2022 Futures Game Superlatives: Shea Langeliers Leads The Way

Image credit: Shea Langeliers (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

The 2022 Futures Game took place on Saturday afternoon in Los Angeles. With the two teams made up of the best prospects in the National and American leagues there were plenty of fireworks in this one, including a pitcher that hit 100 mph and a home run that left the bat at 115-plus mph. Will these be good enough performances to earn Baseball America’s best fastball and best power? The awards are revealed below. 

BEST PLAYER: Shea Langeliers, C, Athletics

Acquired by the Athletics in the Matt Olson trade, Langeliers had a standout game on both sides of the ball. He threw out Corbin Carroll at third base and also homered off of a Jared Shuster changeup. The home run was 103 mph off of the bat and traveled 392 feet.  

BEST HITTER: Yainer Diaz, C, Astros

While Dustin Harris and Zac Veen also had two hits, both of Yainer’s hits were 100-plus mph off the bat. Diaz and Oscar Colas were the only two players to put two balls in play at 100-plus mph. Unlike Diaz, one of Colas’ 100-plus mph batted balls was a fly out.

BEST POWER: Matt Wallner, OF, Twins 

Wallner takes home this award in a landslide. His home run was hit 115.8 mph off the bat and traveled 380 feet. Wallner had one of the most impressive batting practices, parking eight balls into the seats at Dodger Stadium.  

BEST BATTING PRACTICE: Tie: Francisco Alvarez, C, Mets and Jhonkensy Noel, 1B/3B, Guardians

While Noel bested Alvarez’s BP home run total by two, Alvarez’s round was too good to ignore. He put 10 balls into the seats and had one of the two farthest hit home runs during batting practice. Noel hit 12 home runs and many of them were deep shots to left-center. He hit a ball into the mezzanine behind the left-field bleachers that arguably was the farthest hit ball of batting practice.  

BEST DEFENSIVE PLAY: Denzel Clarke, OF, Athletics

In the bottom of the seventh inning, Clarke made a run-saving play up against the wall in right field. On an opposite-field ball slicing away from Clarke, he made the play mid-stride and just missed a collision with the wall. 

 

BEST ARM: Masyn Winn, SS, Cardinals

As predicted at yesterday’s Prospect Pad, Winn set the record for the hardest infield throw of the Statcast era, uncorking a ball at 100.5 mph for a 6-3 putout. 

BEST PITCHER: Emerson Hancock, RHP, Mariners

The 2020 first-rounder came on in the sixth and struck out the side on 17 pitches. Hancock topped out at 96 mph and missed bats with his sinker and changeup. By far the best outing of the day, Hancock showed his arsenal and had the most impressive outing. 

BEST FASTBALL: Mike Burrows, RHP, Pirates

The righthander had three whiffs on his fastball, more whiffs than all but two pitchers had throughout their entire outing. He topped out at 96 mph and was able to generate whiffs when elevated. 

BEST BREAKING BALL: Mike Burrows, RHP, Pirates

His average spin rate was 2,850 rpm and he peaked at 2,938 rpm while getting two whiffs against his breaking ball. It was a strong showing for Burrows as he had two of the best individual pitches in the game. 

BEST CHANGEUP: Kyle Harrison, LHP, Giants

While his inning didn’t go as well as Harrison hoped, he showed his improved changeup. He tossed his cambio four times, all four for strikes, and generated two whiffs. His strikeout of Langeliers on a changeup to open the third inning was arguably the best secondary pitch thrown all day. 

BIGGEST SURPRISE:  Oscar Colas, OF, White Sox

He made a diving play in center field to save a hit and put two balls into play at 100-plus mph. The Cuban native showed skills on both sides of the ball and slugged a handful of home runs in batting practice.