Futures Game scouting reports for every club

Thirty-two of MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Prospects will take the diamond in the year's best prospect showcase. Following a one-year hiatus, the SiriusXM Futures Game returns on July 11 at Coors Field in Denver.

The game features five of the eight best prospects in baseball in Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman (No. 2), Tigers corner infielder Spencer Torkelson (No. 3), Mariners outfielders Jarred Kelenic (No. 4) and Julio Rodríguez (No. 5) and Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (No. 7). Rutschman and Torkelson were the No. 1 overall picks in the last two Drafts. MLB's No. 8 prospect, CJ Abrams (Padres) was also slated to play in the game but was replaced due to a season-ending injury.

MLB Network will broadcast the game at 3 p.m. ET, and it also will stream on MLB.com and air on SiriusXM. Scott Braun, Yonder Alonso and Jonathan Mayo will call the action, with Heidi Watney reporting from the dugouts.

Below are quick scouting reports for all 50 players named to the initial American and National league rosters.

AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST

Blue Jays: Austin Martin, SS/OF (No. 2/MLB No. 16)
Last year’s fifth overall pick entered pro ball with a reputation as a potentially elite hitter -- one with a quick swing from the right side who can hit to all fields and control the strike zone. Early returns back that up. Martin has hit .275 with a .391 on-base percentage through 38 games following an aggressive jump to Double-A in his first taste of the Minors, good for a 122 wRC+. An above-average runner, Martin has played both short and center this season, making him a versatile option for AL manager LaTroy Hawkins.

Orioles: Adley Rutschman, C (No. 1/MLB No. 2); Marcos Diplan, RHP (unranked)
What can we say about Rutschman, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 Draft, that we haven’t already said? He can hit, and hit for power (.291/.427/.520 in Double-A this year), while also providing plus defense behind the plate. Struggles with command have held Diplan back, but a move to the bullpen has allowed him to progress and he’s struck out almost 11 per nine in Triple-A this year.

Rays: Vidal Bruján, 2B/OF (No. 2/MLB No. 36); Xavier Edwards, 2B (No. 4/MLB No. 66); Shane Baz, RHP (No. 5/MLB No. 71)
There might not be a more electric group of prospects headed to Denver this year. Bruján is known primarily for his blazing 70-grade speed, and as a solid switch-hitter with a career .289 average in the Minors, he provides more value than just his wheels. Bruján has also started to show more power in 2021; his nine homers in 45 games with Triple-A Durham already match his career high. Baz will have some of the best stuff in this year’s Futures Game, featuring a mid-to-upper-90s fastball and 65-grade slider. His biggest issue entering the season was controlling the arsenal, but sure enough, he has struck out 69 and walked only five in 46 2/3 frames between Double-A and Triple-A. Edwards is a late replacement for Jake Burger, who misses out because of his Major League status. The former Padres farmhand is a plus-plus runner and impressive switch-hitter all his own. He has hit at least .320 in all three of his Minor League seasons, including this one at Double-A Montgomery, and has stolen 60 bags in 188 career games at the lower levels. Edwards won’t hit for much power, but his ability to keep things moving around the diamond should be valuable whenever he reaches The Show.

Red Sox: Jeter Downs, SS/2B (No. 2/MLB No. 35); RHP Brayan Bello (No. 18)
The key prospect in the Mookie Betts trade with the Dodgers, Downs is a gifted hitter with 20-20 potential, solid arm strength and a high baseball IQ. Boston's second baseman of the very near future is hitting .243/.323/.410 with seven homers and 10 steals in 38 Triple-A games. A $28,000 signee from the Dominican Republic in 2017, Bello is now working with a mid-90s fastball and flashing a plus slider and changeup. He has posted a 2.66 ERA with a 64/14 K/BB ratio in 47 1/3 innings between High-A and Double-A.

Yankees: Jasson Dominguez, OF (No. 1/MLB No. 24); Luis Medina, RHP (No. 7)
Signed for $5.1 million out of the Dominican Republic in 2019, Dominguez didn't make his pro debut until Monday yet will become the first player to appear in the Futures Game without reaching the full-season level. Signed for $5.1 million out of the Dominican Republic, he has the potential for well-above-average tools across the board. Fellow Dominican Medina, signed for $280,000 in 2015, has loud stuff with a fastball that reaches triple digits and a curveball and changeup that grade as well-above-average at their best. He's still learning to harness his pitches, as evidenced by his 4.05 ERA and 70/31 K/BB ratio in 46 2/3 innings between High-A and Double-A.

AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL

Indians: Bo Naylor, C (No. 3/MLB No. 87)
Part of the only Canadian sibling duo to both get taken in the first round, Naylor went 29th overall in 2018, three years after older brother Josh (now with the Indians as well) went 12th to the Marlins. Bo's .183/.271/.270 line in Double-A belies his offensive potential, and he has proven a better defender behind the plate than expected.

Royals: Bobby Witt Jr., SS (No. 1/MLB No. 7); Nick Pratto, 1B (No. 5/MLB No. 100)
Kansas City is sending a whole lot of power into the Rocky Mountains. Witt has lived up to the considerable hype as a potential five-tool star in technically his first full season. The 21-year-old can drive the ball with the best of them -- recall his 484-foot homer in the spring -- and earns plus grades for his run, arm and fielding tools as a shortstop. He may have some swing-and-miss, but he’s overcoming that with a .292/.359/.547 line and 12 homers in 47 games at Double-A Northwest Arkansas. His Naturals teammate Pratto is one of the breakout stars of 2021. Two years after hitting .191 and slugging .310 at Class A Advanced, the 2017 first-rounder has retooled his swing and approach to drive the ball more efficiently. The results: he leads Double-A Central with 13 homers and owns a .275/.401/.591 line in 47 games. What’s more, Pratto is considered at least a plus defender at first base, giving him another way to impact the Futures Game.

Tigers: Spencer Torkelson, 3B/1B (No. 1/MLB No. 3; Riley Greene, OF (No. 2/MLB No. 15)
The AL side could do worse than putting both Detroit prospects near the top of the lineup and letting them take it from there. Torkelson -- last year’s No. 1 overall pick -- might have the best overall power in this year’s prospect showcase, backed up by the fact that he has slugged above .560 at both High-A and Double-A in his first taste of the Minors. The former Arizona State Sun Devil is also no slouch when it comes to his hit tool, aided by the fact that he isn’t a free swinger. The Tigers are trying to get Torkelson to stick at third base, but his long-term home might be across the diamond. Greene is hit-over-power from the left side in games, but both tools should be above-average in time thanks to a sweet and balanced swing. A decent runner, the 2019 first-rounder has played mostly in center with Double-A Erie but has the arm to play in a corner as well.

Twins: Josh Winder, RHP (No. 12)
Winder’s work during the shutdown to become more physical has continued to pay off. He’s added velocity to his fastball, now up to 98 mph and what is now a higher-spin low-80s curve to highlight a legitimate four-pitch mix. As of Thursday, he led the Double-A Central in both ERA (1.98) and strikeouts (65) while walking only 1.65 per nine.

White Sox: Yoelqui Céspedes, OF (No. 2)
The younger brother of Yoenis Céspedes, Yoelqui has similar raw power and arm strength. A member of Cuba's 2017 World Baseball Classic team, he signed for $2.05 million in January and joined High-A Winston-Salem two weeks ago after resolving some visa issues.

Removed from roster: Jake Burger, 3B (No. 11)

AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST

Angels: Reid Detmers, LHP (No. 2/MLB No. 57); Hector Yan, LHP (No. 9)
The Angels’ first-round pick, taken No. 10 overall in the 2020 Draft, Detmers has very much looked like the advanced college lefty the organization thought it was getting during his debut in Double-A this year. Using a four-pitch mix headed by his plus curve, Detmers leads the Double-A South in strikeouts (76), whiffing an astounding 16.7 per nine over his first nine starts. Yan is an undersized lefty with good stuff and a nasty delivery, one that has allowed him to strike out more than 11 batters per nine in his career.

Astros: Pedro Leon, OF/SS (No. 2)
Leon's well-above-average raw power and speed along with his top-of-the-scale arm strength earned the Cuban defector a $4 million bonus -- the largest in the 2020-21 international class. Sent to Double-A for his pro debut, he's hitting .229/.339/.396 with six homers and 10 steals in 41 games.

A’s: Tyler Soderstrom, C (No. 1/MLB No. 82)
The lone A’s prospect in our Top 100, Soderstrom is living up to his billing as one of the most advanced high school hitters from the 2020 Draft class. He’s hitting .315/.399/.575 with nine homers and 40 RBI in 45 games, placing him second in the Low-A West in RBI and fifth in homers.

Mariners: Jarred Kelenic, OF (No. 1/MLB No. 4); Julio Rodríguez, OF (No. 2/MLB No. 5)
Fans have been anticipating seeing Kelenic and Rodríguez in the same outfield in Seattle and this will provide a nice sneak preview. Kelenic may have struggled a bit during his first taste of the big leagues but he’s back to doing Kelenic-like things in Triple-A (.310/.383/.610 at the level overall). Rodriguez just got promoted to Double-A and is hitting .317/.403/.563 for the year while also helping the Dominican Republic reach the Olympics.

Removed due to injury: Emerson Hancock, RHP (No. 3/MLB No. 23)

Rangers: Cole Winn, RHP (No. 3); Cole Ragans, LHP (unranked)
The most advanced high school pitcher in the 2018 Draft, Winn went 15th overall and has nice feel for a solid four-pitch mix. He leads the Minors with a .113 opponent average and sports a 2.27 ERA with 49 strikeouts in 49 2/3 Double-A innings. Another prep first-rounder, Ragan went 30th overall in 2016 but hadn't pitched since 2017 because he required not one but two Tommy John surgeries. He's back now, working with a low-90s fastball and a plus changeup, and has recorded a 3.22 ERA with a 46/13 K/BB ratio in 36 1/3 innings in High-A.

NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST

Braves: Drew Waters, OF (No. 2/MLB No. 25); Michael Harris II, OF (No. 9)
Just in case you thought the Braves were done producing toolsy outfielders, here are two more who will be very fun to watch in Denver. Waters has the potential to do everything well, with plus speed that has allowed him to cover a ton of ground in the outfield and steal 12 bases over his first 37 games. Harris might be the steal of the 2020 Draft as a prepster some liked better as a pitcher, but whom the Braves signed as an outfielder. They have watched him jump to High-A in his first full season and hit .320/.341/.477 with 11 steals so far this year.

Marlins: Max Meyer, RHP (No. 3/MLB No. 20); Jake Eder, LHP (No. 23)
Meyer is making his pro debut in Double-A and dominating, posting a 1.84 ERA, .194 opponent average and 50 strikeouts in his first 49 innings. The No. 3 overall pick in 2020 out of Minnesota features one of the best sliders in the Minors as well as a mid-90s fastball. A fourth-rounder last June out of Vanderbilt, Eder also is making his debut in Double-A and dominating, ranking second in the Minors in ERA (1.03) and fourth in opponent average (.151) while fanning 76 in 52 2/3 innings. His two main pitchers are a mid-90s fastball that peaks at 98 and a power curveball.

Mets: Francisco Álvarez, C (No. 1/MLB No. 34), Brett Baty, 3B (No. 4/MLB No. 73)
High-A Brooklyn will be in the house at Coors Field. Álvarez has already climbed to the level at just 19 years old because his whip-like, explosive swing from the right side results in above-average hit and power tools. The Venezuela native is still raw behind the plate but shows a plus arm that AL opponents might want to think twice about running against. Baty can put on an offensive show of his own with his ability to drive the ball deep to all fields. Once considered an average overall hitter, he has proven to be even better than that in 2021 with a .320/.420/.536 line in 44 games. Defense remains a work in progress, but his plus arm certainly plays at third base for now as well.

Nationals: Cade Cavalli, RHP (No. 1/MLB No. 77)
There was no doubting who the Nationals’ representative in Denver should have been. Cavalli leads the Minor Leagues with 88 strikeouts in only 52 1/3 innings between High-A and Double-A, and he has the stuff to back up that number. The 2020 first-rounder pitches in the mid-90s and can touch even higher with his fastball, while his curve, slider and changeup all earn above-average to plus grades. It’s a full starter’s arsenal and one that took off during the limited 2020 collegiate season. That Cavalli has carried it so well into the pros is a great sign for a down Nationals system.

Phillies: Bryson Stott, SS (No. 2)
The Phillies’ top draft pick in 2019, Stott made quick work of High-A ball this year, earning a promotion to Double-A after just 22 games. He’s shown his advanced approach at the plate and his pop at both levels, with a combined .275/.405/.497 line with nine homers while playing solid up-the-middle defense.

NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL

Brewers: Ethan Small, LHP (No. 4)
Don’t expect Small to reach the higher velocities of some of his fellow Futures Game pitchers, even in a shorter stint, but don’t be surprised if he produces a standout pitching line all the same. The southpaw’s low-90s fastball plays up thanks to his ability to spot it and throw it with a deceptive delivery. His changeup is his best off-speed offering because of the way it looks exactly like the heater out of his hand. His breaking pitches are of lesser quality, but do give him projectability as a starter. Small owns a 1.98 ERA with 72 strikeouts and 28 walks in 50 innings between Double-A and Triple-A this season and was Biloxi’s starter in a May 15 no-hitter.

Cardinals: Matthew Liberatore, LHP (No. 1/MLB No. 27); Nolan Gorman, 3B (No. 2/MLB No. 28)
The two Arizona friends just got together at Triple-A and will now head to Denver as a pair as well. Only 21, Liberatore has been at the Minors’ highest level all season (with a brief detour for Olympic qualifying), where he shows a low-90s fastball, plus curve and an above-average changeup from his 6-foot-4 frame. Gorman powered his way to Memphis with 11 homers and a .508 slugging percentage in 43 games at Double-A. The left-handed slugger has some of the best raw power in the Minors and an upper-cut swing to match. With Nolan Arenado blocking him at third, Gorman has spent almost half his time at second base in 2021, but his range and plus arm are likely to play better at the hot corner.

Cubs: Brennen Davis, OF (No. 2/MLB No. 45); Manuel Rodriguez, RHP (unranked)
A center fielder with 30-30 upside, Davis missed the first three weeks of the season after getting hit in the head by a pitch in Spring Training and since has batted .255/.368/.396 with three homers and four steals in 31 games between High-A and Double-A. He was a second-round pick from an Arizona high school in 2018, while Rodriguez was purchased from the Mexican League's Yucatan Lions for $400,000 in July 2016. The latter has used a lively 94-98 mph fastball and power curveball to log a 2.03 ERA with 19 strikeouts in 13 1/3 innings in Double-A.

Pirates: Quinn Priester, RHP (No. 2/MLB No. 37)
The Pirates are rebuilding via the Draft and via trades and their two reps at the Futures Game come from both efforts. Priester was the club’s first-round pick in 2019 and he’s really starting to figure it out in High-A, giving up one earned run or less in his last four starts to bring his ERA down to 3.32 with a four-pitch mix and a frontline starter profile.

Removed due to injury: Roansy Contreras, RHP (No. 19)

Reds: Nick Lodolo, LHP (No. 1/MLB No. 43); Jose Barrero, SS (No. 4/MLB No. 85)
The first pitcher taken in the 2019 Draft, at No. 7 overall, Lodolo has been lights out in Double-A during his first full season. He’s allowed just 19 hits over his first 30 innings (.181 BAA) and given up just three runs (0.90 ERA). He has struck out 13.5 per nine while yielding just 1.8 walks. Barrero was rushed to the big leagues last year out of need and showed his glove was ready but his bat was not. He’s made good progress on that front this year, earning a promotion recently from Double-A to Triple-A after hitting .300/.367/.481 with Chattanooga to earn the bump up.

NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST

D-backs: Alek Thomas, OF (No. 4/MLB No. 62)
Arizona only sends one prospect to the Futures Game, but Thomas can do so many things that it might feel like there are multiple D-backs in Denver. The 2018 second-rounder is a plus runner capable of stealing bags and covering tons of ground in center field. He is also a plus hitter from the left side capable of spraying line drives all over Coors Field. Whether it’s a defensive play or a mad dash to turn a double into a triple, Thomas has highlight potential for this year’s prospect showcase.

Dodgers: Michael Busch, 2B (No. 3/MLB No. 81); Andre Jackson, RHP (No. 27)
Considered one of the best all-around college hitters in the 2019 Draft, in which he went 31st overall out of North Carolina, Busch moved from first base to second base after turning pro and has proven much better defensively at the keystone than expected. He's batting .222/.363/.386 with six homers in 42 Double-A games. Jackson had more success as an outfielder than a pitcher in college at Utah, where he had Tommy John surgery before the Dodgers selected him in 2017's 12th round. He has a mid-90s fastball and a sinking changeup, which have helped him post a 3.77 ERA, .194 opponent average and 59 strikeouts in 43 Double-A innings.

Giants: Marco Luciano, SS (No. 1/MLB No. 12); Heliot Ramos, OF (No. 3/MLB No. 63)
Luciano possesses some of the best bat speed and power potential in the Minors, and he's showing it off by batting .278/.360/.568 with a Low-A West-leading 12 homers in 45 games as a 19-year-old. The Giants' best international prospect in decades, he signed for $2.6 million out of the Dominican Republic in 2018. A first-round pick as a Puerto Rican prepster the year before, Ramos also stands out with his bat speed and pop. He's hitting .230/.322/.377 with five homers and six steals in 48 Double-A games.

Padres: Luis Campusano, C (No. 3/MLB No. 31)
Campusano, who has played 11 games for the Major League club this season, is still only 22 and shows plus raw power that certainly carries over to games. His bat speed makes him an above-average overall hitter, and that should show up more in time as he matures. At the least, he has the potential to take off against less-experienced pitchers in the thin Colorado air.

Removed due to injury: CJ Abrams, SS (No. 2/MLB No. 8)

Rockies: Michael Toglia, 1B (No. 3); Ryan Vilade, OF (No. 4); Willie MacIver, C (No. 30)
The host team has three representatives, all bats they hope to see at Coors Field full-time in the future. Toglia was the club’s first-round pick out of UCLA in 2019 and the first baseman has hit 10 homers in his first 50 games in High-A this year. Taken in the second round of the 2017 Draft, Vilade is a former infielder getting settled in left field, where some see a little Matt Holliday in him. MacIver has made a very nice jump to High-A this year, carrying a .286/.395/.542 line with 10 homers (tied for the High-A West lead with Toglia) through his first 46 games.