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Nationals' James Wood, Yankees' Spencer Jones Headline 2024 MLB Futures Game Rosters

Adam Wells

Major League Baseball has unveiled the American and National League rosters for the 2024 Futures Game during All-Star Weekend in Texas.

The NL squad will be led the Washington Nationals outfield duo of James Wood and Dylan Crews, while New York Yankees prospect Spencer Jones will be among the featured players on the AL.

Wood's promotion to the big leagues on Monday means he will be replaced on the NL roster.

Per MLB.com's Jim Callis, the two rosters feature a total of 39 players from MLB's current top-100 prospects list. Wood is the best prospect (No. 2 overall) on the team. Crews, the No. 2 pick in the 2023 draft, is ranked No. 4 overall.

San Diego Padres catcher Ethan Salas (No. 6), Boston Red Sox shortstop Marcelo Mayer (No. 7) and Detroit Tigers outfielder Max Clark (No. 10) round the list of top-10 prospects in the Futures Game.

Wood was hitting .353/.463/.595 with 10 homers, 37 RBI and 10 stolen bases in 52 games at Triple-A prior to being promoted by the Nationals. Crews earned a promotion to Triple-A on June 18 after posting a .789 OPS in 51 games at Double-A Harrisburg.

Jones, the No. 2 prospect in the Yankees' system and No. 75 overall, has a .252/.332/.420 slash line with nine homers and 45 RBI in 65 games for Somerset in Double-A. The 23-year-old was New York's first-round pick (No. 25 overall) in 2022.

In addition to the Futures Game at Globe Life Field on July 13, MLB has added a Futures Skills Showcase after the game. The showcase will feature eight players—four from each league—competing in various hitting events.

The three-round event will feature a hit-it-here competition where players are awarded points based on where they hit the ball on the field; a call-your-shot event where players are allowed to specify which field they will hit the ball to if they are successful in hitting the ball to left, center and right; the final event is swing for the fences, which is basically a Home Run Derby with points awarded based on which direction of the field the ball gets it to.

For example, a home run hit to the hitter's pull side or center field will be worth six points and an opposite-field blast will be worth 12 points. If a player hits more than two homers in a row, they will earn six bonus points for each subsequent homer hit until the streak is broken.

The participants in the showcase include Brooks Lee (Minnesota Twins), Sebastian Walcott (Texas Rangers), Roman Anthony (Boston Red Sox), Tre Morgan (Tampa Bay Rays), Cam Collier (Cincinnati Reds), Termarr Johnson (Pittsburgh Pirates), Moises Ballesteros (Chicago Cubs) and Brady House (Washington Nationals).

   

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