Prospects Plus: Your Future Game Primer

One of my favorite events is baseball is just about here. Sunday is the MLB Future game and here is a preview of the event. OTWT will be posting a notebook late Sunday night.

Prospects Plus: Futures Game

For prospects fans like myself the Futures Game during All Star weekend is always a big treat. Here are a couple of notes from the game:

• Reds Prospect Billy Hamilton is going to have to move to outfield. He is a terrible infielder.
• Every time I see Profar I keep seeing a superstar and wonder what the Rangers are going to do with him.
• Dylan Bundy fastball is not hit able, you just wonder how long the Orioles are going to be able to keep him in the minors.
• Mariners pitcher Taijuan Walker might be the most athletic pitcher that I have ever seen. Easy delivery and big time velocity. Its going to take a couple of years, but the finished product is going to out of this world. 
• Phillies fans are going to complain about giving up Gose and Singleton but just remember what came back in those deals and the World Series that was won. 
• Tigers prospect Nick Castellanos, who took home the games MVP award, might be the best hitting prospect in the minors. Sweet swings, he looks like he is going to hit for power. The questions because what do the Tigers do with him. He is blocked at both third and first base. Could they include him in a deal for Phillies left-hander Cole Hamels. Castellanos could be in the majors by the end of next season or the end of the 2013 season. 
• The Royals fan showed how much this event has grown in the last decade. Amazing job selling out the place for the game. Royals fans understand how important a good farm system is.

MLB Draft quick thoughts

I'm a draft geek and I admit that, so here is my quick thoughts on the MLB Draft:
• It was great to see Gammons back making good points, excellent points on why college catchers have not developed because they don't call their own pitches.
• No Strasburg/Harper battery in the future, disappointing but it makes sense. Don't get him killed behind the plate.
• Love Drew Pomeranz. Great stuff and he should be fast tracked to the big league.
• UNC Matt Harvey is a potential ace, the Mets are getting big time arm. Love the picked.
• MLB Network is getting better at the draft but they need to show more of Mayo and Callis. Hart and Reynolds are just not in the same league and bring nothing to the table.
• I would love to see MLB Network take the draft to next level and show Cape Code League games.
• This is why the Rays are so good and have so much talent on the farm, they make the right choices during the draft and they did it again with OF Josh Sale.
• Rockies and Kyle Parker, the second qb the Rockies have taken Todd Helton being the first and that worked out well.
• Gammons: "Parker only 20/20 player in draft 20 hr 20 td passes" great line.
• The Dodgers took a guy they have no intention of signing, Zach Lee. They are not spending the money, take the pick next year in a draft that scouts say is deeper.
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Future Thoughts

The OTWT Scouting Department loves the MLB Futures Game and here are some of the departments thoughts on the game:

• The length of the rain delay has been so long that some players are now eligible for free agency.
• Feliz has electric stuff. The Rangers have great pitching in the minors. He might be up in the next couple of weeks.
• GM can not be happy that their prize kids are playing in rain like this.
• I bet Blue Jays scouts are really examining Kyle Drabek during his outing. He will be the center piece to any deal. Showed great command in his inning of work.
• Another Phillies guy takes the mound, Flande. The Jays will have their choice of pitchers in a trade. He has good stuff. A couple of years ago the Phillies system was terrible, now its loaded with high ceiling players. Ed Wade deserves a lot of credit for it.
• The M's Tyson Gillies has speed, speed, and more speed. He is not afraid to run.
• Colorado's Eric Young has surprising power. The home run he hit just kept going.
• Devils Rays prospect Desmond Jennings looks like the typical Rays outfield prospects, long and athletic.
• I could listen to Peter Gammons talk all day about prospects and the Cape Code League. A true legend.
• Astros Jason Castro showed off a great arm in gunning down a runner trying to steal third base. Besides the arm Castro also hit a home run. He is showing all of the tools.
• I can not believe that there have been 11 Futures Game. Alfonso Soriano the first MVP of the game, sounds weird.
• .190 against BA against for Casey Kelly, Red Sox, in the minors. Very impressive inning and his last for the season, now he is going to play SS after the game.