MLB Futures Game superlatives: Bowden's takeaways on the top prospects and performances (2024)

ARLINGTON, Texas — This year’s Futures Game was like last year’s as the National League had little trouble in defeating the American League 6-1, a year after blanking the AL 5-0. The Reds’ Cam Collier, who hit one of the game’s two home runs, took home MVP honors from Saturday’s seven-inning exhibition at Globe Life Field.

Among the special aspects of the day were the number of top prospects who showed their ability to hit hard line drives to the opposite field. I also particularly enjoyed seeing two sons of former major-league stars show glimpses of their skills that were reminiscent of their famous fathers. And as always, the pregame activities were compelling to watch as prospects showed off their special tools in batting practice and infield practice.

As I do every year, I’m handing out some superlatives to highlight the best (well, mostly) of what we saw and heard at the 2024 Futures Game. These are my takeaways from MLB’s annual prospect showcase, with a focus on the position player prospects.

Best overall performance: Cam Collier, 3B, Reds

Collier was named MVP of the game and Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. presented him with the award immediately afterward. Earlier in the day during batting practice, the 19-year-old prospect attracted plenty of attention as he hit line drives and bombs everywhere, then translated that success from practice to game production. Collier showed off his short, compact swing in the third inning, blasting a homer over the right-center-field wall. After he knew the ball was gone as he was rounding first base, he pointed high into the stands toward his family and he kept his arm raised high all the way to third base as he completed his trot. His home run had an exit velocity of 105 mph and the ball traveled 409 feet.

Congrats to the 2024 Futures Game MVP: Cam Collier! pic.twitter.com/NMr7xfpAbw

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) July 14, 2024

Best opposite-field home run: Drake Baldwin, C, Braves

Collier got the MVP glory but Baldwin hit the hardest and most impressive home run of the game when he smacked a 411-foot shot the other way in the sixth inning. It was a booming blast that came off the bat at 107.3 mph.

Drake Baldwin goes yard!

The @Braves' No. 11 prospect belts the hardest hit (107.3 mph) of the #FuturesGame.

Watch LIVE: https://t.co/L1EdMRWjpq pic.twitter.com/bg67iHnTtq

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 13, 2024

Most professional batting practice: Bryce Eldridge, 1B, Giants

Eldridge looked like a seasoned pro with how he approached batting practice, hitting a line drive to left field in the first round, a line drive up the middle in the second round, pulling the ball to right in the third round and then finally showing off his power. The 6-foot-7 first baseman has a .478 slugging percentage this season with 17 doubles and 11 home runs in 245 at-bats between Low A and High A. He’s only 19 and has a bright future.

Best batting practice for power: Samuel Basallo, C/1B, Orioles

Basallo put on the best power display during BP with a short swing and serious pop to all fields, showing line drive and loft power. His hitting skills are special. He’s one of those prospects who has a high ceiling. Add it all up and there’s no way the Orioles can trade him at the trade deadline, as he clearly looks like a future major-league All-Star.

Biggest surprise during batting practice: Ralphy Velazquez, 1B, Guardians and Deyvison De Los Santos, 1B/3B, Diamondbacks

Velazquez has had a solid but not spectacular first half of the season at Low A-Lynchburg, hitting .261 with nine homers and 46 RBIs, but his batting practice got the attention of the scouts in attendance. As did that of De Los Santos, who’s hitting .331 with 27 homers and 82 RBIs this year. Although most everyone has downplayed De Los Santos’ success this season because he’s played in hitters’ parks at Double A-Amarillo and Triple-A Reno, he showed Saturday on a big stage that he should be taken seriously.

Players who most resembled their major-league fathers: Druw Jones, CF, Diamondbacks and Justin Crawford, LF, Phillies

In the bottom of the first, there was a fly ball to left-center field and I couldn’t believe the quick jump and direct route to the ball from Jones. It brought back memories for me of watching his dad, Andruw Jones, a 10-time Gold Glove Award-winning center fielder. Later in the game, Druw showed off his range again and looked like he was going to run down a Kyle Teel drive to deep left-center field, but he dropped the ball, perhaps concerned about crashing into the wall. Regardless, the range he showed was special.

Then there was Crawford. He made the best catch of the day on a diving play to rob a single in the first, which brought back memories of his dad, former Gold Glover Carl Crawford, who made several similar catches when he was the left fielder for Tampa Bay. Justin also showed the same blazing speed his father had.

Loudest bat in both batting practice and when making an out: Ethan Salas, C, Padres

For the second year in a row, the Padres had the prospect who produced the loudest sounds coming off his wood bat. Last year at the Futures Game, it was Jackson Merrill, who a year later is getting ready to play in the MLB All-Star Game. This year it was Salas, who on Saturday showed off his quick hands when hitting. The sound off his barrel was much different than everyone else’s.

Player who showed the best swag and swing combination: Max Clark, CF, Tigers

Clark showed up wearing pink sunglasses and the best chains of any player in the contest. The 19-year-old walked with swag, ran like a cheetah, strolled like a celebrity and hit hard line drives the other way like a pro.

Most impressive doubles hitter in the game: Kyle Teel, C, Red Sox

Teel banged two doubles in the game, going the other way both times. He smoked a slider off the Reds’ Rhett Lowder in the fifth inning that I thought Jones was going to catch, but it was still a legitimate double. Then he hammered a 98-mph fastball off the Pirates’ Bubba Chandler down the left-field line in the seventh for his second double. He displayed impressive speed for a catcher during both hits, hustling into second base easily. He showed why he’s going to eventually be an All-Star catcher for the Red Sox for years to come.

Kyle Teel went 2-2 with two doubles in today’s MLB Futures Game.

He was the only player in the game with multiple hits.
pic.twitter.com/ckUZ4GVul8

— Boston Sports Gordo (@BOSSportsGordo) July 14, 2024

Best jumps on a stolen base: Spencer Jones, RF, Yankees and Dylan Crews, RF, Nationals

The two future star right fielders got the most ridiculous jumps you could imagine as they both successfully stole bases in this game. The 6-6 Jones has 18 steals in 22 attempts this season in Double A, while Crews has swiped 20 bags in 24 tries across Double A and Triple A.

Player who represented the hometown fans the best: Emiliano Teodo, RHP, Rangers

Teodo started the game for the AL and dominated the NL with two shutout innings on just 14 pitches. His high-velocity fastball and above-average secondary pitches were on display as the 23-year-old showed everyone in the ballpark why he has a 1.71 ERA with 89 strikeouts in 68 1/3 innings at Double A this year.

The most impressive National League pitcher: Noble Meyer, RHP, Marlins

Meyer, who at pick No. 10 was the first high school pitcher selected in last year’s draft, pitched an impressive second inning, striking out two as he blanked the AL in the frame. His arm was electric out front as he showed special arm speed and an ability to be deceptive with how he hides the ball during his delivery.

MLB's No. 40 prospect Noble Meyer (@Marlins) unleashes his plus fastball and slider for a pair of K's in a hitless inning in the #FuturesGame. pic.twitter.com/uDp2BrSAsg

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 13, 2024

Flamethrower award (the pitcher with the highest velocity in the game): Brandon Sproat, RHP, Mets

No pitcher reached triple digits in the contest but Sproat hit 99 mph multiple times with lots of late life on his pitches. Sproat, 23, has posted a 1.71 ERA over 73 2/3 innings across High A and Double A this year. His stock is quickly rising in the industry.

The minor-league prospects who best replicated how their club’s major-league players have played this year: 3B Colson Montgomery and LHP Noah Schultz of the White Sox

Two of the top White Sox prospects did not have a great game. It started when Montgomery lost his glove on a ball hit by Crawford. Then the towering lefty Schultz walked in a run with the bases loaded in a key situation in the fourth. He yielded three hits and three runs overall in the inning along with that walk and a hit-by-pitch.

Best job of playing fetch: Dizzy from the Arkansas Travelers

Dizzy, an English Cream Golden Retriever who serves as a real-life mascot for the Double-A Arkansas Travelers, is a minor-league pup with big-league talent. This dog is so special she got to play fetch as part of the pregame ceremonies — and did so showing impressive first-step quickness, smart routes to the ball and quick, assertive decision-making in grabbing the ball in her mouth and bringing it back to her handler. Brooks, a half-Labrador Retriever, half Golden Retriever from the Double-A Frisco RoughRiders, joined in the pregame festivities, but his best role was getting belly rubs. Both dogs were great, but the hot dog I enjoyed the most at the Futures Game had Gulden’s mustard and sauerkraut on it.

Air Bud: #FuturesGame First Fetch ⚾️@MiLB | @MLB pic.twitter.com/fnJ6jZeKaa

— Arkansas Travelers (@ARTravs) July 13, 2024

(Top photo ofKyle Teel: Kevin Jairaj / USA Today)

Jim Bowden , a national writer for The Athletic MLB, was formerly the Sr. VP and general manager for the Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals for a combined 16 years, including being named the 1999 MLB Executive of the Year by Baseball America. He is the lead MLB Analyst and Insider for CBS Sports-HQ and a regular talk-show host on SiriusXM for the MLB Network and Fantasy channels. Follow him on twitter: @JimBowdenGM Follow Jim on Twitter @JimBowdenGM