The 2022 All-Star festivities officially kicked off on Saturday night at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, as the game’s brightest and most talented young prospects squared off in the annual Futures Game.
The American League picked up their first win under the new AL vs. NL format, riding a trio of home runs and strong pitching performances to a 6-4 win in seven innings. As usual, the event showcased the most talented players coming up through Major League organizations, including Oakland Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers, whose fourth inning home run and defensive putout behind the plate earned him the game’s MVP award.
Langeliers was hardly the only player to show off his skillset on Saturday night, however. Below are some of the other tremendous performances that we saw at Dodger Stadium in the precursor to the Home Run Derby and All-Star Game.
Hitters
CF Jasson Dominguez- New York Yankees
The Yankees phenom was put in the spotlight early in the game for the wrong reason, as he dropped a routine fly ball that allowed two runs to come across for the National League in the bottom of the second inning. But the 19-year-old center fielder made up for his miscue in a big way in the top of the third, belting a pitch from Giants left-hander Kyle Harrison over the fence in center to even the score at 3.
RF Matt Wallner- Minnesota Twins
Just three batters after Dominguez tied the game in the third, Wallner went out and did one better. The Twins prospect saw a fastball from Harrison and absolutely scorched the ball, pulling a home run down the right field line at a scintillating 116 mph. Wallner’s two-run shot gave the American League a 5-3 advantage in the third that they would not relinquish on their way to the win.
1B Dustin Harris- Texas Rangers
The 23-year-old Harris is not listed on MLB Pipeline’s top 100 prospects list and is ranked seventh within the Rangers organization, but he put together one of the best hitting performances of the day against NL pitching. Harris’ RBI single in the first plated the opening run of the contest, and he later walked and scored a run in the third. In the final frame, Harris laced another single to right and swiped second on NL catcher Logan O’Hoppe. A fine all-around day for an underrated Rangers farmhand.
3B Gunnar Henderson- Baltimore Orioles
Almost the opposite of Harris, Henderson is a very well-known prospect, checking in at No. 5 on MLB Pipeline’s top 100 list due to his hitting ability, athleticism and speed. Henderson earned the chance to show that off in the top of the first, advancing from first to third on a wild pitch from Dodgers hurler Bobby Miller, then scoring the game’s first run. In the third, Henderson’s blazing speed down the first base line led to an error from the shortstop, eventually bringing in another run for the AL squad.
LF Zac Veen- Colorado Rockies
It was a tough day offensively for the National League prospects, but Veen certainly did his part to keep the team afloat, connecting on a pair of singles, scoring a run in the second and swiping not one, but two bags in the third inning. The 20-year-old is the Rockies’ No. 1 overall prospect and despite only being at High-A, could move through the Colorado system quickly with his advanced hitting approach.
CF Corbin Carroll- Arizona Diamondbacks
One of the top prospects in baseball, Carroll reached base in both of his plate appearances from the leadoff spot on Saturday. The 21-year-old doubled to lead off the bottom of the first, using his speed to stretch the hit into two bases, and attempted to steal third later in the inning, but was caught by Langeliers. He later drew a five-pitch walk in the third, showcasing the mature approach that could make him a future All-Star in Arizona.
Pitchers
RHP Emerson Hancock- Seattle Mariners
The Mariners’ first round pick in 2020, Hancock possesses some of the best stuff of any pitcher in the minor leagues, with an upper-90s fastball and a plus slider to go with a curveball and a changeup. The 23-year-old had that stuff working on Saturday, punching out the side in the bottom of the sixth, including two of the top 25 prospects in baseball: Veen and Diamondbacks shortstop Jordan Lawlar.
RHP Eury Perez- Miami Marlins
Many were excited to see the 6’8 Perez participate against some of the best young hitters in the minor leagues, and the right-hander did not disappoint. Just 19 years old, Perez made quick work of the middle of the AL’s order in the top of the second inning, punching out Cleveland outfielder George Valera, while inducing easy outs of Astros prospect Yainer Diaz and Rays infielder Curtis Mead.
RHP Bobby Miller- Los Angeles Dodgers
The National League starting pitcher, representing the host Los Angeles Dodgers, Miller conceded one early run to begin the first inning, but settled in to strike out the side on 23 pitches. The Dodgers’ top pitching prospect, Miller worked around Harris’ RBI single, punching out Dominguez, another Yankees phenom in shortstop Anthony Volpe and Wallner.
RHP Jack Leiter- Texas Rangers
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, Leiter did not strike out any hitters out with his high-90s fastball and solid curveball, but he did pitch a clean fourth inning on just nine pitches. The son of Al Leiter picked up two of his three outs against a couple of other heralded prospects, retiring Dodgers’ catcher Diego Cartaya and Cubs’ outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong on weak groundouts.
LHP Jared Shuster- Atlanta Braves
Shuster had the longest outing of any pitcher in Saturday’s Futures Game, recording the final out of the third inning, before pitching the entire top of the fourth. While the Braves’ No. 7 prospect according to MLB Pipeline did surrender a home run to the former Atlanta prospect Langeliers, he did strike out a pair of hitters as well, including Red Sox prospect Ceddanne Rafaela on just three pitches.
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