The SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game gives fans a great opportunity to peek into the future of the game of baseball. It’s a chance for the top prospects at all levels to showcase their skills against one another on a national stage.
The U.S. team led for the first seven innings of the game, until Boston Red Sox prospect Yoan Moncada gave the World team a 4-3 lead with a homer in the eighth. The game was blown wide open in the ninth when the World team plated seven runs. The lead would stand and for the first time since 2009, the World team secured a victory in the Futures Game. Moncada was awarded the Larry Doby MVP Award, the first Cuban-born player to do so.
Takeaways from the Futures Game
Uniforms
The jerseys and caps showcased in the game (the same ones the big league players will be wearing during batting practice and the T-Mobile Home Run Derby) are a tip of the cap to the uniforms the Padres wore in the 1970s through the early 1980s. Sadly, they haven’t become any prettier. The color combination of taxi cab yellow and brown haven’t aged well. Thankfully, they will only be in the public eye during the All-Star break and the occasional throwback game in San Diego.
Alex Bregman (SS), Houston Astros
Somebody forgot to tell Bregman that he was facing the best pitching prospects in the game. The 22-year-old infielder hit safely in his first three at bats, ending the day a home run shy of the cycle.
Bregman was drafted second overall by the Astros in the 2015 MLB Draft out of LSU. The No. 8 Baseball America prospect began the 2016 season with Double-A Coprus Christi where he hit .297/.415/.559 in 62 games. Bregman was recently called up to Triple-A Fresno where he has five homers in only eight games. A shortstop by trade, he could begin to see time at third base with Carlos Correa and Jose Altuve plugging up the middle in Houston.
Alex Reyes (RHP), St. Louis Cardinals
Reyes started the game on the mound for the World Team, striking out the side in the first. He tossed 1.2 scoreless innings, surrendering two hits and a walk. Showing why he is Baseball America’s No. 2 prospect, he lit up the radar gun – topping out a 101mph – while showing a solid arsenal of secondary pitches.
The 21-year-old is 2-1 with a 4.35 ERA over nine starts with Triple-A Memphis in 2016. With his strikeouts per nine at 13.3 and a WHIP of 1.35, he still has some seasoning to do before appearing in the big leagues to build some consistency. With that said, the fact that he’s so young at the Triple-A level, he and the Cardinals have time on their side.
Yoan Moncada (2B), Boston Red Sox
Moncada went 2-5 on the day including a mammoth home run to left field in the eighth to give the World team a 4-3 lead. While showing ability at the plate, the 21-year-old showed great range at second base.
Moncada was signed by the Red Sox out of Cuba in February of 2015 for $31.5 million, the record for an international amateur free agent. The No. 1 Baseball America prospect began the season at Advanced-A Salem, hitting .307/.427/.496 over 61 games. He has since been promoted to Double-A Portland where he is sporting a 1.023 OPS over 16 games.
Like Bregman, Moncada may have to showcase versatility to break in at the big league level. Exclusively playing second base throughout his young minor league career, Dustin Pedroia will make it hard for that to remain the case. Moncada is very athletic and could remain a premium player at a new position, a la Mookie Betts who moved from second base to the outfield.
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