All-Star Futures Game Explained

All-Star Futures Game
Frequency:Annual
Location:Varies (see prose)
First:July 11, 1999, Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts
Last:July 8, 2023, T-Mobile Park, Seattle, Washington
Prev:July 16, 2022, Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, California
Next:July 13, 2024, Globe Life Field, Arlington, Texas
Participants:Minor League Baseball players
Organized:Major League Baseball

The All-Star Futures Game is an annual baseball exhibition game hosted by Major League Baseball (MLB) in conjunction with the mid-summer MLB All-Star Game. A team of American League-affiliated prospects competes against a team of National League-affiliated prospects. From the inaugural 1999 event through 2018, teams of prospects from the United States faced off against teams of prospects from other countries.

Origins

The Futures Game was conceived by Jimmie Lee Solomon, an Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations for Major League Baseball, looking for an event to showcase the minor leagues and round out the All-Star week festivities.[1] Early versions of the game created marginal interest in the baseball community, but the event has attracted more attention in later years.

Format

Rosters are selected by a joint committee consisting of people from Major League Baseball, MLB.com, and Baseball America magazine.[2] All 30 MLB organizations are represented, with up to two players from any organisation and 25 players per team. One team is made up of prospects from American League organizations and the other of National League prospects. From 1999 to 2018, teams were divided into U.S. and World teams based on place of birth. Any player selected to the All-Star Futures Game but promoted to the majors prior to the game is replaced.

Players born in Puerto Rico were part of the World team despite being U.S. citizens by birth, because that territory has its own national baseball federation and national team.

The game is played by the same rules listed in the Official Baseball Rules published by Major League Baseball. Exceptions are game duration and the handling of tie games. From 2008 through 2018, games lasted 9 innings. From 1999 to 2007 and since 2019, games last seven innings. Through 2018, up to two extra innings were available to settle a tie after playing all regulation innings. In 2019 and since 2021, one extra inning may be played, with each half-inning starting with a runner at second base, the last player put out. The home team wins if they take the lead in the 7th or 8th inning; the visitors win if they hang on in either inning; the game is over if it is tied after eight.

Changes in 2008

Two major changes took place in the 2008 game:

Changes in 2019

Two major changes took place in the 2019 game:[4]

Larry Doby Award

Note: For the award winners, see the "MVP" column in the "Results" section (below).Each year, an award is presented to the game's most valuable player. Multiple award winners have gone on to become MLB All-Stars, denoted in the below table of game results. In 2003, the award name was changed from Futures Game Most Valuable Player Award to the Larry Doby Award, named after National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Larry Doby (1923–2003).[5] Note that the similarly named Larry Doby Legacy Award is an unrelated award presented by the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.

Results

MVP
Most valuable player
MLB All-Star on a future occasion
Year!scope="col"
WinnerScoreBallparkMVPMVP organization
1999World Fenway Park[6]
2000U.S. [7]
2001U.S. [8]
2002World Miller Park[9]
2003U.S. U.S. Cellular Field[10]
2004U.S. Minute Maid Park[11]
2005World [12]
2006U.S. PNC Park[13]
2007World [14]
2008World [15]
2009World [16]
2010U.S. [17]
2011U.S. [18]
2012U.S. Kauffman Stadium[19]
2013U.S. [20]
2014U.S. Target Field[21]
2015U.S. Great American Ball Park[22]
2016World Petco Park[23]
2017U.S. Marlins Park[24]
2018U.S. Nationals Park[25]
2019Tie Progressive Field[26]
2020[27]
2021National [28] [29]
2022American [30]
2023National Miami Marlins[31]
2024National Cincinnati Reds[32]
Summary, 1999–2018
U.S. World
13 wins 7 wins
Summary, 2019–present
American League bgcolor=lightgreytie National League
1 win 1 game 3 wins

Notes

Media coverage

From 1999 to 2013, ESPN2 held the rights to the Futures Game. From 2014 to 2021, and since 2024, MLB Network held the rights. In 2022 and 2023, the game was streamed on Peacock.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Solomon has many irons in the fire. USA Today. May 8, 2001. July 12, 2015.
  2. News: Futures Game rosters filled with top prospects. Nick Cammarota. mlb.com. June 26, 2008. June 27, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080627165410/http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080626&content_id=423442&vkey=news_milb&fext=.jsp. June 27, 2008 . live.
  3. News: Futures managers have New York ties. Jonathan Mayo. MLB.com. June 19, 2008. June 25, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080622131326/http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080619&content_id=2962561&vkey=allstar2008&fext=.jsp. June 22, 2008 . live.
  4. Web site: Feinsand. Mark. Futures Game full of surprises, ends in tie. MLB.com. July 8, 2019. July 8, 2019.
  5. Web site: Larry Doby Award. Baseball-Almanac. December 11, 2011.
  6. Web site: Yankee farmhand helps beat U.S.. Associated Press. B4. Herald-Journal. Google News Archive Search. July 12, 1999. July 12, 2015.
  7. Web site: Burroughs leads U.S. to victory. The Spokesman-Review. C4. Associated Press. Google News Archive Search. July 12, 2015.
  8. Web site: Futures game box score . . July 9, 2001 . July 8, 2012.
  9. Web site: 2002 Futures Game Box Score . . July 8, 2002 . July 8, 2012.
  10. Web site: Futures game box score . . May 20, 2005 . July 8, 2012.
  11. Web site: Callis. Jim. 2004 Futures Game . . July 11, 2004 . July 8, 2012.
  12. Web site: Callis. Jim. 2005 Futures Game: World 4, U.S. 0 . . July 10, 2005 . July 8, 2012.
  13. Web site: Gameday 2006 . . August 2, 2011.
  14. Web site: Prospects: Futures Game: Futures Game 2007 Box Score . . July 8, 2007 . August 2, 2011.
  15. Web site: World Futures vs. U.S. Futures – July 13, 2008 | MLB.com: Gameday . . July 13, 2008 . August 2, 2011.
  16. Web site: World Futures vs. U.S. Futures – July 12, 2009 | MLB.com: Gameday . . July 12, 2009 . August 2, 2011.
  17. Web site: World Futures vs. U.S. Futures – July 11, 2010 | MLB.com: Gameday . . July 11, 2010 . August 2, 2011.
  18. Web site: World Futures vs. U.S. Futures – July 10, 2011 | MLB.com: Gameday . . July 10, 2011 . July 8, 2010.
  19. Web site: World Futures vs. U.S. Futures – July 8, 2012 | MLB.com: Gameday . . July 8, 2012 . July 8, 2010.
  20. Web site: 2013 All-Star Game – Arizona Diamondbacks' Matt Davidson powers U.S. past World in Futures Game. ESPN.com. July 14, 2013 . July 12, 2015.
  21. Web site: Joey Gallo's homer backs stellar U.S. pitching in Futures Game win. Chicago Cubs. July 12, 2015.
  22. Web site: Kyle Schwarber headlines Team USA's win in Futures Game. Steve Gardner, USA TODAY Sports. July 12, 2015. USA TODAY. July 12, 2015.
  23. Web site: Cassavell. AJ. MVP Moncada powers World rout at Futures. MLB.com. July 10, 2016. July 12, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160712132908/http://m.mlb.com/news/article/189181302/futures-game-mvp-yoan-moncada-leads-world-win/. dead.
  24. Web site: Feinsand. Mark. USA rides Honeywell, big bats to Futures win. MLB.com. July 9, 2017. May 15, 2018.
  25. Web site: Feinsand. Mark. USA outslugs World in 8-homer Futures Game. MLB.com. July 15, 2018. July 15, 2018.
  26. Web site: Mayo. Jonathan. These players turned heads at Futures Game. MLB.com. July 7, 2019. July 8, 2019.
  27. News: Anthony. Castrovince. All-Star Game Canceled; Dodgers to Host in 2022. MLB.com. July 3, 2020. July 3, 2020.
  28. Web site: AL Futures 3, NL Futures 8 (Final Score) . MLB Gameday . July 11, 2021 . July 12, 2021.
  29. News: Cubs Prospect Brennen Davis Homers Twice as NL Wins Futures Game . . . July 11, 2021 . July 12, 2021.
  30. Web site: Yankees' Jasson Dominguez, A's Shea Langeliers lead AL to Futures Game win . . July 17, 2022 .
  31. Web site: Callis . Jim . July 9, 2023 . Here are the top moments from the 2023 Futures Game . July 9, 2023 . MLB.com.
  32. Web site: Top 7 moments from 2024 All-Star Futures Game. MLB.com.