Before Major League Baseball’s All-Star Break begins in earnest, some of the game’s next generation of All-Stars will square off in the Futures Game on Sunday afternoon in Cincinnati. Though one game is hardly enough with which to judge a young player, the annual showcase makes an easy opportunity to watch prospects most fans have only read about.
Though many of this year’s top prospects have already graduated to the Majors, there are still plenty of compelling players on the Futures Game rosters. Here are seven of them:
1. Kyle Schwarber, Chicago Cubs:
Schwarber, photographed above, spent a week with the big league club last month and hit well in his cameo. That’s no surprise, as the 2014 first-round pick has mashed at every level as a pro. In 144 minor league games — essentially one full season — Schwarber has 32 home runs an an outstanding 1.033 OPS. Now he’s at Class AAA Iowa, a foul tip away from the pros.
As a lefty-hitting catcher with power, Schwarber could provide the Cubs a ton of value in the near future. He’s not known for his defense behind the plate and he saw time in the outfield in the minors last season, but the idea of adding his bat to an offense that already includes Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant should frighten NL Central pitchers.
2. Aaron Judge, New York Yankees:
Aaron Judge (right) (USA TODAY Sports Images)
You’ll instantly recognize Judge as the tremendous Futures Game player who looks like he’s from the next, far more awesome phase of human evolution that also gave us Giancarlo Stanton. Judge hasn’t hit a ton of homers in the minors, but he stands 6’7″ and 275 pounds — note the way he dwarfs 6’4″, 250-pound Ryan Howard — and figures to hit more of them moving forward thanks to good plate discipline that should allow him to tap into tremendous raw power, especially once he graduates from Class AAA Scranton to cozy Yankee Stadium.
There’s a lot more to hitting than strength, and you certainly don’t have to be huge to succeed in the Majors — ask Jose Altuve. But it’d be kind of neat if Judge is only the next in a long line of massive sluggers entering the league. Gotta make way for the Homo superior, like Bowie says.
3. Ozzie Albies, Atlanta Braves:
In case you don’t feel old just waking up in the morning, consider that Ozzie Albies was born on Jan. 7, 1997 — right around the time the Spice Girls blew up. Now he’s crushing Class A pitching as the youngest player in the South Atlantic League. Albies, an 18-year-old shortstop, is hitting .333 with an .814 OPS against players who are, on average, about 3 1/2 years older than him.
A slight switch-hitter with good minor league stolen base totals and surprising power for his 150-pound frame, Albies still has a long way to go before he can unseat fellow Curacao native Andrelton Simmons on Atlanta’s infield. He is the only player representing that island in this year’s Futures Game.
4. Max Kepler, Minnesota Twins:
The only European player on the World team, Kepler earned a Futures Game invite on the strength of a breakout first-half at Class AA Chattanooga. The German-born son of professional ballet dancers, Kepler spent three seasons in Rookie-level ball after the Twins gave him the largest signing bonus ever for a European player.
Now 22, he’s hitting .336 with a .952 in 62 games at Class AA through Monday. With gap power, good speed, and excellent contact skills, Kepler now looks like he could soon become the first European-raised player to emerge as a MLB regular.
5. J.P. Crawford, Philadelphia Phillies:
(USA TODAY Sports Images)
Crawford’s 2015 campaign should give Phillies fans a big, beaming beacon of hope during a miserable season for the big-league club. The 20-year-old shortstop is the youngest player in the Class AA Eastern League after spending the season’s first month getting on base in nearly half his plate appearances at Class A Advanced Clearwater.
A lefty hitter known for excellent defense at shortstop, Crawford has a career .393 on-base percentage in the minors with more walks than strikeouts through Monday’s play. He hits for some power and steals some bases, and his precocious success suggests he could be an important part of the Phillies whenever they next climb their way back into contention.
6. Nomar Mazara, Texas Rangers:
Nomah! Mazara makes this list chiefly because he’s only the second professional baseball player in history with his first name (though journeyman reliever Kiko Calero has it for a middle name). Spell it backwards and you get “Ramon.”
But the unusual name aside, Mazara should shoot up prospects lists after the season thanks to a fine campaign as one of the youngest players in the Class AA Texas League at age 20. After refining his swing mechanics, the corner outfielder has an .831 OPS and stands head and shoulders above the field in the race to become the second Major Leaguer named Nomar.
7. Lucas Giolito, Washington Nationals:
Giolito gave up a big homer to Javier Baez in a short appearance in the 2014 version of the Futures Game, but he returns to it as arguably the game’s top pitching prospect. The Nats drafted the fireballer 16th overall in 2012 despite elbow issues that would soon require Tommy John surgery, and Giolito has rewarded their patience with stunning performances at every stop. At Class A Advanced Potomac this season, the 20-year-old has a 2.76 ERA with 76 strikeouts against only 15 walks in 58 2/3 innings.
The Nats will be cautious with Giolito’s workload and he’s still likely at least a year away from the Majors, but it doesn’t seem like he has much left to prove against A-ball hitters. Fun fact: Giolito’s grandfather played George Costanza’s would-be father-in-law on Seinfeld.
