Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The 2026 MLB Futures Game brings together the top 38 prospects from all 30 teams, with nine of the top 10 MLB Pipeline rankings set to shine in Philadelphia.
- This year's event features standout talent across positions, including young infielders, powerful hitters, and dominant pitchers ready to make their case for future stardom.
- The game airs Sunday, July 12 at noon ET on NBC, with streaming options on Peacock, YouTube TV, and Fubo, kicking off All-Star Weekend before the Home Run Derby and All-Star Game.
The Home Run Derby and the Midsummer Classic itself might get all the buzz, but MLB All-Star Weekend actually begins a day earlier — when the brightest stars of tomorrow all take the field for the 2026 Futures Game. Entering its 26th year, the idea is simple: Split the very best prospects from all 30 big-league teams into two rosters, and let them showcase their stuff in front of the entire baseball world.
And this year might well be the most loaded in the event's history. A full 38 of the 50 players participating (25 for the AL, 25 for the NL) land within MLB Pipeline's most recent top-100 list, including nine of the top 10. (The Rangers' Sebastian Walcott is the only exception, and that's because he's on the IL right now.) But with so much talent on display, which players should you be keeping an eye on — and which might be helping out their Major League teams as soon as this summer? Here's everything to know as the Futures Game heads to Philadelphia.
7 must-watch prospects at the 2026 Futures Game
SS Leo De Vries, Athletics
One of the hottest debates in the sport right now is whether De Vries or the next guy on this list should be considered the top prospect in baseball at the moment. De Vries was seemingly on a rocket straight to MLB stardom when the A's acquired him in the shocking Mason Miller deal last summer, and while he's hit some bumps in the road in his first full season at Double-A — slashing .281/.373/.425 with a bit of a dip in his power numbers — it's worth reiterating that he's more than holding his own despite not turning 20 years old until October.
De Vries has serious potential from both sides of the plate, and when you combine that with solid athleticism and at least a puncher's chance of sticking at shortstop in the Majors, you have yourself a future All-Star. But whether his ultimate defensive home lies at third base or elsewhere, and how his offensive game continues to progress, are well worth monitoring.
SS Jesus Made, Milwaukee Brewers
If De Vries isn't the best prospect in the game, it's Made, who's somehow even younger — he just turned 19 in May — and is slashing .280/.351/.447 with nine homers and 26 steals across 75 games in his first full season at Double-A. And unlike De Vries, there's no question about Made's defense: He's an electric athlete in the field and on the bases, though Milwaukee has moved him around the infield a bit as he's advanced through the system.
He's a switch-hitter, he's performing well beyond his years and there doesn't seem to be anything he doesn't do well on the field. What else could you ask for?
OFs Josue de Paula and Mike Sirota, Los Angeles Dodgers
Unfortunately for the rest of the league, spending hundreds of millions in free agency isn't the only reason why the Dodgers stay the Dodgers (though it certainly doesn't hurt). De Paula signed with L.A. as an international free agent for just $397,500 in 2022, and has slowly but surely developed into quite possibly the best pure hitter in all of the Minors. Whether he can play the outfield or is a future DH/first baseman remains to be seen, but when you draw comparisons to a young Yordan Alvarez — himself a former Dodgers prospect once upon a time — it doesn't much matter what you do on defense.
Sirota wasn't on many people's radars when the Dodgers acquired him from the Reds in the Gavin Lux trade. All he's done since is tear the cover off the ball in the Minor Leagues, so much so that he's managed to reach base in a whopping 70 straight games and counting. Los Angeles has so many star outfield prospects that at least one of them is bound to get moved at the trade deadline. Which one? Maybe the Futures Game will provide a clue.
LHP Kade Anderson, Seattle Mariners
Anderson's numbers in his first taste of pro ball seem like a glitch in the Matrix: Across 14 starts in Double-A, he's posted a 1.36 ERA with 108 strikeouts in just 72.2 innings of work. His fastball, slider and changeup could all wind up being plus, and he does it all with solid command from the left side. That's a rare, rare combination, one that's made him the pretty clear choice for top pitching prospect in the Minors right now — you know, just in case Seattle somehow needed even more rotation help.
SS Eli Willits, Washington Nationals
Willits was a polarizing pick when he went No. 1 overall to the Nationals in last year's draft, and it didn't look great when he slugged .360 in A-ball later that summer. Now, though, there might not be a bigger breakout in the Minors this season: Willits posted an .897 OPS in High-A, then slashed .300/.418/.500 after a promotion to Double-A. He's an Energizer bunny on the field, a spark plug at the top of the lineup who can also play a very slick shortstop. How much power he'll have in the Majors is the biggest question, but when you can run and field and make contact like Willits can, you'll have a long career.
SS George Lombard Jr., New York Yankees
Not only is Lombard Jr. the consensus top prospect in New York's system, but he also just so happens to play possibly the team's most uncertain position — which means there's a real chance we see him playing in the Bronx at some point in the second half. He's currently on the IL with a finger ailment, but he was red-hot at Triple-A prior to getting hurt, slashing .306/.426/.571 across 14 games in June. He's slowly but surely adjusted to the level, taking better at-bats and getting on base at a consistently high clip, and if he continues that ascent, the Yankees will have a hard time not giving him a shot to win the starting shortstop job for the stretch run.
RHP Gage Wood, Philadelphia Phillies
Wood just keeps on shoving in his first full pro season, one that could end in Philadelphia if all goes well. The righty out of Arkansas earned a promotion to Double-A after striking out 40 batters in 26.1 innings at High-A, and he's posted a 3.45 ERA with strong K and walk rates across eight starts at the higher level. There are questions about Wood's full arsenal at the big-league level, but the fastball is an absolute monster, so much so that the Phillies could well throw him in the bullpen for the playoffs given their lack of pitching depth.
How to watch the 2026 Futures Game
- Date: Sunday, July 12
- Time: Noon ET
- Location: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, Pa.
- TV channel: NBC
- Streaming: Peacock, YouTube TV, Fubo
While the MLB Draft on Saturday afternoon marks the official beginning of All-Star Weekend, it's the Futures Game that kics things off on the actual field of play. First pitch is scheduled for noon ET on Sunday, July 12, from Philadelphia, with the Home Run Derby on Monday night and the All-Star Game on Tuesday.
This year's game will air exclusively on NBC, which acquired the rights to both the Futures Game and the first hour of the MLB Draft as part of the agreement it reached with the league this past offseason. If you don't have a cable subscription, you can also stream the game on Peacock, though the ad-supported premium tier will cost you $10.99 per month. If you'd like to stream without paying for Peacock, both YouTube TV and Fubo carry NBC and offer free trials for new subscribers.
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