How each team's prospects fared in Futures Game
The next generation of baseball talent faced off on Saturday at T-Mobile Park in Seattle.
Although an American League city played host to the festivities, it was the National League that took home the victory. With clutch hitting by Nasim Nuñez and key pitching performances by Mick Abel and Jacob Misiorowski, the NL club shut out the AL side, 5-0, in the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game.
Here’s a look at how each team’s representatives performed:
AL EAST
ORIOLES -- Jackson Holliday, SS (No. 1/MLB No. 1): Baseball’s top prospect came in to replace Boston’s Marcelo Mayer at shortstop in the second frame, going 0-for-1 with a strikeout in his lone at-bat in the two spot. Heston Kjerstad, OF (No. 4/MLB No. 38): Starting in right field and batting third for the AL squad, Kjerstad finished the day 1-for-2 with a first-pitch single off the Giants’ Carson Whisenhunt in the third.
BLUE JAYS -- Sem Robberse, RHP (No. 7): Robberse gave up consecutive singles to open the sixth before striking out BJ Murray Jr. swinging. The AL team wanted to let every pitcher get an appearance, so they lifted him after nine pitches for a fellow Jays prospect. Yosver Zulueta, RHP (No. 3): Zulueta didn't stop the bleeding when he hit a batter and then gave up a bases-clearing double and stolen base. But he got out of the jam with back-to-back strikeouts.
YANKEES -- Spencer Jones, OF (No. 3): The Vanderbilt product entered in center field in the fourth frame and played there for the remainder of the game. Batting out of the leadoff spot, Jones struck out in his first at-bat but drew a five-pitch walk in the seventh and final inning. Clayton Beeter, RHP (No. 13): The 24-year-old was successful in his two-thirds of an inning. Starting the seventh frame, Beeter induced a groundout from top Padres prospect Jackson Merrill before whiffing top Brewers prospect Jackson Chourio with an 84.7 mph slider.
RAYS -- Junior Caminero, 3B (No. 1/MLB No. 16): Caminero started the game at third base, and had one at-bat. He struck out swinging on four pitches.
RED SOX -- Marcelo Mayer (No. 1/MLB No. 4): Mayer shined in more ways than one in Seattle. Batting second as the starting shortstop for the AL team, he had a single with a 100.3 mph exit velocity in his one plate appearance. He looked cool while doing so when he rocked some custom-made Fenway Park cleats in the game. Nick Yorke, 2B (No. 3/MLB No. 88): Yorke played the entire game at second base and showed off on both sides of the ball. He launched a double at 102.6 mph off the base of the left-center-field fence and made a nifty play in the field by flipping the ball to first with his glove. Luis Guerrero, RHP: Guerrero only faced one batter but threw absolute gas -- he topped out at 100 mph and struck out Yanquiel Fernandez on five pitches.
AL CENTRAL
GUARDIANS -- Joey Cantillo, LHP (No. 15): Cantillo had the longest pitching appearance of the night for either team. He tossed 1 2/3 innings, allowing no hits and no runs. Cantillo struck out Pete Crow-Armstrong and Jordan Lawlar (MLB's Nos. 9 and 6 overall prospects, respectively) while walking one batter.
TIGERS -- Colt Keith, 3B (No. 1/MLB No. 41): Keith entered the contest in the bottom of the fourth as a pinch-hitter. In his first plate appearance, he blooped a single to center field before he walked on five pitches in the bottom of the sixth. Justyn-Henry Malloy, DH (No. 7): Malloy started at DH for the AL. He walked on five pitches during his first plate appearance in the bottom of the second -- using the ABS challenge system to his advantage -- but he went down swinging within five pitches his second time up in the fourth. In the bottom of the sixth, he walked on five pitches again for his last plate appearance of the day.
WHITE SOX -- Jonathan Cannon, RHP (No. 10): The 22-year-old hurler relieved the Guardians’ Joey Cantillo for the fourth frame. He struck out the Reds’ Noelvi Marte on three pitches to open his outing before issuing a five-pitch walk. He induced a flyout and a groundout to finish a scoreless inning.
TWINS -- David Festa, RHP (No. 8): Festa entered the game in the top of the fifth inning, and ran into some trouble after retiring the first batter he faced. He allowed a line-drive base hit to Victor Scott II, who proceeded to steal both second and third base during the following at-bat. Festa did induce a popout, however, and then struck out Jackson Chourio on three pitches to end the inning unscathed.
ROYALS -- Will Klein, RHP (No. 22): Klein took the mound for the AL in the second inning. After walking a batter, he induced a forceout. A walk and a steal put runners at the corners with just one out, before Jeferson Quero opened the scoring with an RBI single. The hit took Klein out of the game and put him on the hook for the loss.
AL WEST
ASTROS -- Drew Gilbert, OF (No. 1/MLB No. 73): Gilbert replaced Heston Kjerstad in right field in the top of the fourth. He went 1-for-2, grounding out in his first at-bat and ripping a single in his second.
ATHLETICS -- Tyler Soderstrom, 1B/C (No. 1/MLB No. 35): The AL’s starting first baseman went 1-for-2 with a single. He went on to strike out against Jacob Misiorowski, then drew a walk in his final plate appearance of the game. More >> Lawrence Butler, 1B/OF (No. 7): The lefty-hitter struck out once and grounded out twice in an 0-for-3 night.
ANGELS -- Edgar Quero, C (No. 2/MLB No. 69): Quero went 0-for-3 at the plate after coming off the bench to catch but did crush the seventh-hardest-hit ball of the night -- a forceout to second at 103 mph. Kyren Paris, SS/2B (No. 8): Paris took over at shortstop in the fourth inning and struck out in both of his at-bats.
MARINERS -- Harry Ford, C (No. 1/MLB No. 27): Ford got a big ovation from the home crowd when introduced as the starting catcher. He worked a full count in his lone at-bat but struck out swinging. Jonatan Clase, OF (No. 11): While Clase struck out in both of his plate appearances, he shined on defense in center field, where he made a nice diving catch coming in.
RANGERS -- Owen White, RHP (No. 2/MLB No. 46): White started the game for the AL and sat the NL batters down in order, fanning Jordan Lawler on a curveball in the process.
NL EAST
MARLINS -- Nasim Nuñez, SS (No. 20): Nuñez took home the Larry Doby Award, which bestows Futures Game MVP honors thanks to the biggest hit of the game, a three-run double in the sixth inning that capped the scoring for the National League. The 22-year-old shortstop is a tremendous defensive player but has a lot to prove at the plate, and his Futures Game showing will certainly help that cause. More >> Patrick Monteverde, LHP (No. 28): The southpaw only needed five pitches to get the final two outs to close out the NL's 5-0 victory.
BRAVES -- Spencer Schwellenbach, RHP (No. 6): Schwellenbach entered the game in relief in the fifth inning. Nick Yorke, the first batter he faced, swatted a double, before Schwellenbach settled in, fanning Spencer Jones and Kyren Paris before he got Drew Gilbert to ground out.
PHILLIES -- Mick Abel, RHP (No. 2/MLB No. 44): The starting pitcher for the NL worked around a Marcelo Mayer single in what would otherwise have been a clean inning. He struck out a pair, while coaxing a flyout to finish his outing. Justin Crawford, OF (No. 3/MLB No. 87): The lefty-batter started the game as the designated hitter before ultimately replacing Pete Crow-Armstrong in center field. He hit a sacrifice fly in the second inning to give the NL a 2-0 lead but went 0-for-2 on the night.
NATIONALS -- James Wood, OF (No. 1/MLB No. 5): Wood started for the NL, drawing a leadoff walk in the second inning. He later grounded out to in his final at-bat in the third. Brady House, 3B (No. 2/MLB No. 72): House came into the game in the bottom of the fifth to replace Noelvi Marte at third base. In the top of the sixth, he singled on a grounder to left field, before making a slick grab down the third-base line in the bottom of the inning.
METS -- Mike Vasil, RHP (No. 8): Vasil faced two batters in the seventh frame and helped to prevent an AL comeback. After walking Spencer Jones, he struck out Kyren Paris on just three pitches.
NL CENTRAL
BREWERS -- Jackson Chourio, OF (No. 1/MLB No. 3): Chourio, who started in left field and batted third, went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. He was one of two NL starters to play for the duration of the game. Jeferson Quero, C (No. 3/MLB No. 76): Quero, who started at catcher and batted seventh, had an RBI single in one of two plate appearances. Jacob Misiorowski, RHP (No. 4/MLB No. 90): Misiorowski stole the show in his appearance when he threw 10 fastballs at 100+ mph and struck out three batters in a scoreless inning. More >>
CARDINALS -- Tink Hence, RHP (No. 2/MLB No. 64): Hence was the second NL pitcher to appear after Mick Abel, tossing a scoreless inning while allowing one hit and a walk and striking a batter out. Victor Scott II, OF (No. 25): Scott II, who replaced Pete Crow-Armstrong in center field, went 1-for-2 with a single and a pair of stolen bases.
REDS -- Noelvi Marte, 3B/SS (No. 2/MLB No. 18): Marte, who batted fifth and played third base, went 0-for-2 in two plate appearances, reached on a fielder’s choice and scored a run.
PIRATES -- Endy Rodríguez, C/2B/OF (No. 3/MLB No. 37): Rodríguez, the Swiss army knife who plays multiple positions, started at first base for the NL team and walked twice with a run scored in two plate appearances. J.P. Massey, RHP: Massey dealt with control issues, walking three batters in his inning of work, but he managed to escape without allowing a run.
NL WEST
DODGERS -- Dalton Rushing, C (No. 4/MLB No. 50): Rushing is known for his ability to get on base, particularly by getting hit by pitches. That's exactly what happened in his lone plate appearance during the Futures Game -- the left-handed-hitting 22-year-old catcher was plunked by a pitch in the sixth inning before scoring from first on Marlins prospect Nasim Nuñez’s bases-clearing double.
GIANTS -- Kyle Harrison, LHP (No. 1/MLB No. 13): As expected, Harrison did not pitch in the Futures Game while nursing a "moderate" right hamstring strain, though he was available if needed out of the bullpen. Carson Whisenhunt, LHP (No. 4/MLB No. 98): The lesser-known San Francisco lefty pitched a scoreless third inning for the NL, working around a single and striking out two, including No. 1 overall prospect Jackson Holliday.
ROCKIES -- Yanquiel Fernandez, OF (No. 3/MLB No. 94): Fernandez had a strong all-around showing with a single to center field in the sixth inning and a laser of a throw to third base in the seventh. Playing right field, the Cuba native unleashed a throw tracked by Statcast at 103.3 mph as a runner advanced from first to third on a single.
PADRES -- Jackson Merrill, SS (No. 1/MLB No. 11): Merrill entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the fifth inning and played the final three innings at short. He went 0-for-2 with a popout and a groundout, although the latter was the second-hardest-hit ball of the Futures Game at 108.3 mph.
Ben Weinrib, Allison Mast, Brent Maguire, Manny Randhawa, Brendan Samson, Melanie Heller, Evan Desai and Stephanie Sheehan of MLB.com all contributed to this article.