With a return to a mostly full schedule after the COVID-related cancellations and changes of 2020, not only was the New Balance Baseball Future Stars Series powered by Program 15 Sports able to once again thrive, but so too were the players, families and partner programs involved in 2021.
That, however, is now nearly in the past.
Hard as it may to be move on from the extraordinarily successful first installment of the prestigious Main Event at Citi Field — as well as the debuts of the Underclass Elite and Pre-Draft Combines that served as additional jewel events beyond the annual National Championships, National Combine and seemingly countless regional combines and scout days — the time has come to focus on a 2022 campaign that’s set to be bigger and better than anything anyone’s seen from the Future Stars Series before.
“The fifth annual Main event was a good one, and I’m excited to see how those players head into the spring and toward the draft,” said NBFSS/P15 CEO and President, Jeremy Booth.
“With that in mind, the 2023 players we had at the Underclass combine and underclass elite have some serious promise, and I’m looking forward to seeing the full group across the country starting in SoCal on December 28. The borders are also open with consulates scheduled to return to full access in January, and that brings back the international component in its entirety. It’s going to be a fun and fast year for everyone.
The big stuff starts early next year, with the first annual Marucci Weekend set for January 15-16, a trio of events to be held in conjunction with Marucci Sports that is set to deepen the relationship between two of the most highly respected organizations in the world of amateur baseball.
An always-expanding slate of scout days and regional combines throughout the spring and summer have already been posted on FutureStarsSeries.com, as well the announcement of the return of the National Tournaments to Lake Charles for 2022, which will once again accommodate four grad classes over the course of a month; 2023’s will kick the month off between June 28-July 3, followed by 2024’s from July 5-10, 2026’s from July 13-17 and 2025’s from July 19-24.
Dates have yet to be announced for a bevy of the jewel events you’ve come to expect — the return of the World Combine, the National Combine, the Underclass Combine, Underclass Elite and Main Event to name a few — as well some that are new to the schedule this year, starting with the Fresh 50.
Every event is designed to help players develop and get to the next step, whatever that may be. For some, it’s taken them all the way to the Major League Baseball Draft; a record-breaking 19 players from New Balance Baseball Future Stars Series powered by Program 15 were selected in the 2021 MLB Draft, breaking the previous mark of 18 set back in 2019 when there were 40 rounds.
Anthony Solometo led the charge as the Pittsburgh Pirates’ first pick of the second round on the second day of the draft this year, and was followed by a bevy of talented players who are set to make big impacts at the next level.
Edwin Arroyo, Ricky Tiedemann and Ryan Spikes also went in the first 100 picks, giving the Future Stars Series 16 players who played in “jewel” events taken in the Top 100 over the last four years. In all, 60 players from the major FSS events have been drafted in the past four years, including first-rounders Grayson Rodriguez, Bo Naylor, Daniel Espino, Mick Abel, Zac Veen and Justin Lange.
