David Shenfield
Close
- MLB covers for ESPN.com
- Former Deputy Editor Page 2
- On ESPN.com since 1995.
Several authors
The All-Star Game takes place on Sunday (noon ET) and is always an exciting part of the MLB All-Star Game festivities. If you’re in the Philadelphia area, check this place out and be sure to get there early enough to get some exercise. It’s always great to see future stars of the game trying to outdo each other.
Just a year ago, the Future Game featured Trey Yesavage, months before he became a postseason hero for the Toronto Blue Jays, and Connor Griffin, who was on his way to becoming the game’s top prospect before landing with the Pittsburgh Pirates earlier this season.
Here are some of the must-see prospects in this year’s game, with Keeley McDaniel’s latest rankings in parentheses.
Super shortstops
Jesus did, SS, Milwaukee Brewers (1)
Leo De Vries, SS, Athletics (2)
Franklin Arias, SS, Boston Red Sox (6)
All three started the season with a lot of hype and all three lived up to it. Mad just turned 19 in May, is already in Double-A and is hitting well, especially for his age (.283/.355/.445). He displays high exit velocity with a good contact rate, further showing why scouts like his advanced skills at the plate. He has eight home runs, more than he hit all of last season, but he still needs to lift the ball more.
DeVries is another teenager in Double-A, posting similar offensive numbers (.278/.367/.427, 10 home runs). The A’s made him a deal for Mason Miller and it’s a deal they won’t regret.
Arias is a year older and putting up monster numbers in Double-A Portland (.332/.418/.602). Given Boston’s offensive infield woes, one can’t help but wonder if he’ll be called up this season.
Most Valuable Pitchers
Seth Hernandez, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates (7)
Cade Anderson, LHP, Seattle Mariners (9)
Ryan Sloan, RHP, Seattle Mariners (17)
Editor’s Choice
2 Related
If there is one The player to watch in this game could be Hernandez. The Pirates selected him sixth overall last year despite being considered by some to be the most talented player in the draft, a fall that fell in part only because teams are reluctant to select high school pitchers so early in the draft. Hernandez has already moved up to High-A and has struck out 107 batters in 66 innings. He has advanced skills and serve instincts and could probably hold his own in the majors right now.
Anderson was another product of the 2025 draft, going No. 3 overall to LSU and destroying Double-A. There’s no doubt he could go to the Mariners right now, even though they don’t have a spot in their six-man rotation.
Sloan was a second-round pick out of high school in 2024 and is already in Double-A — and while that requires more projection than Anderson, he could have an even higher ceiling.
Preparing for 2025
Eli Willits, SS, Washington Nationals (8)
JoJo Parker, SS, Toronto Blue Jays (33)
Cason Cunningham, SS, Arizona Diamondbacks (not in top 50)
Top MLB Prospects for 2026
Where will the stars of tomorrow be when we rank the best young players in baseball?
Top 100 Leads » | 101-200″
Ranking All 30 MLB Farm Systems »
Top 10 prospect lists for all 30 teams »
Willits, Parker and Cunningham were all drafted out of high school and saw their arrows go up in 2026. Willits was the first choice but did better than expected while maintaining his status as a potential Gold Glover. Parker walked the eighth, showing strong hitting and power from the left side of the plate. Nothing has changed there.
Cunningham was selected 18th, and although he’s a year older – he’s already 20 – he’s hitting .381 at Single-A Visalia. He’ll have to develop more power (one home run), but early results are promising.
The only problem: getting all six shortstops we mentioned into the game for more than one or two at-bats.
Prospects with power
Josue De Paula, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers (18)
Ralphie Velasquez, 1B, Cleveland Guardians (31)
Charlie Condon, 1B/OF, Colorado Rockies (not ranked in the top 50)
2026 MLB Draft Coverage
Here’s everything you need for draft day. Draft layout »
Rating project » | Hype and information »
Don’t miss these guys in training. De Paula was the MVP of last year’s Futures Game after he beat Noah Schultz, now in the majors with the Chicago White Sox, in a left-to-left battle. Considered the Dodgers’ most improved homegrown hitter since Corey Seager, De Paula is hitting .321 with 15 home runs at Double-A Tulsa.
Velasquez represented a change in Cleveland’s draft philosophy when the Guardians took him 23rd overall in 2023 with his upside fully on the line. They moved him away from Catcher, where he played in high school, and he reached Triple-A and possibly the major leagues later that season.
Remember Condon? He had a monster season at Georgia in 2024, leading the Rockies to select him third – one spot ahead of Nick Kurtz. He dealt with injuries just after turning pro again last season, but is healthy this year and has hit 20 home runs in Triple-A with an OPS over 1.000.
Pitchers with big fastballs
Liam Doyle, LHP, St. Louis Cardinals (28)
Carlos LaGrange, RHP, New York Yankees (not ranked in the top 50)
Gage Wood, RHP, Philadelphia Phillies (not ranked in the top 50)
Doyle is the big name here, the fifth overall pick last June out of Tennessee, where his fastball topped 100 mph. He has struggled with his control in Double-A and his ERA is on the wrong side of 5, but he will move quickly once he starts throwing more hits.
LaGrange made headlines during spring training when he regularly scored 101 points and had a high of 103.1. There’s no doubt about his fastball, although the Yankees gave him a backup role in Triple-A, suggesting his future was more closer than a starter.
Wood had one of the best fastballs in last year’s draft out of Arkansas, although he missed time with a shoulder injury before returning to strike out 19 against Murray State in a College World Series game. The Phillies selected him late in the first round and he was approaching the upper 90s, reaching Double-A.