Latest news with #MLBAll-StarFuturesGame
USA Today
22-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Former Nebraska baseball player Brice Matthews hits two home runs in victory over Arizona
Have yourself a day, Brice Matthews!He has his 1st and 2nd career home runs tonight 👏 Former Husker Brice Matthews came alive on Monday night in his fifth career MLB game. Backed by his first two home runs in his MLB career, Matthews helped the Houston Astros to a 6-3 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Houston, Texas native finished 2-for-4 in the Astros' win after finishing his first four games with only one hit. His two home runs earned him five RBIs on the night. Matthews jump-started Houston's offense by sending a three-run shot over the wall with two outs in the top of the second, turning a 1-0 deficit into a 3-1 lead. The Astros added another run later on, but Arizona closed the lead to one in the bottom of the fifth. Matthews then drove in his second home run of the game in the seventh, this time a two-run blast to bring Houston's lead to three. With the win, Matthews takes another significant step in his MLB career. Houston drafted him 28th overall in the 2023 MLB draft. Matthews then slashed .283/.400/.476 with 10 homers, 39 RBIs, and 25 steals for the Sugar Land Space Cowboys, Houston's Triple-A team. His play earned him a spot in the MLB All-Star Futures Game in Atlanta, but he was officially called up to the Astros on July 11 and made his major league debut that same day. At Nebraska, Matthews batted .359 in his senior year, which included 20 home runs. He also stole 20 bases, becoming the first Husker in school history to achieve that feat. His play earned him First Team All-Big Ten. Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes, and opinions.
USA Today
12-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
MLB All-Star Futures Game: Live highlights, lineups and how to watch
The next era of Major League Baseball stars take over Atlanta's Truist Park on Saturday for the annual MLB All-Star Futures Game. Top prospects across the sport kick off All-Star festivities in Georgia this week looking to stand out among their peers. The seven-inning game has given us plenty of sneak peaks at greatness in the past. Former Futures Game MVPs include Alfonso Soriano, Jose Reyes, Grady Sizemore, Nick Castellanos, Kyle Schwarber and Joey Gallo. There have also been a number of busts to win the award, too (Yoan Moncada, Matt Davidson, Chin-Lung Hu, Taylor Trammell), so success on Saturday isn't a guarantee a player will have a long MLB career. Here's everything you need to know about the action on Saturday. We'll keep updating this post with highlights and tidbits as the game gets underway. How to watch the 2025 MLB Futures Game 2025 Futures Game Rosters American League Starting Lineup Starting Pitcher: Parker Messick, LHP (Guardians) American League Reserves National League Starting Lineup Starting Pitcher: JR Ritchie, RHP (Braves) National League Reserves Stay tuned for more updates
Chicago Tribune
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Prospects Noah Schultz and Braden Montgomery prepare to represent the Chicago White Sox in the MLB Futures Game
Braden Montgomery got a taste of the All-Star festivities in 2024 while attending the MLB draft. 'I was able to watch the Futures Game, the skill showcase that they did as well as the All-Star Game,' Montgomery said during a video conference call last week. 'I love everything that has to do with the All-Star weekend.' The outfielder will go from viewing to participating after earning a spot on the American League roster for the 2025 MLB All-Star Futures Game, which is Saturday in Atlanta. Montgomery and pitcher Noah Schultz are the two players representing the Chicago White Sox at the event that brings together some of baseball's top prospects. 'I love being around baseball and the more talent I can be around, the better I feel it makes me,' Montgomery said. 'So I'm excited to meet those guys and to see what they are like, see what kind of process they go through.' Montgomery entered Tuesday with a .261/.344/.444 slash line with 18 doubles, 10 home runs and 49 RBIs in 76 games between Single-A Kannapolis and High-A Winston-Salem. He is the No. 3 prospect in the Sox organization according to 'We have one of our coordinators that says it takes a long time to have a good season and a long time to have a bad season,' Montgomery said. 'You've got to figure it out and not give up on yourself and keep thinking through it.' The Boston Red Sox selected Montgomery in the first round of the 2024 draft and he was acquired by the White Sox as part of the Garrett Crochet trade in December. 'I'd say so far my season has been OK,' Montgomery said. 'I'm really, really excited to get the chance to go to the Futures Game. Outside of that, I would say it's been just all right. 'One of the areas I definitely want to continue to stay conscious about is swing decisions. I feel like as I've gotten to pro ball, I just kind of wanted to figure it out, go straight into it, see what pitches I can hit and which pitches I can't hit. From there we'll iron out the process and the approach and continue to take steps forward.' Montgomery, 22, is in his first professional season. He spent 2024 recovering from a broken right ankle suffered in the NCAA Super Regional with Texas A&M. Asked why he described his 2025 as 'just all right,' Montgomery added, 'Just because I've got high expectations for myself and I know what I'm capable of.' 'Pro ball is a completely new experience for me, it's different from college,' he said. 'So just wanting to go in there, and you'll see a whole lot of failure because it's baseball. But I want to iron out that and iron out my process to where I'm eliminating some of those failures.' Montgomery is enjoying the growing process. 'I feel like we've got a really good staff from top to bottom,' Montgomery said. 'I'm glad to be working with them and I'm looking forward to what the future holds as I get more accustomed to professional baseball.' Schultz has spent time at Double-A Birmingham and Triple-A Charlotte during this year, his third professional season. The left-hander, an Oswego East product who the Sox selected in the first round of the 2022 draft, entered Tuesday 4-4 with a 4.76 ERA in 15 starts. Schultz has 71 strikeouts in 68 innings. 'It's been a big adjustment, changing to shorter schedules and going deeper in games,' Schultz said of his 2025 during a video conference call last week. 'There's been a lot of things I've been working on. I'm really happy with how my body feels and how I've been able to stay healthy throughout the year. I'm looking forward to continuing that. 'There have been some growing pains and some struggles I've had, but there's also been moments I'm happy with. There's a lot I can point out, but the only way to go forward with it is to look at the good things I've done and try to replicate those the rest of the year.' Schultz, 21, said the positives include staying strong and staying with velocity throughout games. 'This year, I've gone to the fifth, sixth inning multiple times,' he said. 'I'm happy, at the beginning of the year it was almost my velocity was going up deeper into games. 'There's a bunch of little pieces you've got to put together, but that was one of the first things I noticed was I was throwing harder later into games which showed the stuff I'm doing behind the scenes, the strength stuff, it's been working. But it's making sure I'm putting everything together.' ranks Schultz as the top prospect in the Sox system. This will be his second Futures Game after participating last season in Arlington, Texas. 'It's an honor,' Schultz said. 'It's something I had a great experience at last year and the opportunity to be able to go back at a different field is awesome and I'm really excited.' The Sox reinstated Luis Robert Jr. from the 10-day injured list on Tuesday. The center fielder went on the IL retroactive to June 26, missing time with a left hamstring strain. 'He's ready to go,' manager Will Venable said before Tuesday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rate Field. 'He wanted to be in a spot where he could go and be himself and run around the field like we're used to seeing him do. So no limitations from his end. And for me, there won't be any limitations either.' In the corresponding move, the Sox optioned infielder Tristan Gray to Charlotte.
Newsweek
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
Cardinals Top Prospect One Step Away From MLB, JJ Wetherholt Headed For Triple-A Memphis
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. The St. Louis Cardinals used the seventh overall selection in last year's Major League Baseball Draft to select West Virginia shortstop JJ Wetherholt. On Monday, the Cardinals told Wetherholt that he would be joining the Memphis Redbirds, their Triple-A affiliate. Wetherholt hit .300 in Double-A Springfield this season and spent last year in A-ball with the Palm Beach Cardinals. FORT WORTH, TX - JULY 14: JJ Wetherholt looks on after being drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals with the seventh pick of the first round during the 2024 MLB Draft presented by Nike at... FORT WORTH, TX - JULY 14: JJ Wetherholt looks on after being drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals with the seventh pick of the first round during the 2024 MLB Draft presented by Nike at Cowtown Coliseum on Sunday, July 14, 2024 in Fort Worth, Texas. More Photo byWetherholt will be participating in the MLB All-Star Futures Game on Saturday. A week following the announcement that Wetherholt would be headed for the Futures Game, the Cardinals opted to assign their top prospect to Triple-A, putting him just one promotion away from fulfilling a lifelong dream. With Masyn Winn looking to be the Cardinals' long-term shortstop, Wetherholt will likely shift positions upon arrival, and the Cardinals likely will not make the call this season unless Nolan Arenado is traded at the deadline. With Arenado still around, the Cardinals have limited spots for their surplus of infielders. Wetherholt is the highest overall prospect the Cardinals have had since Jordan Walker was ranked No. 4 in 2023, and Wetherholt was the Cardinals' highest draft selection since selecting J.D. Drew in 1998. Wetherholt was in the running to be the first overall pick at the start of last year's NCAA season before falling to seven for the Cardinals to snag him. There is a ton of hype surrounding Wetherholt, and Cardinals' fans hope that he is the next superstar to don the "birds on the bat" when he arrives in St. Louis. More MLB: Mets Reportedly Contacted Pirates About $77 Million Starter Amid Rumors
Newsweek
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
Cardinals Top Draft Choice Last Year Headed To MLB All-Star Futures Game
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The St. Louis Cardinals spent the seventh overall selection in last year's draft on West Virginia shortstop JJ Wetherholt, a player who was thought to be in contention for the first overall selection at the beginning of last year's collegiate season. Now he is headed to Atlanta for the MLB All-Star Futures Game. FORT WORTH, TEXAS - JULY 14: Major League Baseball commissioner Robert D. Manfred Jr. congratulates JJ Wetherholt, selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the first round of the the 2024 MLB Draft at Cowtown... FORT WORTH, TEXAS - JULY 14: Major League Baseball commissioner Robert D. Manfred Jr. congratulates JJ Wetherholt, selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the first round of the the 2024 MLB Draft at Cowtown Coliseum on July 14, 2024 in Fort Worth, Texas. More Photo byWetherholt has spent this season with Double-A Springfield and, entering Monday, has a slash line of .305/.430/.453. Wetherholt has torn up the Texas League this year and has earned the opportunity to showcase his talent in front of a national audience during All-Star Weekend. Wetherholt is the Cardinals' No. 1 prospect according to MLB Pipeline and has an ETA of next season, but with the current logjam in the middle infield for the Cardinals, his arrival could be delayed. This is also the ninth straight season that the Double-A affiliate of the Cardinals will be sending a player to the Futures Game. Two of the other 11 selections remain in the Cardinals' top-30 prospects, and one of the selections, Masyn Winn, is putting together a case to win the Gold Glove at shortstop in the National League. Winn broke onto the scene during his Futures Game with his rocket right arm firing 100 mph across the diamond from shortstop. Wetherholt has the same chance to make a statement and let the rest of the league know he is coming. Wetherholt's future position with the Cardinals is up in the air with Winn solidifying his job as the big league shortstop, but the Cardinals' top prospect is making waves and is on his way to the majors. More MLB: Red Sox Manager Alex Cora Gives Encouraging Update On Slugging Outfielder
