WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The ball was absolutely flying out of Nationals Park at this year's MLB Futures Game; I think everyone except 2017 No. 1 pick Royce Lewis homered, and that's only because he wasn't in the game. The power surge takes a bit of a shine off of some of the home runs, although there were still many positive takeaways from the game.
Dodgers outfielder Yusniel Diaz homered twice in five at-bats, both of which were hit very hard to center field on fastballs of 96 and 95 mph, respectively. Diaz was a top-100 prospect right after he signed but had trouble staying healthy in his first two years in the minors, breaking out this season in Double-A with a .314/.428/.477 line. He's noticeably stronger than he was the last time I saw him, in 2017, adding what looks like 10 to 15 pounds of muscle, and was one of the only hitters on either roster who didn't seem to have real trouble with recognizing pitches. He showed just a 45 arm from left field.
Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. was the most impressive player in the game, with two hard-hit singles and three flyouts on fastballs of 95-plus mph; one of those flyouts went to the warning track in right-center, where fellow Padre Buddy Reed robbed him of a double. Tatis showed off a 70 or better arm in the field and showed tremendous hands and recorded the World team's only stolen base. He played both short and third but looks increasingly likely to stay at shortstop as he continues to progress.
Reds outfielder Taylor Trammell entered the game late, then racked up seven total bases in two at-bats, barely missing hitting a second homer. He homered off a 97 mph fastball, showing impressive bat speed, and then tripled off the center-field wall off a 93 mph fastball. He had some trouble with his swing earlier this year, developing enough of a hitch that multiple scouts told me they were concerned about his future hit tool, but the swing looked more than fine, and he sees the ball extremely well. He's going to be limited to left, but there's a hit-patience-power profile here that should play at any position.
Jumping to the pitching side for a moment, no one threw harder than Reds right-hander Hunter Greene, who sat 101-102 and touched 103 once during his outing. He also proved the Confucian baseball axiom "man cannot live on fastballs alone" true, as he threw way too many of his very-hard-but-very-straight heaters, one of which was deposited in center field by Luis Basabe. Greene's arm strength is unbelievable, but if hitters know the fastball is coming, they’re going to hit it, and he threw just a handful of breaking balls and no changeups in the outing. The curveball ran anywhere from 82 to 85, and he wasn't finishing it out front the way he does the fastball. So while it's an average pitch from its velocity and modest spin, it doesn't look enough like the fastball out of his hand to fool hitters. He's still extremely young -- he won’t turn 19 until next month.
A’s southpaw Jesus Luzardo started and threw two innings for the World team, working from 93-97 with some inconsistent but occasionally above-average secondary stuff, including a changeup and a power slurve, with the change the most promising of the two. His location wasn't great, although he was around the plate his entire outing.
Yankees lefty Justus Sheffield went an inning-plus for the U.S. team, giving up one homer when he left a fastball up to Seuly Matias, working 92-95 with a plus slider at 85-86 but never using his also good changeup. He has filled out nicely since last fall.
Tigers right-hander Matt Manning looks like an arm in search of a breaking ball and maybe a delivery he can repeat; he was 93-96 without movement, was getting way behind his breaking ball like Greene and threw one changeup-adjacent thing at 89. Manning didn't have much of a breaker in high school, but he was so athletic and had so much velocity that many scouts believed he'd develop it in time. But I think he's gone backward. That long arm swing is very hard for him to repeat.
Atlanta right-hander Touki Toussaint threw only 14 pitches but showed excellent glove-side run on a 93-95 mph fastball with feel for both a slider at 86-88 and curveball around 80; he has also filled out well in the past year and could end up with two or more plus pitches. Teammate Kyle Wright threw just five pitches, hitting 95 with a plus slider.
White Sox right-hander Dylan Cease threw just eight pitches, but it was great to see him hit 98 with a power curveball at 85-87, stuff that was reminiscent of what he was prior to Tommy John surgery back in 2013.
Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller started for the U.S. team and worked from 94-97, spinning a curveball at 80 but still lacking a functional changeup.
Returning to the hitters, Matias, a Royals outfielder, showed that insane, grade-80 raw power when he took Sheffield out on a 94 mph fastball up and out over the plate, and then struck out against Greene on 100 mph up and in. He has enormous power, and there's going to be a lot of swing and miss here for a long time given how big and hard the swing is.
Basabe, a White Sox outfield prospect, cheated on that 102 mph fastball -- why not, since Greene hadn't thrown anything else and Basabe was ahead in the count -- and crushed it deep to center, even though the pitch was down in the zone a little bit. He also punched out on a slider and grounded out on a curveball, both against right-handed pitchers.
Angels outfielder Jordon Adell's game was unremarkable, with one hit -- a double he rifled off the right-field wall against an 89 mph cutter/slider -- but his batting practice was impressive, and his body, always an asset, looks ready for the majors right now even though he's still only 18.
I've long been a Ke'Bryan Hayes fan, and it was great to see the Pirates' third-base prospect homer, too, although it was just a 90 mph pitch from a lefty and was all but set out on a tee for him. He later fouled out to first and lined out to right, both on 96 mph fastballs.
Mets first baseman Peter Alonso hit a ball that might have entered low-Earth orbit, taking a 95 mph fastball way out to left field, then showed very limited range at first base. His body has improved a little since last year, but defense will never be his strong suit.
It was especially good to see Twins outfielder Alex Kirilloff back after he missed all of 2017 due to Tommy John surgery; he hit two singles in his only two at-bats, both against lefties. That's important since he's a left-handed hitter, although the big power he showed earlier this year in the Midwest League was on display during BP, as well.
There was a ton of velocity without much purpose in it. Jorge Guzman (Miami) was 96-100, and CJ Pelham (Texas) was 97-98, but neither had an average second pitch. Bryan Mata (Boston) was 94-95 with a curveball and slider, but he's more about deception from a funky arm action than any particular plus pitch. Dakota Hudson (St. Louis) was 96-97 with a promising cutter and a true slider, although it's a reliever-ish look and the cutter isn't a swing-and-miss pitch. Adonis Medina (Philadelphia) was particularly disappointing, 95-96 as usual but without the sharp curveball he has shown in the past -- a pitch he tried to throw but couldn't seem to finish.
One last note on Reed, the Padres outfielder I mentioned earlier. He could always play center, but he has at least made some modest changes at the plate, widening his stance from the left side and choking up with two strikes. That might give him a chance to succeed once he gets to Double-A. He has raked this year but is old for high-A and in a good hitters' park; the mechanical changes are the reason to believe some of the breakout is real.