Fantasy Futures Game Rosters

by 40 Comments

The best newspaper correction you'll ever see
Yanks bring back Milton

In yesterday’s Rumblings column about possible tweaks to the All-Star festivities, Jayson Stark mentioned something that grabbed my attention and sounded pretty damn cool. Take it away, Mr. Stark:

An entirely new Futures Game, matching a team of great minor league prospects against a team of first-year and second-year big leaguers.

Look at that. It’s simple, easy to implement, and much more interesting than the current USA vs The World format. Now don’t get me wrong, I understand the marketing importance of the current format, but as a fan, I think the MLers vs MiLers format would be much better entertainment.

Think about it, you’d have a team of the top prospects in baseball strutting their stuff and trying to show they belong against a team of the best young players in bigs, who certainly don’t want to lose to a bunch of minor leaguers. I highly doubt this would ever be implemented, but it sure would be fun.

It’s a Friday afternoon and no one’s in the mood for an intense and heavily analytical read after the long work week (am I right?), so sit back and enjoy the 25-man rosters I would select for each team. Here’s the actual USA and World rosters if you’re interested; fun starts after the jump.

First & Second Year Team

C: Geovany Soto, Cubs
1B: James Loney, Dodgers
2B: Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox (bah, why’d Howie Kendrick have to come up in 2006?)
SS: Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies
3B: Evan Longoria, Rays (Longoria > Wright by the end of next season, mark it down)
LF: Ryan Braun, Brewers
CF: Josh Hamilton, Rangers
RF: The Justin Upton, D-Backs
DH: Hunter Pence, Astros

BN: Kurt Suzuki, C, A’s
BN: Alex Gordon, 3B/1B, Royals
BN: Jacoby Ellsbury, OF, Red Sox
BN: Jay Bruce, OF, Reds
BN: Joey Votto, 1B, Reds
BN: Yunel Escobar, SS/2B, Braves (sorry, Delmon Young)

SP: Tim Lincecum, RHP, Giants
SP: John Danks, LHP, White Sox
SP: Joba Chamberlain, RHP, Yankees
SP: Clay Buchholz, RHP, Red Sox
SP: Jair Jurrjens, RHP, Braves
SP: Manny Parra, LHP, Brewers
SP: Johnny Cueto, RHP, Reds
SP: Aaron Laffey, LHP, Indians
RP: Joakim Soria, RHP, Royals
RP: Brendan Morrow, RHP, Mariners

Prospect Team

C: Matt Wieters, Orioles (no brainer, my specialty)
1B: Matt LaPorta, Indians
2B: Adrian Cardenas, Phillies
SS: Jed Lowrie, Red Sox
3B: Matt Gamel, Brewers
LF: Andrew McCutchen, Pirates
CF: Colby Rasmus, Cardinals
RF: Jason Heyward, Braves (so good it’s scary)
DH: Travis Snider, Blue Jays

BN: Taylor Teagarden, C, Rangers
BN: Josh Vitters, 3B, Cubs
BN: Cam Maybin, OF, Marlins
BN: Austin Jackson, OF, Yankees
BN: Elvis Andrus, SS, Rangers
BN: Wilmer Flores, SS, Mets (he’s the one that comes off the bench to get that big hit, sick numbers for a 16-yr old in the Appy League)

SP: Clayton Kershaw, LHP, Dodgers
SP: David Price, LHP, Rays
SP: Trevor Cahill, RHP, A’s (it’s amazing what happens when you draft high schoolers, isn’t it?)
SP: Rick Porcello, RHP, Tigers
SP: Neftali Feliz, RHP, Rangers (the best prospect you don’t know about)
SP: Chris Tillman, RHP, Orioles
SP: Madison Bumgarner, LHP, Giants
SP: Tommy Hanson, RHP, Braves (apologies to Brett Anderson)
RP: Casey Weathers, RHP, Rockies
RP: Mark Melancon, RHP, Yankees

So what do you guys think? Did I miss anyone? Chances are I did, the last player I added to the ML team was Tim Lincecum…

(and yes, the team of minor leaguers would get steamrolled … wouldn’t even know what hit ’em)

The best newspaper correction you'll ever see
Yanks bring back Milton
  • http://highlandermadness.blogspot.com Rayblay

    Only problem to me is getting the MLBers to come to the game.. they’re all looking forward to a vacation and they didn’t actually make the All-Star team..

  • A.D.

    Basically what the NBA does for rookies vs 2nd years, pretty cool, I like it the issue would be rookie & 2nd year all stars, esp with pitching. So would the following play if they’re in the asg too:

    Pedroia
    Longoria
    Braun
    Hamilton
    Lincecum

  • dan

    I’m glad you added that last sentence to the post. It would be an absolute bloodbath at the hands of the ML team. And that’s why this wouldn’t work, because no one’s gonna watch a 15-3 game.

    • Chip

      Depends completely on the pitching. I could honestly see Price and Kershaw mowing down that lineup but they’d play it like the all-star game is now and have pitchers go 2 innings max. I’m not saying it would definitely happen but one of those minor league pitchers could have all their weapons working and the minor leaguers could pull off a close one. I agree 95 times out of a hundred though, that team would get killed

      • http://riveraveblues.com Mike A.

        Kershaw, Price, Porcello and the two relievers are the only ones that would stand a chance against big leaquers right now. Everyone else … it would be like smearing honey on their chest and sending them out into the wilderness.

  • daneptizl

    Wieters’ 2Bs number seem pretty low.

    • http://riveraveblues.com Mike A.

      That’ll correct itself. Eventually some of the homers will stay in the park and will be just two-baggers. He’s just destroying everything right now. How do you pitch that guy if you’re some 21 yr old kid who signed out of high school and is just trying to keep his head above water in AA?

      Best prospect in baseball.

  • daneptizl

    lmao that bird took it. But yea…. I still can’t believe that Dan Haren trade.

  • Baseballnation

    Trevor Cahill would also put in some work against those big leaguers…He can’t be left out of the price, Porcello equation, he is after all going all Phil Hughes in the Minors

  • greg

    pedroia is better than kendrick

    • http://riveraveblues.com Mike A.

      The stats don’t necessarily agree. Kendrick has a 123 OPS+, Pedroia 113. Plus Kendrick is younger, and isn’t surrounded by teh wicked awesomest lineup EVA!!!1!11

      • greg

        well thats after Kendrick hit 2 HRs and walked yesterday, I’ll take a guy who has a good K:BB and some HRs longterm over kendrick who has 4(!!) walks on the season and doesn’t have much power. At this point, Kendrick is going to have to compete for a batting title every year if he wants to be a good player

        • http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike A.

          Well, Kendrick missed over a month and a half due to injury, so obviously his walk total is going to be low.

          It’s easier to see Kendrick having a longer career, Pedroia’s maxed out and already has to swing as hard as he can to hit the ball out of the infield.

    • Rich M..

      Pedroia is a product of Fenway and the wall. If the wall wasnt there his pop flies that go for doubles would be outs. He bats 40 points higher at home and slugs 70 points higher. Take that away and you have a very average 2nd baseman.

    • http://everythingbaseball.wordpress.com Aaron

      Defensively, yes. Offensively, I’d say they’re fairly comparable.

  • andrew

    these teams are very unfair, but they would idea of a bloodbath becomes less likely once you keep in mind guys like josh hamilton, geovony soto, longoria, lincecum and i believe braun, are already on the all star rosters and wouldn’t be playing in the game. obviously the mlb roster is still better, but that’s the way it should be.

  • Tommy

    BN: Yunel Escobar, SS/2B, Braves (sorry, Delmon Young)

    What, do you want a bat thrown at you?

  • TurnTwo

    oh man, i cant wait to get home, have a happy end of the work week drink and sit down to read this thread.

    tgif.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=594331910 Jamal G.

    Josh Vitters over Chris Davis? Max Ramirez has to find his way on that MiL squad. Or did you not include them since they’ve been promoted? Hell, I would about Adam LaRoche over Vitters.

    • http://riveraveblues.com Mike A.

      I left Davis out because he’s in the bigs. It was a tough call, I wanted to include him, but I figured he was currently in the bigs and likely to never see the minors again, so I went against it. Ramirez wouldn’t have made it over Teagarden anyway.

      Vitters is OPS’ing .909 in the Northwest League. That’s some kinda crazy shit.

      Andy LaRoche isn’t rookie eligible anymore. I didn’t have any strict criteria, I just generally went with guys that were still rokkie eligible and currently in the minors.

      • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=594331910 Jamal G.

        LoL, I don’t know how many times I’m going to mix up the LaRoche brothers.

        Yeah, I figured that’s why you left out Chris Davis. As for Taylor Teagarden over Max Ramirez, why would you do that if Ramirez was still in the Minor Leagues.

        • TurnTwo

          that Davis kid impressed me when he was in NY. he’s got a pretty swing.

        • http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike A.

          Teagarden’s a better all around player.

  • Andy In Sunny Daytona

    Why don’t they have a skills competition like basketball and hockey. See what minor leaguers can round the bases the fastest, or some other stupid challenge.

  • pat

    hey mike i know this belongs in the dof but it is like 6 or 7 posts ago and i dont know how often u check it.

    what ever happened to the chinese picher and catcher we signed last year and is it possible to find any kyle perkins stats?? ive searched the internet looking for him but cant finy anything relevant or up to date.

    • http://riveraveblues.com Mike A.

      Man, I totally forgot about the two chinese kids. I honestly have no idea where they are, probably in the Dominican academy. Is Kyle Perkins the Australian kid? He’s probably in the Dominican too.

      I wish I could be more helpful. Sorry.

      • pat

        the chinese kids are mia and perk is gonna finish school and come over in 2010. apparently his school doesnt have a baseball team. couldnt find a club team hes on.

        jamal listening to francesa for me is like reading an espn message board or the lohud board… extremely uninformed. opinionated as hell and rage inducing.

        • TurnTwo

          isnt it obvious at this point that those chinese kids were just used for thepub that went along with the Yankees making a statement about the Chinese academy or whatever it was they opened up?

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=594331910 Jamal G.

    Mike Francesa: “Bronson Arroyo would be in the American League if he did not have that 11-Run inning.”

    God Dammit Mike, just admit you were wrong. He still won’t let it go that he wants him in the Bronx. Also, how dare he go up to Brian Cashman and say “Don’t let me watch this pitching for the rest of the summer” (This was after the 15-6 defeat at the hands of the Mets). Where does he get the nerve to go up and say that to Cashman, the arrogance on this man.

    • TurnTwo

      its funny. i hate basically everything they bring up on that show as far as trades and such, including when Heyman is on the show… but i actually didnt hate Cano for Cain.

  • Joey H

    mike ben or whoever post a sexon to yankees thread.

    • http://riveraveblues.com Mike A.

      Did they sign him? If so, link so we can post it? Thanks.

  • TurnTwo

    itd be more accurate to begin a ‘Yanks bring back Eric Milton’ thread.

  • mccaff

    what about volquez?

    • Moses

      Volquez v. Cueto…and does Gallardo still count despite the knee? Plus Matt Garza might be more worthwhile than Aaron Laffey, LHP aside.

      • http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike A.

        I left Gallardo off because of the injury. Garza … I totally forgot about. He’d wedge between Jurrjens and Parra.

    • http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike A.

      Volquez has been around, this is the 4th season in which he’s seen the bigs. He lost his rookie eligibility back in 2006.

  • McCaff

    oh wow. i was going to do my research before that post but figured you could do it for me. he he