The 20th annual Futures Game took place on Sunday afternoon as part of the All-Star festivities in Washington D.C. The best prospects in baseball faced off against one another as Team USA topped Team World 10-6 in a very entertaining game. Eight homers were hit, with Los Angeles Dodgers fourth overall prospect Yusniel Diaz hitting two moonshots. Cincinnati Reds prospects Taylor Trammell and Hunter Greene both shined at the plate and on the mound, among many others who put their tools on display to their respective organizations.
Trammell took home the MVP award for the game after going two-for-two with a huge bomb and a triple, while Greene dominated on the mound, sitting consistently at triple digits with his heater.
Taylor Trammell
Trammell was the Reds first-round selection out of a Georgia High School in the 2016 draft. The 20-year old is currently Cincinnati’s #3 prospect and 34th overall in the minors, and it stands to reason. He flashed his loud tools on Sunday, showing off his speed, power, and range in the outfield. Trammell is an outstanding athlete who was a two-sport star in high school. The Georgia native was an elite football prospect as well, rushing for 2,479 yards which led to him being named the offensive player of the year in the Georgia football ranks. After his unreal form on the gridiron, Trammell had numerous college football scholarship offers but decided to focus on baseball. That decision has really paid off for Trammell. He’s emerged as one of the purest athletes in the Reds system who can really do it all on the baseball field.
This year with the High-A Daytona Tortugas of the Florida State league, Trammell is hitting an impressive .295 with six homers and 29 RBI at the top of the Daytona lineup. He’s also swiped 16 bags thus far. Trammell has really swung it well throughout his short professional career with a lifetime average of .290 while stealing 81 bags in 268 games played in his minor league career.
Hunter Greene
Greene arguably has the most electric arm in the entire minor leagues, and he proved that to be true on Sunday. The Reds first overall selection in the 2017 draft and #2 prospect pitched 1 and 1/3 innings, giving up two hits and one run including a solo homer to Chicago White Sox prospect Luis Basabe on a 102 mph fastball. Greene threw 27 pitches in his outing; 19 which were fastballs, and every single heater registered between 100 mph and 103 mph.
Greene is just 18-years old, and he is throwing fastballs consistently in triple digits. It’s scary to think how hard Greene could be throwing in two or three years time when he matures even more. Right now, he’s still a kid and can throw these triple-digit fastballs with ease.
He can paint the corners as well. Greene has outstanding command with his fastball, which makes him even that more difficult to hit. Add in a devastating slider, a hard curveball, and a changeup that is a work in progress and Greene is very difficult to square up. He has had a rough go so far this year with a sub-four ERA in Class-A Dayton but in his last few starts before the futures game, he looked a lot better. He is very young still and just needs more innings at the professional level. This is only his first pro season, so it’s definitely a work in progress for Greene. Despite that, the raw stuff is definitely there. Greene has struck out 80 hitters in 63 innings pitched this year and definitely profiles as a big-time strikeout pitcher in the future.
Bright future for the Reds
Cincinnati should be ecstatic with the number of quality prospects they have at their doorstep, led by Hunter Greene and Taylor Trammell. Both of these guys put their talents on full display on Sunday and really showed that the Reds will be a team that could be a serious contender in the next few years. Add in other names like Nick Senzel, who is the Reds number one prospect currently and could be in the big leagues sooner rather than later, and the Reds have some good times that look to be ahead of them.
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