As a father of a travel ball baseball player, let me say first and foremost, I hate the international/Texas tiebreaker. It is not baseball. Get rid of it. If it is already established that a game can end in a tie, just play regular baseball until the rules for that particular game say it is over.
The outcome, a 2-2 tie after seven regular innings and one gimmick frame aside, there was a lot of solid baseball played in the low-scoring exhibition that was the 2019 Futures Game. We saw plenty of high-octane velocity, some late-inning heroics and feats of extreme athleticism sprinkled throughout.
Here are my takeaways from Sunday's contest:
There was an unusual lack of star power. Oh sure, the names were there: Wander Franco, Jo Adell, Mackenzie Gore, etc. The performances, however, while good, lacked a signature moment or showing.
Of the names I talked about going into the game, Adell came closest to delivering. He walked twice and smacked a single up the middle off of a triple-digit fastball from Sixto Sanchez. He showed his speed on the bases and in the field. That said nobody quite took over the game like Yoan Moncada or Eloy Jimenez did back in 2016.
Taylor Trammell tried his best to win back-to-back Futures Game MVP awards with an RBI single and what would have been a straight steal of home, but was denied the theft on a toss-up call.
The clear-cut, game-changing moment belonged to the Texas Rangers' prospect Sam Huff. With one on and one out in the bottom of the seventh inning, Huff hit a massive 417-foot home run to left field to tie the game at two a piece. The moment rightfully earned Huff MVP honors.
A seventh-round pick in 2016, Huff is in the midst of a breakout season at the plate. He is big and strong with Joey Gallo comparisons on the raw power. He is now showing it in games -- obviously -- and has already racked up a career-high 21 home runs in 80 games. His previous high of 18 came in 118 contests last season.
Huff has primarily played catcher since turning pro. He has a good arm and is a good receiver, but there are questions about his size as a primary backstop. Even if he splits time between catcher, first base and even designed hitter, the potential for a 40-home run hitter with eligibility at arguably the weakest position in fantasy baseball makes him an intriguing option. He is a ways off for a redraft league, but the time may be right to buy in a dynasty format.
Deivi Garcia, the highly-touted New York Yankees' arm, showcased his ability early on. Out of the pitchers I previously mentioned, he came out the game with the biggest bump in clout. He was also promoted to Triple-A during the game which only added to the hype. Whether it be with New York later in the season or as a trade chip this month, expect to hear a lot about Garcia going forward. If you are looking to rebuild in a multi-year league, but not wait three years for production, this is one of my primary targets.
The pitchers I came across most impressed with also both pitch for American League East organizations. Nate Pearson for the Toronto Blue Jays displayed a tremendous amount of arm strength. He hit triple-digits several times including 102-mph. He also flashed an upper-80s breaking ball.
Pearson, a first-round pick in 2017, missed most of 2018 after a comebacker broke his arm early in the season. The Jays have slowed his usage thus far, but the talent is obvious. He is pitching at the Double-A level now and could be a 2020 arrival in Toronto.
Great stuff is nice, but I will take a pitcher who can pitch over raw ability any day. When you get a prospect that can do both, count me in. Grayson Rodriguez of the Baltimore Orioles? I am all in.
Rodriguez entered the game in the extra-inning with a runner on second base and no outs. He induced a ground ball to the left side for the first out with no advancement from the Atlanta Braves' Cristian Pache. The 11th pick in the 2018 draft received help from a diving catch by Adell in right field for out number two.
Facing Philadelphia Phillies' power-hitting prospect Alec Bohm, Rodriguez fell behind 2-0 in the count. American League pitching coach Juan Nieves bounced out to the mound for a chat with the 19-year-old. Despite being down two balls in the count, Nieves game plan called for a righty-on-righty changeup away from the slugging hitter. The thought process here was to stay away from Bohm's power at all costs even if it meant the risk of walking him.
Most likely expecting fastball -- as the majority of young hitters would -- Bohm whiffed on an low-80s changeup on the outside corner. It was the perfect pitch in the perfect location executed by someone who was in high school about 15 months ago. Bohm would swing and miss at the next pitch -- a mid-90s fastball away -- before rolling over an 81-mph curveball to second base for the final out. Where was the breaking ball placed? You guessed it -- low and away.
Despite the normal caveats about age and pitching prospects, there are some delivery-related concerns that could pose a challenge for Rodriguez at some point. However, the combination of stuff, control and pitchability means he is not only someone to watch, but one that could be a potential ace in the making.