MLB Futures Game 2024 Superlatives: Best Players & Scouting Tools
Image credit: Rangers RHP Emiliano Teodo (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)
Highlight plays and big-time talent were on full display by some of baseball’s most impressive prospects at the 2024 MLB Futures Game on Saturday.
The Reds’ Cam Collier was awarded the game’s MVP after hitting a massive third-inning home run to help propel the National League to a 6-1 victory over the American League.
With Collier’s blast in mind, here’s a quick rundown of the top players and tools on display from Saturday’s action.
Best Player: Emiliano Teodo, RHP, Rangers
Teodo thrilled the home crowd as the American League starter. He became the first pitcher in Futures Game history to throw two perfect innings. Teodo needed 14 pitches in total, including just six pitches in the first inning, to complete the feat. Teodo is one of the Rangers’ better pitching development stories in recent years, as his revamped sinker shape has put him on the road to success.
Best Hitter: Drake Baldwin, C, Braves
Baldwin hit one of the two NL homers. His solo shot in the top of the sixth was the hardest hit ball of the game. The smash came off the bat at 107.3 mph at 21 degrees, traveling 411 feet. Baldwin also drove in a run in his first at-bat, as his sacrifice fly to center field brought in Ethan Salas.
Best Power: Cam Collier, 3B, Reds
Collier had one of the best batting practices alongside the Guardians Ralphy Velazquez, showing consistent pull-side power in BP. Collier hit the first home run of the game to open the scoring in the third. He got hold of a 1-0 fastball down the heart of the plate and deposited it into the home bullpen in right center field. The ball came off the bat at 105.1 mph at 32 degrees traveling 409 feet.
Best Batting Practice: Ralphy Velazquez, C/1B, Guardians
Velazquez led all hitters with nine batting practice home runs. He showed easy all fields power, peppering balls to the bleachers in right field. He was one of the youngest participants in this year’s futures game. It was an impressive display of power and hitting ability, as Velazquez had little, if any, poor contact.
Best Defensive Play: Cooper Pratt, SS, Brewers
For the final out of the game, Brewers shortstop Cooper Pratt fielded a ball in the outfield grass behind second base cleanly, and made a quick accurate throw to nail a sprinting Xavier Issac at first. Pratt showed strong range on the play covering serious real estate in the hole roaming to his left to make the play deep behind the bag. His quick release an accurate throw allowed him to get the final out and close out the victory for the National League squad.
Best Arm: Druw Jones, OF, Diamondbacks
The son of one of the greatest defensive outfielders of all-time, Jones showed off his own strong abilities. Not only did Jones show range, smooth outfield routes and anticipation, he also unleashed the hardest throw of the game at 88.6 mph on a fly out. The tooled up Jones showed skills on both sides of the ball, reaching base three times in the game.
Best Fastball: Winston Santos, RHP, Rangers
Santos led all Futures Game pitchers with four swinging strikes against his four-seam fastball. Santos sat 98.1 mph on his fastball, ranging between 19.5 inches of induced vertical break and 15 inches of induced vertical break. His best fastball was a swinging strike against Druw Jones where he hit 97.2 mph and 19.5 inches or induced vertical break with 7.8 inches of horizontal run.
Best Breaking Ball: Brandon Sproat, RHP, Mets
Sproat tied with the Reds’ Rhett Lowder for the most swinging strikes against his breaking ball. Sproat sat 85.6 mph on his slider with 11 to 14 inches of horizontal break and north of 2,700 rpms. He generated two whiffs on the three sliders he threw in his Futures Game Outing.
Best Changeup: Bubba Chandler, RHP, Pirates
Chandler threw just four changeups, and only one was a strike, but he was the only pitcher to generate a swinging strike from his offspeed. Chandler had one of the top fastballs in the game as well, showing off his exciting arsenal in his inning of work.
Biggest Surprise: No Stolen Bases From Justin Crawford or Chandler Simpson.
Two of the top speed merchants in the game participated in the Futures Game and neither stole a base. Simpson did not reach base in his only at-bat. Crawford reached via hit but didn’t have an opportunity to run because the first pitch of the ensuing at-bat was popped up to second baseman Cole Young.
