DENVER — I love the MLB Futures Game because it gives me the opportunity to evaluate the best prospects against each other. It’s a chance to see all of them take batting practice and infield practice, and since I was positioned inside the American League dugout, I got to watch them interact with each other, too.
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Coming into the game, the headliner for me was the tandem of outfielders Jarred Kelenic and Julio Rodríguez, the future core of the Seattle Mariners. One of the best debates among prospect watchers is which one of the pair is better. My conclusion: Kelenic is a sure thing who profiles as a .300-type hitter with the potential for 25 home runs and stolen bases, while Rodríguez has more upside, with a chance to hit 40 homers but comes with more risk.
However, in the end, the duo who stood out the most to me were Detroit Tigers: third baseman Spencer Torkelson and outfielder Riley Greene. They had the loudest batting practices, impressive infield work and quality at-bats during the game.
Two other players who really stood out were Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman and Kansas City Royals infielder Bobby Witt Jr. Both have future MVP potential.
Here are my top 10 rankings of the best positional player prospects I scouted Sunday.
1. Spencer Torkelson, 3B, Detroit Tigers
Torkelson reminds me a lot of both Miguel Cabrera and Albert Pujols when they started their major-league careers. Torkelson had by far the best and loudest batting practice of any of the prospects and delivered quality at-bats during the game. His defense at third base was better than expected and there is no doubt he can stay there for the first several years of his career. However, like Cabrera and Pujols, I expect most of his career will end up being at first base. He will lead the American League in home runs and RBIs someday.
2. Adley Rutschman, C, Baltimore Orioles
Rutschman is the best catching prospect we’ve seen since Buster Posey and someday soon will pass J.T. Realmuto and Salvador Pérez as the best overall catcher in the sport. His makeup and leadership are impressive, and he can hit with power from both sides of the plate. He has great work ethic, calls a good game, frames well and has tremendous communication skills. He’ll be the face of the Orioles for the next decade.
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3. Bobby Witt Jr., SS, Kansas City Royals
He has as much raw power as any prospect in the game. He plays with energy and determination. He can stay at shortstop but can also play an above-average second and third base, giving the Royals a lot of flexibility once his bat is ready. He doesn’t always get a great load, but when he learns to go back a little before going forward with his hands, watch out. His wrists and forearms are so strong that he can get away with going straight to the ball. However, when he figures out how to sync his whole body, he has an unlimited ceiling of what he can do at the plate.
4. Riley Greene, OF, Detroit Tigers
I took a lot of criticism a few years back when I liked Juan Soto and Wander Franco more than other evaluators and pundits. Well, here I go again with Riley Greene. I absolutely love this player and think he’s going to become a Silver Slugger and MVP-type standout. His bat continues to develop at a rapid pace and his upper-deck power should not be questioned. Tigers fans are going to have a lot of fun watching Greene and Torkelson hit Nos. 2 and 3 in their lineup for years to come once they arrive.
5. Julio Rodríguez, OF, Seattle Mariners
Rodríguez is the prototypical right fielder, with a cannon for an arm. At the plate, he’ll hit for average and profiles to a 40 home run bat. However, he’s not ready for the major leagues with work to do on both his hit and field tools. In the game, he stole third base after a great jump, but slid too hard, going past the base and getting tagged out. That’s just one small example of the development he still needs before he’s ready. But there’s no doubt he’s a special talent.
6. Jarred Kelenic, OF, Seattle Mariners
Kelenic struggled in his first cup of coffee in the major leagues, but I don’t expect that to be the case when he gets his second opportunity after the All-Star break. Remember, plenty of stars like Mike Trout, George Brett and Aaron Judge didn’t perform well in their initial call-ups either. Kelenic has leadership qualities, is going to hit with power, and plays a solid left field with above-average range. He has the ceiling to one day join the 30 home run, 30 stolen base club.
7. Jasson Dominguez, OF, New York Yankees
A lot of Yankees prospects get overhyped because they wear pinstripes, but that will not be the case with Dominguez. He’s the real deal. He was the youngest player in the Futures Game at 18 years old and clearly was able to hold his own. He looks like a linebacker but swings like a superstar. He’s balanced at the plate, has electric bat speed and can use the whole field with tremendous power. He has to be untouchable for the Yankees, regardless of who they could get back in a trade. He’s a future star.
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8. Francisco Álvarez, C, New York Mets
I had never seen Álvarez in person before, and he blew me away in batting practice with his short, compact swing and loud, sweet-spot contact. He carried it over to the game, hitting a bomb. Behind the plate, he looked solid, although I didn’t see him enough to really be able to break him down defensively. Still, so far it looks like the Mets will have their long-term solution after James McCann.
9. Nolan Gorman, 2B/3B, St. Louis Cardinals
I love Gorman’s 40-homer raw power. In his first at-bat in the game, he was way out in front of three consecutive changeups for a strikeout, but in his second, he showed off his ridiculous bat speed by hitting the crap out of a first-pitch fastball to the right-field corner. In batting practice, he did damage to the upper-deck seats at Coors Field. His best position is third base, but the Cardinals are playing him at second base after trading for Nolan Arenado. With today’s positioning and shifting, he only has to be adequate at second base defensively to make an impact because of his power bat.
10. Marco Luciano, SS, San Francisco Giants
Luciano, an impressive 19-year-old shortstop with electric bat speed and gap power, really stood out to me. He used the whole field in batting practice and looked extremely focused. He showed good first-step quickness and above-average range.
Other miscellaneous observations
Best game performance: Brennen Davis, OF, Chicago Cubs
Davis was the MVP of the game, homering to both center and left field. His raw power is real, though I thought his swing looked inconsistent, long at times in batting practice and in the game. But you can’t argue with the results, nor with his tools.
Most underrated hit tools: Drew Waters, OF, Atlanta Braves, and Nick Pratto, 1B, Kansas City Royals
Waters had the best level swing of any prospect in Denver. It looks like he’s definitely going to hit for average, with the only question being how much power he’ll provide because of limited home run power. Pratto has a beautiful swing, and he too looks like a .300 hitter in the making, although he’ll need to cut down on strikeouts before he’s major-league ready.
Most disappointing prospect: Austin Martin, INF, Toronto Blue Jays
I was really disappointed, as I had high expectations for Martin when he was drafted last year. I don’t like his setup, pointing the bat at the pitcher, because I feel he’s late getting in position to hit and wraps the bat at times. Don’t get me wrong — the potential is there. He just didn’t stand out as I expected with the best players on the field.
Most intriguing toolsy prospects: Yoelqui Cespedes, OF, Chicago White Sox, and Heliot Ramos, OF, San Francisco Giants
Both of these players caught my eyes because of their power, athleticism and short and quick power strokes. I’ll be following them closely the rest of the year; they look like they have potential middle-of-the-order type bats if they can make the proper adjustments.
(Top photo of Spencer Torkelson: Dustin Bradford / Getty Images)