MLB Futures Game 2019: Rosters, Top Prospects, Time and TV Schedule

The 2019 Major League Baseball Futures Game will be much different than previous iterations of the exhibition at the start of All-Star festivities. 

Instead of sticking with the United States versus World format, the Futures Game now pits the best American League prospects against those from the National League. 

In addition to the matchup change, the Futures Game will be shortened from nine to seven innings. 

Among the participants are Wander Franco, who is the No. 1 prospect in the minors, according to MLB.com, and MacKenzie Gore, who is the No. 3 prospect and No. 2 pitcher in the minors. 

The full rosters for the AL and NL can be found on MLB.com.

2019 MLB Futures Game Information

Date: Sunday, July 7

Start Time: 7 p.m. ET 

TV: MLB Network 

Top Prospects

Wander Franco, SS, High-A Charlotte (Tampa Bay) 

Franco has lived up to every ounce of hype throughout the 2019 campaign at two levels of Single-A. 

In 62 games with Single-A Bowling Green, the 18-year-old hit .318 with six home runs and 29 RBI, which earned him a promotion to High-A Charlotte in the Florida State League. 

Since joining the Charlotte Stone Crabs, Franco has recorded a hit in seven of his eight games and has three games with multiple RBI. 

Because of his impressive season and the rise of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and others to the majors, he is the top prospect in the minors. 

Even though he is lighting up the minors, Franco still has to climb the ladder in the Tampa Bay organization. 

The Futures Game should be the latest display of remarkable talent for the shortstop, who has proved to be a threat in every facet of the game at the plate. 

Franco is very much a catch-him-while-you-can prospect in the minors because he is on such a fast trajectory. 

In the best-case scenario with the teenager, we could see him feature for the Rays at the back end of the 2020 season, but that is dependent on continued success at Double-A and Triple-A when he gets there. 

MacKenzie Gore, LHP, High-A Lake Elsinore (San Diego) 

San Diego has been able to brag about its young core of position players in recent years, and now the Padres have some exciting young arms to hype up. 

Left-handed pitcher MacKenzie Gore is the No. 2 pitcher on MLB.com's top prospect list behind Detroit's Casey Mize. 

Hector Vivas/Getty Images

The 20-year-old is still relatively young since he was taken with the No. 3 overall pick in 2017 out of high school, but he has shown some maturity on the mound in the California League this season. 

Gore is 7-1 with a 1.02 ERA for the Lake Elsinore Storm after he went 2-5 in 60.2 innings in Single-A with Fort Wayne in 2018. 

He has thrown at least six innings in each of his last three starts, and he has given up three hits in each of those appearances. 

Gore is one of three Padres pitching prospects on the NL roster alongside Lake Elsinore teammate Luis Patino and Adrian Morejon, who is at Double-A. 

While it would be great to see Gore and other pitchers shine at the Futures Game, the condensed format from nine to seven innings could limit the number of opportunities they have to face the top batters in the minors. 

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Statistics obtained from MiLB.com