approach is working in the power department. The Pirates have an All-Star first baseman in Josh Bell so the pathway to the majors might be blocked for Will Craig. It’s not clear as to when he might make it to the majors or at what position, but he will need to improve his contact rate if he will be impactful at the Show.
SECOND BASEMEN
Isan Diaz, 2B, Miami Marlins AAA
5/27/96 Hit: 50 Power: 50 Run: 50 Field: 50 Arm: 50
MIA BA #8 MLB #6. 2B BA #8 MLB #8
Isan Diaz was originally drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2nd Round in 2014. Diaz was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers as part of the deal that sent Jean Segura to the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2016. In January 2018, he was traded to the Miami Marlins as part of the deal that sent Christian Yelich to the Milwaukee Brewers. So he’s famous. He’s also good. While in the minors he was named the MVP of the Rookie-Level Pioneer League in 2015, and in 2016 he led the Low A Midwest League in Homeruns (20). He struggled over the next few seasons hitting only .227 between Hi A, AA, and AAA. This year however, he has looked more like the player he was in 2015 and 2016 as he has hit .298/.391/.564 with 18 home runs through 79 games. He has a good chance to make it to the majors at some point this season on a maybe not bad Marlins team.
SHORTSTOPS
Carter Kieboom, SS, Washington Nationals AAA
9/3/97 Hit: 60 Power: 60 Arm: 55 Field: 50 Run: 50
BA #18 MLB #21. WSH BA #1 MLB #1 SS BA #5 MLB #4
Carter Kieboom was drafted in the 1st Round the Washington Nationals in 2016. In 2018, the first season in which he played all year in full season leagues he hit .280/.357/.444 and made the Futures Game. Kieboom was also named the Washington Nationals minor league player of the year in 2018 and finished near the top of many offensive categories like extra bases (1st), home runs (3rd) and RBI’s (2nd). Through his first 125 games between AA and AAA he has hit .291/.382/.491 with 18 home runs and 6 stolen bases.
Gavin Lux, SS, Los Angeles Dodgers AAA
11/23/97 Hit: 55 Run: 55 Arm: 55 Power: 50 Field: 50
BA #13 MLB #31. LAD BA #1 MLB #2 SS BA #4 MLB #5
Gavin Lux was drafted in the first round by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2016. His uncle Augie Schmidt was a Golden Spikes award winner in 1982 and the #2 overall pick in the draft that year, and was a longtime coach at Division III Carthage in Wisconsin. Gavin has come a long way since his first full season in which he only hit .244 at Low A in 2017. Since that time, he has hit .322 and shown the ability to hit for power (he has hit 27 home runs in his last 162 games as of June 29th). Lux might have to move over to 2nd base due to Corey Seager‘s presence in LA, but he has all the tools to be a star. There is a good chance he could be called up by the end of the season. Gavin Lux is the Los Angeles Dodgers top prospect according to Baseball America.
THIRD BASEMEN
Nolan Gorman, 3B, St. Louis Cardinals A+
5/10/00 Power: 65 Arm: 55 Hit: 50 Field: 50
BA #29 MLB #30. STL BA #1 MLB #1 3B BA #1 MLB #1
Nolan Gorman was drafted in the first round by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2018. Nolan is best known for his ability to hit home runs. Since signing with the Cardinals, he has hit 28 home runs in 139 games and has progressed all the way up to High A Palm Beach. He is a very impressive young talent who has plenty of upside but will need to work on refining his approach as evidenced by his .230/.326/.442 slash line through 92 games between Low A and High A. He has superstar potential and is young enough to reach his potential someday (note his birth year starts with a two). If it all comes together, Nolan Gorman could be one of the best power hitters in all of baseball. He is the St. Louis Cardinals top prospect and the best third base prospect in the minors according to both Baseball America and mlbpipeline.
Alec Bohm, 3B, Philadelphia Phillies AA
8/3/96 Hit: 60 Power: 60 Arm: 50
BA #32 MLB #38. PHI BA #1 MLB #1 3B BA #2 MLB #3
Alec Bohm was drafted with the 3rd overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft by the Philadelphia Phillies. He struggled hitting with wood in his short season debut in the New York-Penn League and hit just .224/.314/.290 with 0 home runs through 29 games. This year the Phillies started his full season debut at Low A due to his struggles last year but he quickly proved he was too good for both Low A and High A hitting .342/.413/.550 with 7 home runs through 62 games prompting a promotion to AA Reading. One of the bigger questions surrounding Alec Bohm is if he will be able to stick at third base or if he will have to move over to first base in the future. He is the Philadelphia Phillies top prospect according to both Baseball America and MLB Pipeline.
OUTFIELDERS
Cristian Pache, OF, Atlanta Braves AA
11/19/98. Run: 70 Field: 70. Arm: 70. Hit: 55
BA #30 MLB #14. ATL BA #2 MLB #1 OF BA #7 MLB #6
Before the year, Cristian Pache was talked about as being a top 100 prospect that many scouts and baseball insiders liked but had questions as to how good his power and hit tool were and how he would hit at AA. So far this year he has hit .295/.352/.516 with 10 Home runs and 7 stolen bases through 72 games. If Pache continues to improve his hitting and continues to hit for a high average as he moves up, he could be a potential all-star caliber player for years to come. He has gold glove ability and would be among the best defensive center fielders in the majors at this point. Cristian Pache is the best prospect in the Braves farm system according to mlbpipeline.
Taylor Trammell, OF, Cincinnati Reds AA
9/13/97. Hit: 60 Run: 60 Field: 55 Power: 55
BA #45 MLB #27 CIN BA #2 MLB #1 OF BA #10 MLB #8
Taylor Trammell made a name for himself in last year’s Futures Game as he took home the Futures Game MVP after hitting a 438 foot homerun and a triple. He was able to showcase both his power and speed in that game and he has a nice swing from the left side. He was a star running back in high school but decided to play baseball instead of pursuing a football career. As a result, this once raw athlete has continued to improve his game and has become a better all-around player. He still doesn’t have a great arm but he has the speed to profile well in centerfield and should be able to hit enough to profile well in left field if he ever needed to move over. He is the Cincinnati Reds top prospect according to mlbpipeline.
Dylan Carlson, OF, St. Louis Cardinals AA
10/23/98 Hit: 55 Arm: 55 Field: 55 Power: 50 Run: 50
BA #50 MLB #88 STL BA #2 MLB #2
Dylan Carlson was drafted in the 1st Round by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2016. In his first few professional seasons in 2017 and 2018 he struggled to hit for average hitting just .243 through 227 games between Low A Peoria and High A Palm Beach. This year at AA Springfield he has started to showcase more of his tools, hitting .286/.363/.495 with 11 home runs and 12 stolen bases through 75 games this year. He is an above average fielder and has shown the ability to improve his hitting each year but will need to continue to show he can hit for average over a longer period of time.
Heliot Ramos, OF, San Francisco Giants A+
9/7/99 Arm: 60 Power: 55 Run: 55 Field: 55
BA #94 MLB #56 SF BA #2 MLB #2
Heliot Ramos was drafted in the 1st Round by the San Francisco Giants in 2017. In his first full season he hit .245/.313/.396 with 11 home runs and 8 stolen bases in 124 games at Low A. This year playing at High A he has put up even better numbers hitting .294/.383/.508. He has struggled throughout his career at stealing bases (12 for 24), so even though he might have above average speed he is not a threat to steal bases. If Ramos can continue to develop as a hitter and prove that he can hit at a high level, he has a good chance to be the middle of the lineup hitter the Giants had hoped for when they drafted him.
Alek Thomas, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks A-
4/28/00. Run: 60 Hit: 55. Power: 50
ARI BA #8 MLB #7
Alek Thomas is a plus fielder with plenty of speed who projects to be an above average hitter at the major league level. He would profile well at the top of most lineups and he could be a potential 20-20 type hitter someday as his power continues to develop. Fans should know he is about 6 weeks younger than Bobby Witt Jr. and so he was one of the younger players available in the 2018 draft class and he has performed well putting up a slash line of .308/.390/.498 with 8 homers and 8 steals in 71 games at Low A. His dad is the White Sox strength coach.
Monte Harrison, OF, Miami Marlins AAA
8/10/95. Arm: 70 Run: 60 Power: 55 Field: 55
MIA BA #3 MLB #2
Monte Harrison is super athletic. He was a three-sport athlete who had a chance to play both Baseball and Football at the University of Nebraska but was drafted in the 2nd Round by the Milwaukee Brewers. In 2017, he had a great season in which he hit 21 home runs and stole 27 bases at High A. In January of 2018 he was sent to the Miami Marlins as one of the players in the trade that sent Christian Yelich to Milwaukee. In 2018, at AA he was still able to showcase his power/speed combo as he hit 19 home runs and stole 28 bases despite hitting .240. His batting average will probably never be great as he has a tendency to strikeout a lot (215 strikeouts last year). This season he has improved his contact and is hitting .278/.365/.469 with 9 home runs and 20 stolen bases through 51 games at AAA. He is the Miami Marlins top position player prospect according to mlbpipeline, and he has a good chance to make it to the majors at some point this season.
-James Weisser
