A record eight alums of the New Balance Baseball Future Stars Series have made Opening Day rosters in the big leagues this year, headlined by Rookie of the Year candidate Nolan McLean. Let’s take a quick look at each of them, including their path through the FSS to get to where they are today.
NOLAN MCLEAN, NEW YORK METS
McLean came through the Future Stars Series as a two-way player, starring with the Dirtbags at the 2019 National Tournaments before going the college route with Oklahoma State and then to the New York Mets organization, where he remained a two-way player before shifting to pitching-only late in the 2024 season.
“I was just being a baseball player first, and that’s what I wanted to do my whole life,” McLean told FSS Plus back in 2024. “I didn’t realize it was that uncommon in college too, not a lot of guys do it, but I told our head coach from the first day, I was like, ‘Hey, I want to do both.’ I obviously can hit, which is what I was going to school for, and once I got on the bump for a little bit, he saw it was pretty good there too. We worked it out, and happened to be that it was out of the ‘pen while playing a position too. Pro ball will be a little different with the starting role, but it’s something that I definitely want to continue.”
Since focusing solely on pitching, McLean’s rise has been meteoric; he’s universally regarded as the best prospect arm in the game, and dazzled in eight big league starts with the Mets, going 5-1 with a 2.08 ERA, emerging as a potential top-of-the-rotation arm in Queens.
TYLER SODERSTROM, ATHLETICS
Soderstrom was seen at the NorCal World Series in both 2018 and 2019, as well as a Pro Combine in his native California late in 2018 and became the third alum of the Future Stars Series to reach the big leagues when he debuted with the-then Oakland A’s during the 2023 season. Now a primary outfielder after coming up as a catcher, Soderstrom put together arguably the best MLB season for an FSS alum to date last year, posting 4.1 WAR in a campaign in which he posted an .820 OPS, 25 homers and even eight stolen bases.
MICK ABEL, TWINS
One of the most well-decorated players in FSS history, Abel has positioned himself firmly as a favorite to make the Twins out of camp after a huge start to his Spring Training in which he’s generated national headlines. He’s struck out 11 batters over six scoreless innings, reportedly touching 99 MPH, and is making the Twins look good for acquiring the one-time 15th overall pick at last year’s trade deadline.
Abel is a three-time International Week invitee as well as a National Tournaments star, and was one of the early stars to carry the torch for the FSS and provide credibility in the early years of the company. This marks his first big league Opening Day.
BO NAYLOR, GUARDIANS
Naylor will always hold a special place in FSS lore as our first player to reach the big leagues. Now set for his fifth season in the show after being taken 29th overall back in 2018, the Canadian-born catcher recently completed his second trip to the World Baseball Classic to represent his homeland. We saw him back in 2017, when he was teammates with Aleman on the World Team at International Week.
CJ KAYFUS, GUARDIANS
Kayfus, who was teammates with Drew Romo, Zac Veen and Dylan Crews on that Scorpions team that tore through our National Tournaments in 2019, made his big league debut last year with the Guardians, two years after being drafted in the third round. A Futures Game selection last year, Kayfus posted a .707 OPS over 138 MLB PA’s in 2025, and should get an opportunity to show what he can do at the level this year over a bigger sample size.
KYLE HARRISON, BREWERS
Harrison has been something of a hot commodity of late, with the big leaguer having been dealt twice in the last 12 months; first, he went to the Boston Red Sox in June after five-plus seasons in the San Francisco Giants organization, and is now with the Milwaukee Brewers, who acquired him in February in a multi-player deal. We saw him at the NorCal World Series in 2018, where Jeremy Booth had him labeled as an impact big leaguer even back then on his scouting report.
DAYLEN LILE, NATIONALS
We saw Lile at our 2020 Louisville Super Regional, where there wasn’t a future grade below 50 dropped on him besides a 45 for throwing. Overall, the scouting report was a glowing one, which read in part: “Definitely one of the better hitters I’ve seen in a couple years. Reminds of Trent Grisham with more power and speed. Much more ahead for this young hitter.”
OWEN CAISSIE, MARLINS
Caissie, a 2025 Futures Game participant, was drafted in the second round by the San Diego Padres one year after we laid eyes on him, going 45th overall in 2020. After being dealt to the Cubs in another blockbuster deal, he subsequently made a quick ascent through Chicago’s system, hitting .286 with 22 home runs and 55 RBI before earning his first big-league call-up in mid-August, where he appeared in 12 games before a concussion ended his year prematurely.
Considered the No. 47 overall prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline, Caissie is given 60 grades for both his throwing arm and power at the plate from the left side, which not so coincidentally exactly match the future grades that CEO and FSS founder Jeremy Booth put on him back in 2019.
While projecting then that Caissie would be an everyday big leaguer even back then, Booth wrote at the time that he “has some athletic upside and a quiet demeanor to him that says confidence,” and that at the time Caissie was “a little bit of a project, but when it comes together it’s easy to dream on; .275, 25, 90 with some swing and miss but walks as well. Will learn his zone as he plays and likely be underappreciated at times, but a grinder that helps on both sides of the ball and a winning player,” ultimately comparing him to Bobby Kielty, who enjoyed a seven-year big-league career that concluded with winning a World Series back in 2007.
About New Balance Future Stars Series
The New Balance Future Stars Series presented by Program 15 is a global platform for amateur baseball development and scouting, powered by a commitment to impact, integrity, and player-focused innovation. Its alumni can be found throughout professional baseball, and its events and partnerships have reshaped how talent is identified, nurtured, and celebrated.
Connect with New Balance Future Stars Series by visiting our website, www.futurestarsseries.com, by visiting our YouTube page, and by checking out the social media channels below.
X: @ftrstarsseries | Instagram: @futurestarsseries | Facebook: New Balance Future Stars Series
Since 2003, he has covered multiple World Series and has worked high-profile events ranging from the MLB All-Star Game to the World Baseball Classic. In addition to his role working for the Future Stars Series that he's held since 2017, Ashmore currently serves as the beat writer of the Double-A New York Yankees affiliate, the Somerset Patriots, as well as national hockey writer and New York Jets game day beat reporter for The Trentonian.
A regular contributor to Baseball America, Ashmore has worked eight Super Bowls, 12 Stanley Cup Finals, the 4 Nations Face-Off, the NBA Playoffs, College Football Playoff National Championship Game, Frozen Four, Daytona 500, major UFC events and much more as he approaches 3,300 games covered in his career.
An avid trading card enthusiast, he lives with his wife, Sarah, their son, future No. 1 overall draft pick in 2042, William, their beloved dog, Bailey, and occasionally well-behaved cat, Smokey.
