Last week, we took at a look at the prospects we would love to see in the 2025 Futures Game that will take place on July 12 during the All-Star break festivities. Those prospects were picked based on some educated guesses, as well as the fact that we haven't been able to see any of them play in the Futures Game before. While getting every player we wanted in the game was probably a bit much to ask, it looks like we will get the vast majority of them.
On Monday, MLB released the rosters for the 2025 Futures Game, and they are absolutely loaded in both the AL and NL. MLB really wants the Futures Game to be a showcase for the game's best young talent and generate buzz for them ahead of their big league debuts. Given the level of talent expected to participate this year, mission accomplished.
However, some names stand out more than others, so here is a look at some of the more exciting early storylines for the upcoming Futures Game as well as a couple areas of concern to keep an eye on.
We finally get to see Jesús Made against top level competition
Of all of the young prospects in baseball, you will struggle to find one that is as exciting while also having as little actual exposure as Jesús Made. The 18-year-old Brewers phenom has a tantalizing blend of pure hitting ability, power, speed, and patience beyond his years that makes him have an incredibly high ceiling.
The issue has been that Made first got on the map with casual fans for his play in the Dominican Summer League, which has basically zero coverage with video. Made has made the jump to low-A in 2025 and is off to a strong start with an .811 OPS, but coverage of the low minors still leaves a lot to be desired. This will be the first time most fans will get the chance to see him in action, and we can't wait to see what he has in store.
Missing out on Luis Peña feels like a loss...for now
On the flip side, the absence of a different Brewers prospect is kind of a bummer. As good as Made has been this season, his teammate in low-A, Luis Peña, has been even better by the numbers with an .882 OPS including six homers and 33 stolen bases.
While Made can seemingly do it all, Peña has a game concentrated more on contact and his raw speed, which is among the best in the minor leagues. Time will tell if he can continue to impact the ball enough to be a higher end big leaguer, it is a shame that we won't get to see him running around in the Futures Game causing absolute chaos.
Konnor Griffin is a bad, bad man and should be a lot of fun to watch
Konnor Griffin is obviously a favorite here and frankly, there is good reason for that. Despite being picked right out of high school last year with the ninth overall pick, Griffin is making the lower levels of the minors look like child's play with a .956 OPS across two levels of the minors.
Griffin has the highest ceiling of any player in the minors. Period. If his hit tool continues to play, and there is no reason to think it won't at this point, he has the power and speed to be a perennial All-Star and his athleticism should make him a valuable up-the-middle defender. Being drafted just last year, this is going to be baseball fans' first opportunity to see him play. At the pace he is currently ascending the minor league ladder, they probably won't have to wait long to see him again after that.
The pitching crop at the Futures Game leaves something to be desired, but there is a good reason for that
If there is a position that is mildly disappointing in this year's Future Game, it is probably at pitcher. While the position player ranks are loaded with top prospects, pitcher is lacking a little bit despite the inclusion of guys like Andrew Painter (more on him in a minute), Jonah Tong, Jurrangelo Cijntje, and Noah Schultz. However, the dearth of pitching talent actually has a very reasonable explanation.
Between promotions of big names like Mick Abel, Chase Burns, and Jacob Misiorowski, a number of the top arms already having played in a Futures Game, and injuries to some obvious candidates to play, there just isn't the same well of talent readily available to actually play in the game. There isn't a shortage of young pitching talent in baseball right now, and much of it is being promoted to the big leagues very quickly. Unfortunately, that means we miss out on some of the best arms in the Futures Game.
Andrew Painter REALLY needed a good showing in the Future Game, but won't
It wasn't that long ago that Andrew Painter was arguably the best pitching prospect in all of baseball. Unfortunately, Painter underwent Tommy John surgery in 2023 and his recovery has taken longer than anyone wanted. In an ideal world, Painter would have had a big comeback showing in the Futures Game before making his major league debut in the second half.
Unfortunately, the Phillies revealed that Painter will not pitch in this year's Future Game and that is a real shame. Obviously his health and recovery are more important than a prospect showcase and Philly may just be exercising an abundance of caution here. However, between how ordinary he has looked during his rehab and how far removed he is from his surgery at this point, one wonders if Painter is further behind expectations than we initially thought.