Two of Kansas City Royals’ former first-round picks to play in MLB Futures Game
Royals top prospect Bobby Witt Jr. has put on a show this season at Double-A Northwest Arkansas, hitting some monster home runs.
Now Royals fans will see what he can do in the thin air in Denver.
Witt and Naturals teammate Nick Pratto, the Royals’ No. 5 prospect, were selected Wednesday to play for the American League team in the 2021 Futures Game, which will be held July 11 at Coors Field. The contest is part of Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game festivities.
The game, which starts at 2 p.m., will be broadcast on MLB Network and simulcast on MLB.com.
Witt, a 21-year-old shortstop, was the Royals’ first-round pick (second overall) in the 2019 draft. He is hitting .286 with 12 home runs this season and is second among all Double-A Central players in total bases (102) and RBIs (35). Witt is third in extra-base hits (22) and fourth in runs scored (31).
Witt tweeted about his selection and tagged Pratto: “Blessed with the opportunity! Let’s get it!”
Pratto, a 22-year-old first baseman, was the Royals’ first-round selection (14th overall) in the 2017 draft. He leads all Double-A Central players with a 1.011 OPS along with walks (32) and extra-base hits (25). Pratto is batting .280 and his 34 RBIs are third most in the league.
Minor-league players from all 30 MLB teams are chosen for the annual game. Each 25-man roster is picked by Baseball America, Major League Baseball and its teams.
LaTroy Hawkins, who pitched for 11 teams in 21 MLB seasons, will manage the American League team in the seven-inning game. Hawkins is the godfather to Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who is also part of the Royals’ ownership group.
This story was originally published June 30, 2021 at 12:34 PM with the headline "Two of Kansas City Royals’ former first-round picks to play in MLB Futures Game."
