This past Sunday Major League Baseball presented the 2015 MLB Futures Game, the 17th edition of this exhibition contest and easily the most enjoyable part of the All-Star Game festivities each year. Baseball America selects the 25-man rosters for both the US Team and the World Team: as the name might suggest the US Team is comprised of players born in the United States and the World Team of players born outside the country. Each organization must have at least one representative in attendance and teams are generally extremely accommodating in sending their top prospects to participate in this event.

The setup of this game often favors the pitchers, as they typically only pitch 1 inning and thus only throw their best pitches trying to outdo one other. Nonetheless this game gives scouts and prospect-nerds a unique opportunity to watch the top pitching and hitting prospects compete against one another. Somewhat unusual for a prospect showcase, the US Team manufactured an offensive explosion in the middle innings on their way to a 10-1 victory over the World Team. These are my observations from this year’s Futures Game.

Lucas Giolito RHP Washington Nationals

The starting pitcher for the US Team despite being the youngest pitcher on the roster, this honor was bestowed on Giolito because of his current status as the top pitching prospect in baseball. And Giolito did little to disappoint Sunday, pitching 2 innings while allowing two meek hits against one strikeout over his 20 pitches and six batters faced. Giolito flashed all three of his pitches in this outing, showing his 96-98mph fastball which he commanded to the inside half of the plate, along with his devastating mid-80s curveball and impressive high-70s changeup. He was obviously eager to make an impression as a few of his first offerings sailed high and out of the strike zone, but this is a minor quibble with an otherwise excellent performance.

The Nationals have been taking their time with Giolito in his development through the minors, but his recent success and this impressive outing could force them to promote him before the end of the summer. Giolito still needs minor league refinement, but if he can stay healthy, he has a chance to be a true top-of-the-rotation pitcher perhaps as soon as late 2016.

Trea Turner SS Washington Nationals

Entering the game as a replacement for Phillies prospect J.P. Crawford, Turner immediately made an impact, ripping a double to left field in the sixth inning and hitting a stand-up triple to center in the eighth. Offensively Turner was able to flash all of his tools in these two at-bats, including his top-of-the-scale speed, above-average hit tool and surprising power from a middle infielder.

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Zach Davies RHP Baltimore Orioles

The Orioles lone representative in this contest, Davies entered the game for the US Team in the Top of the 8th and flashed a solid 89-90mph fastball with excellent command along with a devastating plus changeup. Unfortunately Davies only threw 10 pitches against the 3 batters he faced, allowing an infield single against a strikeout and a routine groundout to third base. Despite the brief appearance, I was extremely impressed with the way Davies attacked opposing hitters with his fastball and the quality of his changeup. In a farm system relatively shallow especially at the upper levels, Davies is a prospect who should receive more attention as a future backend major league starter.

Additional Scouting Notes

Chicago Cubs catching prospect Kyle Schwarber has long been known as a terrific hitter but most scouts have questioned whether his defensive skills would improve enough to be a major league quality catcher. Early in the game I was impressed with his ability to handle the elite velocity from Giolito, along with flashing a 2.00 second pop time in throwing out Ketel Marte in the 1st inning. He did look a little lazy on a passed ball in the 3rd inning off Amir Garrett, although one could argue it was a mix-up of the signals with an unfamiliar hurler. Nonetheless, Schwarber looked better and quieter defensively, showing he has made improvements thus far in 2015. Oh and he also ripped a triple to drive in two runs in the 3rd inning in route to winning the MVP award for this year’s game.

Speaking of Cincinnati’s Amir Garrett, he quickly caught my attention entering the game in the 3rd inning and flashing 93-95mph velocity from the left side. As a representative of the host city, it was obvious Garrett was pumped up to impress the fans, which hurt his command and caused him to allow three hits and a run on this outing. However, as a raw former collegiate basketball player, Garrett has the athleticism to repeat his delivery and a strong repertoire. He needs innings and experience on the mound, but this is a prospect that could blow up in the next 12-24 months, if he has not done so already.

Chicago White Sox RHP Francellis Montas appears to have won the award for largest velocity, hitting 102mph on the stadium radar gun multiple times in his appearance. He struggles with his command and with his changeup, but his velocity and solid slider could make him a future closer.

Finally Kansas City SS Raul Mondesi showed off his incredible speed, stealing an infield hit off third baseman Richie Shaffer in the 8th inning by running a 4.00 second time home to first – for the non-scouts, this is an easy “7” or double plus time. Still only 19-years-old Mondesi is holding his own at Double-A this season and projects to be a future above-average two-way shortstop in the major leagues.

Wednesday morning I took advantage of the beautiful weather, along with a generous offer from my sister-in-law to watch the dogs, to drive to Hagerstown to watch the Suns, Washington’s Low-A affiliate, do battle with the Delmarva Shorebirds, Baltimore’s farm team.

Overall I was impressed by the quality of play of each team, especially considering it was a “get away” game, and the number of  prospects on both teams.  These are my scouting notes on a few of the many impressive players from this contest, a game Delmarva rallied to win 5-4.

Luis Reyes  RHP  Hagerstown Suns

Starting for Hagerstown Wednesday morning was 20-year-old pitcher Luis Reyes, making his third career start at the Low-A level. Immediately I was impressed with Reyes long legs, high waist, and the amount of projection remaining in his “listed” 6-2 175lbs frame. With a baby-face like Justin Bieber, Reyes should fill out with additional muscle as he matures.

Reyes was sitting 87-91mph with his fastball, touching 92mph three times, with life on it and he command it well both arm-side and toward the bottom of the strike zone. Toward the lower velocity readings, his fastball would also show some sinking action. Furthermore Reyes flashed a 73-74mph curveball which needs development, as he slows his arm to help the torque on the pitch. Finally he also showed a few 82-84mph changeups with some natural sinking action toward his arm-side.

Signed as a 17-year-old from the Dominican Republic, Reyes is another product of Washington’s recent improved efforts signing players internationally. While he is extremely raw and needs significant development to his off-speed offerings, Reyes is an intriguing, projectable young arm. I would expect the Nationals to have Reyes focus on fastball command this summer, along with becoming more comfortable throwing his changeup and curveball. This is a nice sleeper prospect in Washington’s system and I am curious to observe his development this season in Hagerstown.

Jomar Reyes  3B  Hagerstown Suns

Maybe he began the 2015 season somewhat unknown in prospect circles, but Reyes’ stock is about to skyrocket like an underpriced IPO on Wall Street. Reyes is already a physically built man, looking much larger than his listed 6-3 220lbs. Reyes flashes a strong arm both pregame and during game action but his sheer mass makes me question if he will have the agility or speed to remain at third base as he continues to mature physically. He has below-average current speed, meaning a position shift is most likely across the diamond rather than the outfield.
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However, regardless of his eventual defensive position, Reyes is a hitter and his bat will always be his calling card. Reyes shows above-average bat speed, good mechanics and balance throughout his simple right-handed swing. He generates loft and back spin off the bat, and the ball sounds different off the bat than others at this level, as if he is swinging a sledgehammer on a “Strength-Tester” carnival game. Like most young power hitters, his swing can get a touch long and he will need to shorten it as he moves through the minors, but he has quick wrists and the raw bat speed to hit professional velocity.

Although he is still raw and there are legitimate questions about his eventual position, it is rare to find a right-handed hitter with a good approach, mechanics, and swing at such a young age. Orioles’ fans should remain patient with Reyes, as he should move level to level in his journey towards Baltimore and will need 3+ years in the minors to be big-league ready. That said, aside from Dylan Bundy, Hunter Harvey, and Chance Sisco, no player in the Baltimore system has a bigger “upside” than Reyes and one could argue he is currently a top-5 prospect in their farm system.

Jonah Heim  Catcher  Hagerstown Suns

This winter while most people may have caught the flu, I contracted a case of “I’ve fallen in love with great defensive catching prospects” – My latest strain of this wonderful virus is Orioles prospect Jonah Heim.

Heim is much taller than average catchers, but he does a masterful job of framing his body to give the pitcher a large target and the umpire an excellent view of the pitch. His squat does leave him slightly vulnerable to wild pitches low and inside, but he is agile enough to adequately block these pitches in the dirt. I was amazed at how square and quiet he kept his body as he received the pitch and his hands are exceptionally soft and gentle as he catches the ball. In addition, Heim showed quick feet and a strong arm, flashing a 1.94 second pop time to second base in throwing out an opposing baserunner. He still needs polish behind the dish and to improve his blocking abilities, but Heim projects as a plus defensive catcher at the big league level.

Heim’s offensive skills currently lag behind his defense, but the 19-year-old switch hitting catcher showed some good bat speed from the left side Wednesday, crushing a double and hitting a fly ball to the wall in straight away center field for a loud out. He still struggles with strikeouts and recognizing breaking pitches, but he has made noticeable strides to shorten his lefty swing.

Like every teenager he needs at-bats to gain experience and refine his approach and swing, but a switch-hitting catcher with plus defensive potential is an outstanding starter kit for a prospect. If one believes Chance Sisco is destined for another defensive position, Jonah Heim is clearly the best catching prospect currently in the Orioles’ system. I do not expect him to move quickly but I would be stunned if he did not develop into a major leaguer in the future.

3) Conversely, what characteristics or skills are you looking for when scouting a hitter? What flaws can be corrected and which are “in-correctable”?

“Scouting hitters is a bit different. Like I said, the most telling time to scout a hitter is in batting practice. First thing I look for in a hitter is bat speed. If a hitter has premium bat speed, then it allows them to make “more” mistakes in game (when guessing a pitch or two strike approach) because they have the bat speed to make up for it. In game, the easiest thing to scout is a hitters’ approach. During at-bats, you can tell if a player has a real plan at the plate or whether they are just a hacker. Although, it is easy to identify, a bad approach is one of the easier things to correct/teach.

Next, I look at pitch recognition for a hitter. Can they read spin? I’m a firm believer in recognizing and reading spin is a neurological skill. You can tell this but how a player reacts to spin. Does player x flinch? Does he bail out? Or does he recognize it and stay in and barrel the ball. Which leads to make next skill: barrel control. When a player has true feel for the barrel, they can usually barrel and square all types of pitches in every location. Lastly, I think the most correctable aspect of hitting is approach. You cannot teach bat speed and you cannot teach the neurological aspect of recognizing spin.”

4) Now the game is over… What work do you do post-game?

“Post-game, I collect all of my notes and all of my thoughts. If I am at a game with another BP member or scout, I like to pick their brain on what they saw/thought as well. I write down all of initial reactions and thoughts about each individual player and gather them into a report once I get home to my computer. I usually write out an elaborate report on players and how I feel they grow and progress as they make their way through the minors. AND my favorite post-game activity is to watch the post-game fireworks through the rear view mirror as I’m driving away.”

* * * *

Thanks C.J! Furthermore, C.J. has agreed to return for a Part-2 of this article in the near future, so if you have follow-up questions or other questions for a baseball scout, please leave them in the Comment’s Section or Tweet me @NatsGMdotcom. Thanks for reading!