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New York Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Scouting notes on the Futures Game standouts and under-performers
I'm going to write this until MLB finally sees the error of its ways or I die in the process of trying to explain it to them, whichever comes first: The Futures Game should be nine innings again. Its current seven-inning format turns it into a Little League event, no offense to Little Leaguers, and detracts from its purpose of promoting the game's rising stars, many of whom will be in the majors inside of a year of playing in this event. Several top prospects got a single plate appearance, or faced one better. Major League Baseball shot itself in the foot the moment they decided to make this seven innings and cede time to the Celebrity Softball Game, which, sorry, I do not and will never care about. I could be playing in the game and I wouldn't care about it. Advertisement Anyway, the 2025 Futures Game was a remarkably well-played affair. There were no defensive gaffes, only one pitcher couldn't find the plate, and we had enough offense to make it interesting (as opposed to years when pitchers dominate because they're all amped up since they're throwing maybe 10-15 pitches and can air it out). The MVP of the game was Dodgers prospect Josue De Paula, because he hit the home run, getting a left-on-left slider from White Sox prospect Noah Schultz and tagging it at 108.5 mph, the hardest-hit ball of the day, out to right-center. Hit a homer, get a trophy. The flip side of all of this is that there weren't many standouts at all; everyone played well, no one played that poorly. Here are some of the players who impressed and a few who underwhelmed (scouting grades are on the traditional 20-80 scouting scale): • Mets right-hander Jonah Tong has an ugly delivery, really — it's straight over the top and he comes across his body — but my word what comes out of his arm is good: 95-97 with big ride and above-average extension, a plus curveball at 78-80 with real depth (boosted by the slot), and a solid changeup. He seems to get to his glove side better than I'd expect given the slot and landing spot. • Mariners right-hander — hang on a second — Jurrangelo Cijntje was 96-98 with a plus slider and good feel for a changeup. He did face one batter throwing left-handed, with his fastball at 93 and slider at 79, but the difference in delivery and quality of stuff is dramatic. Rather than continuing to switch-pitch, I really think he should just throw right-handed at this point. He's at least a No. 2 starter as a right-handed pitcher. The switch-pitching thing is fun until it gets in the way of him becoming a star from the right side. • Cardinals shortstop JJ Wetherholt played the whole game, first as the DH and then as a second baseman. He had two of the hardest-hit balls of the day, a double to left-center on a slider from a lefty and a lineout to center on 95 middle-away. I'm not surprised — he can hit, always has when healthy — but it's good to see him do it against premium stuff. Advertisement • Cubs outfielder Owen Caissie, who may find himself traded before the month is out, was on base three times, with a pair of walks — one of which came after he was called out on strikes, challenged the call, and walked to first base because he was so confident he was correct — and a double the other way on a curveball that stayed up. • Tigers shortstop Kevin McGonigle had the most impressive 0-for-2 day, as he squared up a pair of pitches for a flyout to deep right-center and another to left field. • Diamondbacks center fielder Slade Caldwell struck out looking in his only at-bat, but he had the defensive play of the day with a diving catch in center. Also, I can confirm that he's 5-foot-7 after shaking his hand. • Tampa Bay picked up right-hander Brody Hopkins from Seattle in the Randy Arozarena trade last year. At the Futures Game, Hopkins was 98-99 with an above-average slider at 86-89 and average or better cutter at 92-93. He has a long arm swing and I don't think he repeats it that well, but it's rotation-ready stuff if he just throws enough strikes with it all. • Atlanta right-hander JR Ritchie started for the NL squad and sat at 97 with an above-average curveball at 82-85, above-average changeup at 77, and a promising slider at 83-84. There might not be a true plus pitch here, so the ceiling may be more like a strong No. 3 starter. He throws strikes and has the pitch mix to be a big-league starter of some sort, and perhaps there's more progress to come as he matures and gets further from his 2023 Tommy John surgery. • Tigers outfielder Max Clark walked and stole second off the pitcher (Ritchie) in the first, then beat out an infield single with an 80 run time (3.89). I saw him and McGonigle on Thursday at Harrisburg as well, and I don't think there should be any concerns about Clark's speed or defense in center. I still think he's going to be a star once the power comes. Advertisement • Yankees shortstop George Lombard, Jr. came close to making the play of the game, ranging far to his right to stop a grounder and nearly throwing the runner out from deep in the hole. He walked and smoked a double to left field on a 94-mph fastball before lining out in his last PA. • Hopkins and Angels right-hander George Klassen had the fastest pitches of the day, both hitting 99; Klassen technically came out on top at 99.2 and every pitch he threw was in the 98.7-99.2 range. With that and a short but sharp slider at 89-92, Klassen could probably pitch in the Angels' bullpen tomorrow. I'm sorry for giving them any ideas here. • There were a couple of players who did underwhelm in the game. Marlins lefty Thomas White returned to the Futures Game, and for the second year in a row he had trouble throwing strikes. He was 95-98 with a slider at 80-84, premium stuff, but half his pitches were called balls and they were bad misses at that. • Schultz gave up the homer to De Paula, and despite arm strength, Schultz's stuff played way down on Saturday. He was 94-97 with a 'sinker' that didn't sink, and the slider at 78-81 wasn't that sharp. He has a low three-quarters arm slot that should give him some deception; the NL hitters he faced were not deceived. • Rockies outfielder Charlie Condon was 0 for 3 and still didn't look very comfortable at all against sliders, the pitch that caused him so much trouble in his pro debut last year. • Mariners catcher Harry Ford nearly decapitated his pitcher on a throw to second, which certainly isn't going to reduce concerns that he can't stay behind the plate. • Finally, Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin showed plus-plus speed twice on groundballs, but left the game after Astros reliever Alimber Santa hit him on the wrist or hand. Early word is he's fine, but I was just imagining the Pirates saying they'd never send another prospect to the Futures Game if Griffin had broken a bone there. (Photo of De Paula: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)
Al Arabiya
4 days ago
- Sport
- Al Arabiya
Dodgers prospect De Paula hits 3-run homer to lift NL to 4-2 win in All-Star Futures Game
Josue De Paula hit a three-run homer in a four-run fourth inning, and the National League beat the American League 4-2 on Saturday in the All-Star Futures Game featuring top prospects. The National League is 4-1-1 since the Futures Game moved from a US vs. World format to AL vs. NL in 2019. Noah Schultz, a left-hander in the Chicago White Soxs organization, gave up four hits and four runs, including the line-drive homer by De Paula that traveled 416 feet to right-center. De Paula, an outfielder, plays for Class A Great Lakes in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. De Paula, selected the games Most Valuable Player, said the homer is definitely a motivator in his path to the major leagues. 'For me, mentally, a big moment,' De Paula said. 'It proved to me especially to myself who I really am.' Schultz then gave up a single to LuJames Groover, who scored on Owen Caissie's double to left field. New York Yankees infield prospect George Lombard Jr., the son of Detroit Tigers bench coach George Lombard, walked, stole second base, and scored on Braden Montgomery's groundout in the third to give the AL a 1-0 lead. Lombard also had a double. Josue Briceño, a Double-A catcher for Detroit, tripled and scored on Sebastian Walcott's sacrifice fly in the fourth to push the lead to 2-0. Chill bumps for Chipper–Two former Atlanta stars, Chipper Jones and Marquis Grissom, were the managers for the NL and AL, respectively. Jones was an eight-time All-Star third baseman who spent his entire career with Atlanta before becoming a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee in 2018. Jones and Grissom were teammates on Atlanta's 1995 World Series championship team. Grissom caught a fly ball in center field for the clinching final out in the win over Cleveland. 'You can't measure my chill bumps right now with a yard stick,' Jones said when asked about the memory of watching Grissom 'just glide to it and knowing that he's got a bead on it and this puppy's over; it was like it was happening in slow motion.' For starters–Right-hander JR Ritchie, an Atlanta prospect who has pitched for High-A Rome and Double-A Columbus this season, became the 10th pitcher to start a Futures Game in his organizations home park. Ritchie had two strikeouts in a scoreless first inning. Ritchie said he received a phone call from Jones telling him he would start. 'It was unbelievable,' Ritchie said. 'I never thought Chipper Jones would call me.' Left-hander Parker Messick, who is with Cleveland's Triple-A Columbus, had a scoreless first inning for the AL. Father and son–Grissom's son, Marquis Grissom Jr., a right-hander for the Washington Nationals Triple-A Rochester, gave up one run in one inning for the NL while his father was in the opposing dugout. He said he was looking forward to bragging about the win to his father. 'He lost!' Grissom Jr. said. 'He took the L, so he better be ready when I get home!' 'I'm just happy to be a part of this and get a chance to see my son, all the work he's put in to be a part of this and excel his baseball career,' the elder Grissom said, adding, 'the chance to be around the future stars of the game, it doesn't really get any better than that for me.' Switch-pitcher skills–Seattle minor leaguer Jurrangelo Cijntje showed off his switch-pitching skills in his scoreless second inning for the AL. He recorded a strikeout against Jesús Made while pitching from the right side, when threw from the left side while coaxing a fly ball from De Paula before giving up a single to LuJames Groover again from the right side, and then switching yet again to strike out Joe Mack and end the inning.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
MLB All-Star Futures Game: Dodgers prospect Josue De Paula lifts National League to 4-2 win, earns MVP honors
Josue De Paula's three-run home run led the National League to a 4-2 win over the American League in Saturday's MLB All-Star Futures Game at Atlanta's Truist Park. The NL has won three straight in this minor-league showcase since switching from a U.S. versus World format to the two leagues matched up against one another. De Paula, the Los Angeles Dodgers' No. 1 prospect, launched a 79.5 mph slider left in the middle of the strike zone by Noah Schultz to put the NL on top in the fourth inning. Schultz is the Chicago White Sox's top minor-leaguer. In 78 games for the high Single-A Great Lakes Loons, De Paula is batting .265/.409/.425 with 12 doubles, 10 homers, 30 RBI and 26 stolen bases. Advertisement The AL took an early 2-0 lead on an RBI triple from Detroit Tigers prospect Josue Briceño.
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Chicage White Sox looking towards future already
The Chicago White Sox have nothing to play for this season besides pride and the future. So it makes complete sense for them to begin calling up top prospects to provide them experience at the big league level. Colson Montgomery, one of those blue chip players in the minors, is expected to be called up and on the active roster Friday when the White Sox play Colorado Rockies. Advertisement MORE: Aaron Judge makes history for the New York Yankees again Montgomery, a 2021 first round pick, has been crushing the ball at the Triple-A level for Chicago with the Charlotte 23-year-old shortstop stands 6-foor-3 and weighs 230 pounds. He was a standout basketball player in high school, setting a career scoring record for Southridge High School in Indiana along with shining on the baseball diamond. Montgomery was offered an opportunity to walk-on to the Indiana Hoosiers basketball team if he attended college to play baseball there, but the White Sox instead drafted him No. 22 overall. Advertisement Despite some struggles last year at Charlotte, he still hit 18 home runs in 130 games. This year, he has 11 homers and 32 RBI between two stops in the minors. has Montgomery as the No. 5 prospect in the organization behind Noah Schultz, Kyle Teel, Braden Montgomery and Hagen Smith. Schultz and Smith are both pitchers, Teel a catcher and Braden Montgomery an outfield. Chicago, who sits dead-last in the American League Central standings, has lost its last two at the Los Angeles Dodgers. MORE MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL NEWS:
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith crumble, as White Sox get crushed 24-5 by Mariners and Rockies
When you have more mound conferences than runs scored, it's just not your day. |It should have been a day for the White Sox big pitching stars of the future (we had hoped) to strut their stuff against two weak-hitting teams. Instead, Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith could barely get their pitches somewhere between first and third base. Both had to get pulled really early, though they did get those Spring Training reappearances. Advertisement At home against Seattle, Smith went 2 1⁄3 innings thanks to the second chance, walking five and giving up three hits and six runs, five of them earned. Give him credit for leadership, though, since a half-dozen relievers took his cue and walked another seven and even added a hit batsman. Before all that incompetence was over, Seattle (with the worst record in the Cactus League) chalked up 14 runs, even while leaving 10 on base. The White Sox actually tied the game at one in the second on a Lenyn Sosa single, but then left the bases loaded and didn't bother to score again, hence the 14-1 slaughter. Meanwhile, against lowly Colorado (which is having a good spring), Schultz matched Smith's five walks in just 1 1⁄3 innings in two stints, though he only allowed one hit and was tagged for only three runs, two earned (yes, lousy fielding in both games). It took seven relievers to add another six walks in that one, which they accomplished even though the Rockies didn't have to bat in the ninth. They included a wild pitch run on their tab, just for fun. Against Colorado, the Sox actually got the score to just down 3-2 on a Bobby Dalbec double in the fourth, but it was all slaughter after that, though Nick Maton did manage a homer. The other run came on an Andre Lipcius single, a gift score since Bryan Ramos had been wild-pitched around to third. Final score, 10-4, Rubber Ducky (a reference for you Convoy fans). Advertisement To be fair to the pitchers, though, it should be pointed out they did have one 1-2-3 inning in each game. There's usually a break in the report verbiage at some point to show highlights, but to provide alleged highlight videos of these debacles would invite a lightning strike. Add those debacles to the confirmation Drew Thorpe will have TJS and Brandon Drury has a broken thumb, and predicting 121 losses won't be topped this year seems a case of cock-eyed optimism (a reference for you South Pacific fans). The White Sox are now 10-18-1 for the spring (plus 0-1 in the Breakout game) with two exhibitions to go before it all goes on their permanent record beginning Thursday. Both those will be on TV, with tomorrow's game against Arizona also on radio. More from
