MLB: Five Players To Watch In All-Star Futures Game

On Sunday, the best players in Minor League Baseball will kick off All-Star festivities as they face off in the Sirius XM Futures Game. Which players will be the most exciting to watch?

The minor leagues are full of talented young stars, but on Sunday, the best of the best will take part in an All-Star tradition: MLB’s Futures Game, which showcases young talent from around the league.

For those who haven’t watched in the past, the players will split into two twenty-five man squads, U.S. and World, based on their birthplace. The U.S. team has won every year since 2010, including last year’s 10-1 defeat of the World team, despite having outstanding talent on both sides of the field.

Each minor league level has its own All-Star game to celebrate players who are having good years, but the Futures Game rosters are primarily composed of the best of the league’s top prospects.

The players who compete in the game don’t always go on to become major league superstars, but there are plenty of recognizable names from past Futures Game rosters: Jose Altuve, Edwin Encarnacion, Nelson Cruz, Mike Trout, Clayton Kershaw, and Matt Harvey – just to name a few.

So which of this year’s 50 standout prospects should you keep your eyes on this weekend? Here are the top five most interesting names – and a couple of runner-ups:

Next: Runner-Ups: Austin Meadows and Francisco Mejia

The Runner Ups – Austin Meadows* and Francisco Mejia

First, let’s just get one thing straight: Pirates outfield prospect Austin Meadows would certainly have made this list had he not been recently placed on the disabled list with a hamstring strain.

The 2013 first-round draft pick was promoted to the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians in mid-June, after batting .311/.365/.611 in Double-A this season. That included six home runs and a 24-game hit streak for the 21-year-old, who is currently ranked as the second-best prospect in the stacked Pirates system.

However, since Meadows will not take his place in center field for the U.S. team due to his injury, let’s turn our attention to one of the catchers for the World team: Francisco Mejia.

Mejia is the runner-up on this list because there are still many questions surrounding his future, but he’s also very intriguing. Currently, he’s on a 33-game hit streak – the longest in the minor leagues this year. He’s a Top 100 Prospect, but hardly the highest-ranked player headed to the Futures Game.

After beginning the year in Single-A Lake County, he was recently promoted to the Cleveland Indians’ High-A team, where he continued to hit well. So far in 2016, Mejia is batting .344/.374/.524. That includes seven homers, four triples, and 20 doubles. Considering his defense is what the team is most impressed with, Mejia could turn out to be a pretty special prospect.

He’ll split time with Gary Sanchez behind the dish, but keep an eye out for Mejia in Sunday’s game.

Next: #5: Alex Reyes

#5: Alex Reyes

Right-hander Alex Reyes is the top prospect in the St. Louis Cardinals’ system, and is ranked seventh overall by Baseball America. With a fastball that touches 100 miles an hour, its easy to see why everyone is impressed.

Although he grew up in New Jersey and graduated from high school there, he moved to the Dominican Republic in 2011 in order to eventually sign as an international free agent, rather than entering the U.S. Draft. The Cardinals signed him as soon as the one-year waiting period was up, and he consequently earned one of the biggest signing bonuses of the year.

In 2016, Reyes has only made nine starts, after missing the start of the season while serving a 50-game suspension. Reyes was suspended in November after testing positive for marijuana. While marijuana is not on the banned substances list for major league players, minor leaguers are not protected under the Collective Bargaining Agreement and can be suspended for using it.

Reyes is just 21 years old, but his stuff is overpowering. He has a highly-rated fastball, curveball and changeup, and has steadily improved his ability to mix pitches. Take a look at that curve, in this video from Baseball America:

So far in 2016, Reyes has struggled a bit. In 41.1 innings, he’s posted a 4.35 ERA for Triple-A Memphis and walked 20 batters. However, he has also struck out 61 hitters, and held opponents to a .224 average. Because of his velocity and deception, he should be an intriguing arm at Sunday’s game.

Next: #4: Andrew Benintendi

#4: Andrew Benintendi

Andrew Benintendi is hardly the biggest guy on the Futures Game roster, but this Boston Red Sox outfielder is worth paying attention to. A 2015 first-round draft pick, Benintendi was selected seventh overall just over a year ago and is already patrolling center field for Double-A Portland.

Benintindi is just 5’10 and 170 pounds, but has a surprising amount of power. He’s hit seven home runs in 2016, with six of those coming at the Double-A level. Overall, he’s batting .311/.376/.526 this year, following up on a 2015 season in which he posted a .972 OPS in 54 games at the Low- and Single-A levels.

The left-handed hitter is the third-ranked prospect in the Red Sox system, despite being only 22 years old. He has a quick, compact swing and good plate discipline, which has made him extremely successful during his young career. Check out Benintendi at the plate here:

Benintendi isn’t just good at hitting for average and power or taking walks. He also is fast, with 14 stolen bases on the year, and an outstanding defender. This Red Sox prospect is sure to impress Futures Game fans of every team. Right now, MLB.com ranks Bentintendi 21st on their Top 100 Prospects List, and third on the list of top minor league outfielders.

Next: #3: Dansby Swanson

#3: Dansby Swanson

After being drafted first overall in 2015, Dansby Swanson made history last offseason, when the Arizona Diamondbacks dealt the superstar shortstop to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for Shelby Miller. Teams have rarely included No. 1 overall picks in trade packages in the past (at least prior to their big league debut), and certainly never so quickly.

Regardless of the circumstances, Swanson has continued to find success within the Braves’ organization. After posting an .876 OPS in 22 games with the Diamondbacks’ rookie league team, he’s batted .285/.374/.443 so far this season while splitting time between Atlanta’s High- and Double-A teams.

Swanson hits for a decent amount of power for a shortstop, and already has six home runs in 2016. His real talent lies in his ability to get on base, either through hits or walks. He’s also a good runner on the basepaths; so far, he’s swiped 10 bases this year.

His glove isn’t quite as dependable as his bat, but he doesn’t get rattled easily and is able to play both middle infield positions. Take a look at these clips from Spring Training, which showcase his skills on both sides of the plate:

Right now, Swanson is the top prospect in the Braves system, as well as the sixth best prospect in the minors, according to MLB.com. They also list him as the third-best shortstop prospect in the league, showcasing just how many elite infielders MLB has right now. Swanson’s bat helps him to stand out in the crowd, and should be on display this Sunday.

Next: #2: Alex Bregman

#2: Alex Bregman

Another shortstop who will join the U.S. squad for the Futures Game is Houston Astros infielder Alex Bregman. MLB.com ranks Bregman behind Swanson, listing him 18th overall and sixth among shortstops, but Bregman is still ranked first in the Astros’ system.

So if Bregman is listed higher than Swanson, why does he beat him out on this list? In short, he’s having a better year. The 6’0″, 180 pound Bregman has hit .309/.416/.603 so far this season, including 19 home runs.

Perhaps the most intriguing factor is where his power has been on display. After being drafted second overall in the 2015 draft, the  Bregman spent 62 games in the pitcher-friendly Texas League, hitting 14 homers for Houston’s Double-A club.

Since moving up to the more hospitable conditions of Triple-A Fresno, he’s hit five homers in eight games.

While Swansby has drawn comparisons to Derek Jeter, Bregman has often been compared to Dustin Pedroia. Heading into the Futures Game, Bregman is one of the most likely players to hit the ball out of the park, and that’s only the start of his skill set.

With Carlos Correa at shortstop for the foreseeable future, the Astros will likely be forced to find another position for Bregman – but that doesn’t take away from his accomplishments thus far.

Next: #1: Yoan Moncada