Future Stars: Latinos We Want To See

In May and June, the best prospects in the sport have been scattered across the country. Portland, Maine, San Jose, California and much more. On July 11, we’ll see several of them reunited at the Upcoming All-Star Game in Denver.

The Future Stars Game returns after a year of absence due to the pandemic. Since 1999, the exhibition used to pit representatives from the United States against those from the rest of the world, but was later changed to the National League vs.American format a couple of years ago. The point is to gather as many prospects as a single diamond and have them measure their skills against each other.

Roster announcements are just around the corner, but until then, these are the Latino prospects we’d like to see in the 2021 edition to be held in Colorado.

Blue Jays: Gabriel Moreno, C (No. 6 / No. 100 MLB)
There are bigger names on the Toronto farms, but the Venezuelan has taken off offensively this year and the Future All-Star Game would be the perfect opportunity for him to measure his talent against the best promises in the game. As of Thursday night, Moreno led Double-A in all three batting averages among qualified players (.385 / .450 / .672) and had butted eight home runs in 31 games for New Hampshire.

Yankees: Jasson Domínguez, OF (MLB No. 1 / No. 24)
Yes, we already know that the Dominican has yet to make his professional debut after signing for $ 5.1 million in 2019. We still want to see him demonstrate his immense potential at Coors Field.

Twins: Johan Durán, RHP (No. 3 / No. 80 MLB)
Durán is selected in part to be able to use the term “slinker.” Who wouldn’t want to see a triple-digit fastball (the Dominican has hit 101 mph this year at Triple-A) and an impressive splitter-sinker hybrid?

White Sox: Yoelqui Céspedes, OF (No. 2)
Yoenis Céspedes’ younger brother played the 2017 World Classic with Cuba and then signed with the White Sox for $ 2.05 million last January. It offers above-average innate power, arm power, and solid speed. He joined Class-A Fort Winston-Salem last Saturday after fixing visa problems.

Astros: Pedro León, SS / OF (No. 2)
No player in the 2020-2021 international player class received a higher bonus than León, who signed for $ 4 million in January. The Cuban offers well above average power and speed, not to mention his arm power. He is hitting .236 / .348 / .407 with six homers and eight stolen bases in 40 Double-A games.

Mariners: Julio Rodríguez, OF (MLB No. 2 / No. 5)
We could get exquisite with the pair of J-Rod and Kelenic, but the second already attended the 2019 edition. It is the Dominican’s turn now. He is hitting .325 / .410 / .581 with six homers and five stolen bases in a year in which he has also been hitting in the middle of the offensive order of the Dominican Republic team in search of the ticket for the Olympics.

Mets: Francisco Álvarez, C (No. 1 / No. 35 MLB)
Despite not having played a full season yet, the Venezuelan rose quickly up the Mets roster due to an impressive showing at the alternate venue last year. Now that he has played at both levels of Class-A, the 19-year-old mask has continued to shine. Alvarez is hitting .336 / .461 / .590 with six home runs and a 29/25 K / BB rating in the first 38 games between St. Lucie and Brooklyn. Defense remains his main emphasis, but working with the big promises of the NL could be a flattering experience for the second-best prospect at the position, behind Adley Rutschman.

Pirates: Oneil Cruz, SS (No. 3 / No. 49 MLB)
The 22-year-old continues to be one of the most fascinating prospects in baseball. Just witnessing his innate power is fun enough, but this year he has shown all his tools, hitting .299 / .360 / .548 with eight homers and nine stolen bases in Double-A.

Dodgers: Diego Cartaya, C (No. 6)
MLB Pipeline’s top international class prospect of 2018 signed for $ 2.5 million. The Venezuelan is usually compared to his compatriot Salvador Pérez. He has a similar defensive potential but the offensive ceiling is higher. He is hitting .324 / .434 / .662 with six home runs in 18 games in Class-A Low as a 19-year-old.

Giants: Marco Luciano, SS (No. 1 / No. 12 MLB)
He’s the Giants’ best international prospect in decades. The Dominican signed for $ 2.6 million in 2018, thanks in part to his fast bat and immense power potential. He is hitting .282 / .365 / .538 with nine home runs in 40 games in Class-A Low at age 19.

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