The so-called “Futures Game” leads the way to the All-Star Game in two weeks. This event brings together the top prospects from all 30 MLB organizations. A total of 54 young prospects will showcase their skills on the diamond under the direction of Adrián Beltré for the American League and Michael Young for the National League.
The Futures Game will take place on July 13 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, home of the defending World Series champion Rangers. It will feature a nine-inning game between the promising young pitchers of tomorrow from both the “Old” and “New” Circuits.
MLB has introduced a new Skills Show this year in which some of the participants will showcase their best hitting skills in three categories: hitting to specific spots on the field, hitting to the wings, and a version of the Home Run Derby.
The Chicago White Sox will have the opportunity to showcase two of their top talents in the Futures Game. The players, who occupy the top two spots among the organization’s top prospects according to MLB Pipeline, are Colson Montgomery (shortstop) and Noah Schultz (pitcher).
Let’s take a look at the Chicago White Sox prospects who will be playing in the Futures Game:
Colson Montgomery
Colson Montgomery is the all-time leading basketball scorer at Southridge High School in Huntingburg, Indiana, with 1,966 points. He had several offers to play college basketball, but the 6’6″ left-handed prodigy decided to go his own way, and that led him to baseball. He was selected by the White Sox in the 2021 draft with a $3,027,000 contract.
Montgomery had an spectacular debut season in Double-A and is now proving his worth in Triple-A with the Charlotte Knights. The 22-year-old impresses with a .210/.330/.371 offensive line, 12 doubles, a triple, 10 home runs, 32 RBIs and 6 stolen bases. Add to that great defensive play and glowing scouting reports, and there is no doubt that Montgomery has a bright future ahead of him, with a major league debut perhaps as soon as 2024.
Noah Schultz
Noah Schultz, the 6’9″, 220-pound left-handed behemoth, is captivating the baseball world. Battling mononucleosis, the then-senior pitcher from Illinois first showed his full potential with wooden bats in the summer Prospect League, but the White Sox didn’t hesitate to select him with the 26th overall pick in the 2023 draft, offering him a $2.8 million contract.
Despite a flexor strain and a shoulder impingement that delayed his debut, Schultz proved his power in Single-A with an effectiveness of 1 earned run per 9 innings in 10 starts. He also impressed with 38 strikeouts in 27 innings. Now the 20-year-old prodigy is shining in Double-A with the Birmingham Barons. Although his record there is unfavorable (0-2), he has already accumulated 50.2 innings pitched in 13 games, where he has recorded 72 strikeouts and a WHIP of 0.87.
25 years of the Futures Game
This year will be the 25th edition of the Futures Game, an idea that saw the light of day in 1999 and has been played annually ever since, with the exception of 2020 due to the Covid 19 pandemic. The event has functioned as a platform for numerous young talents to showcase their skills.
The Futures Game has had several format changes. Originally, players were distributed into the USA and World teams, and play extended only seven innings. After the 2007 edition, games were extended to nine innings, but returned to seven innings in 2019. That same year, the teams began representing the National League and the American League.
After each edition of the Futures Game, the Most Valuable Player (MVP) is chosen and awarded the Larry Doby Award. Several players who have deserved this award have gone on to become great MLB stars. Such are the cases of Alfonso Soriano and Kyle Schwarber.
The Chicago White Sox players have never won the Larry Doby Award, while their North Side neighbors have won two, the 2015 with Schwarber and the 2021 with Brennen Davis.
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