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Major League Baseball has announced the U.S. and World rosters for the 16th annual Futures Game, and a pair of Detroit Tigers farmhands will take part. Named to the U.S. team was 20-year-old right-handed pitcher Jake Thompson of the Single-A Lakeland Flying Tigers. Playing for the World team will be 22-year-old Steven Moya, an outfielder with the Double-A Erie Seawolves.
Thompson, Detroit's second-round selection in 2012's MLB Amateur Draft, is living up to his top prospect status in Lakeland. In 13 starts covering 66⅔ innings, Thompson has a 6–2 record, 2.43 ERA and 1.155 WHIP. His K/9 ratio is 8.9, BB/9 is 3.2, while owning a HR/9 of just 0.1 (one home run allowed this season).
As part of his preseason preview of Tigers' minor leaguers, Jordan has this to say about his number three prospect in the organization:
RHP Jake Thompson: Physically mature build for a 20-year-old. The delivery has some deception, and there were quite a few uncomfortable at-bats. The fastball has a bit of life, but he has a lot of arm-side run on the two seamer at 88-91. He also throws a four-seamer that's in the 90-92 range, but it can get a bit flat. Thompson throws two breaking balls, one I'd classify as a curve at 74/75, and a slider at 79-81. He can throw either one for a strike or as a chase pitch and has extremelytigers- good command of each. I'd grade both breakers as plus, and the slider has some plus-plus potential. He generates spin really well.
Moya, signed out of Puerto Rico at the age of 17, has been in the Tigers' system since 2009. The slugging, left-hand swinging Moya is hitting .260/.284/.520 for an .804 OPS, with 16 home runs and 50 RBI in 70 games at Double-A.
Rob had this to say about the powerful Moya in his "Better know a Tiger" series:
He is a big left-handed hitter, listed at 6’6" and 230 pounds. The numbers reflect his size. When he connects it may be a moon shot, hence a high slugging percentage. But his strike zone is huge, and he rarely walks. The stolen bases show a little speed, but by no means is he a burner.
Part of MLB's All-Star Game festivities, the Futures Game features top prospects from every organization. The game will be played at 5 p.m. ET Sunday, July 13, at Target Field in Minneapolis. The Futures Game will be broadcast on MLB Network and streamed via MLB.com.