Francisco Alvarez’s future(s) looked bright…
The 20-year-old Venezuelan professional baseball catcher and New York Mets catching prospect headlines the rosters announced on Thursday for the 2022 SiriusXM Futures Game at Dodger Stadium on July 16.
Alvarez, the No. 9 prospect on ESPN’s preseason top 100 list, is hitting .272/.364/.540 with 18 home runs and received a promotion to Triple-A earlier this week after bashing several mammoth home runs for Double-A Binghamton.
Mets fans are calling for his promotion to the majors given that the team’s catchers are hitting just .195 with two home runs. While installing a rookie at catcher on a first-place team in the middle of the season is unlikely, the Mets could also use Alvarez at designated hitter, where J.D. Davis and Dom Smith have delivered subpar production.
With many of the preseason’s top prospects already in the majors — including Julio Rodriguez, Bobby Witt Jr., Adley Rutschman and Riley Greene — Alvarez has ascended to ESPN’s top spot of those still in the minors.
The overall top performer in the minors so far might be Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson, who is hitting .298/.429/.548 with 13 home runs and 15 steals between Double-A and Triple-A and has made a huge leap from his preseason ranking of No. 96.
Other top prospects to watch in the game, to be played on July 16 at 7 p.m. ET, include Cardinals power-hitting third baseman Jordan Walker; Pirates catcher Henry Davis, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 draft; and Rangers right-hander Jack Leiter, the No. 2 in last year’s draft.
The game will be divided into American League and National League rosters.
American League pitchers: Bryan Bello, Red Sox (recently promoted to majors); Taj Bradley, Rays; Hunter Brown, Astros; Ky Bush, Angels; Wilmer Flores, Tigers; Emerson Hancock, Mariners; Jack Leiter, Rangers; Ricky Tiedmann, Blue Jays; Ken Waldichuk, Yankees; Yosver Zulueta, Blue Jays
American League position players: C Yainer Diaz, Astros; C Dillon Dingler, Tigers; C Shea Langeliers, A’s; SS Gunnar Henderson, Orioles; 3B Curtis Mead, Rays; 3B Jhonkensy Noel, Guardians; 1B Nick Pratto, Royals; SS/CF Ceddanne Rafaela, Red Sox; IF Spencer Steer Twins; SS Anthony Volpe, Yankees; OF Denzel Clarke, A’s; OF Oscar Colas, White Sox; OF Jasson Dominguez, Yankees; OF George Valera, Guardians; OF Matt Wallner, Twins
National League pitchers: Andrew Abbott, Reds; Mike Burrows, Pirates; Cade Cavalli, Nationals; Kyle Harrison, Giants; Antoine Kelly, Brewers; Bobby Miller, Dodgers; Erik Miller, Phillies; Eury Perez, Marlins; Jared Shuster, Braves
National League position players: C Francisco Alvarez, Mets; C Diego Cartaya, Dodgers; C Henry Davis, Pirates; C Logan O’Hoppe, Phillies; 2B Darren Baker, Nationals; SS Elly De La Cruz, Reds; SS Ezequiel Tovar, Rockies; 3B Miguel Vargas, Dodgers; 3B/2B David Villar, Giants (recently promoted to majors); 3B Jordan Walker, Cardinals; SS Masyn Winn, Cardinals; OF Corbin Carroll, Diamondbacks; OF Jackson Chourio, Brewers; OF Pete Crow-Armstrong, Cubs; OF Robert Hassell III, Padres; OF Zac Veen, Rockies.