The “Futures Game” sets the stage for the All-Star Game in two weeks, featuring top prospects from all 30 MLB organizations. A total of 54 young talents will showcase their skills, with Adrián Beltré leading the American League and Michael Young guiding the National League.
Scheduled for July 13 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, home of the reigning World Series champion Rangers, the Futures Game will feature a nine-inning contest between promising young pitchers from both the American and National Leagues.
This year, MLB is introducing a new Skills Show, where participants will demonstrate their hitting prowess in three categories: targeting specific spots on the field, hitting to the wings, and a version of the Home Run Derby.
The Chicago White Sox will spotlight two of their top prospects in the Futures Game. Colson Montgomery (shortstop) and Noah Schultz (pitcher) rank as the organization’s top two prospects according to MLB Pipeline.
Here’s a closer look at the Chicago White Sox prospects in the Futures Game:
**Colson Montgomery**
Colson Montgomery, the all-time leading basketball scorer at Southridge High School in Huntingburg, Indiana, with 1,966 points, turned down multiple college basketball offers to pursue baseball. Drafted by the White Sox in 2021 with a $3,027,000 contract, Montgomery had an impressive debut season in Double-A and is now excelling in Triple-A with the Charlotte Knights. The 22-year-old boasts a .210/.330/.371 offensive line, 12 doubles, a triple, 10 home runs, 32 RBIs, and 6 stolen bases. His strong defensive play and promising scouting reports suggest a bright future, with a potential major league debut as soon as 2024.
**Noah Schultz**
Noah Schultz, a 6’9″, 220-pound left-handed pitcher, is making waves in the baseball world. Despite battling mononucleosis in high school and dealing with a flexor strain and shoulder impingement, Schultz impressed the White Sox enough to be their 26th overall pick in the 2023 draft with a $2.8 million contract. In Single-A, he recorded an ERA of 1 earned run per 9 innings in 10 starts with 38 strikeouts in 27 innings. Now in Double-A with the Birmingham Barons, the 20-year-old has 50.2 innings pitched in 13 games, 72 strikeouts, and a WHIP of 0.87, despite an 0-2 record.
**25 Years of the Futures Game**
This year marks the 25th edition of the Futures Game, which began in 1999 and has been held annually except for 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally featuring USA and World teams playing seven-inning games, the format shifted to nine innings after 2007, returning to seven innings in 2019, when teams began representing the National and American Leagues.
After each Futures Game, the Most Valuable Player (MVP) is awarded the Larry Doby Award. Many recipients, such as Alfonso Soriano and Kyle Schwarber, have gone on to become MLB stars. While no Chicago White Sox players have won the Larry Doby Award, the Chicago Cubs have had two winners: Kyle Schwarber in 2015 and Brennen Davis in 2021.
