Mick Abel drew the prestigious start for the National League team at the 2023 Futures Game, and was one of five alumni of the New Balance Baseball Future Stars Series to be named to Major League Baseball’s annual showcase of the top talent in the minors.
The top active pitching prospect for the Philadelphia Phillies, who was a three-time invitee to International Week as well as a standout at the inaugural National Tournaments all the way back in 2017, spun a scoreless first inning, touching 99 MPH with his fastball while striking out two batters.
Tink Hence, another National Tournaments star, was also teammates with Abel on the National Team at the 2019 International Week event, and followed him in the Futures Game, firing off a second inning in which he also went without allowing a run while recording one strikeout. The St. Louis Cardinals farmhand got up to 98.9 MPH with his fastball.
Our President & CEO @_JeremyBooth checking in with Drew Gilbert at the Futures Game in Seattle. #WeGotNow pic.twitter.com/1WGhkHhNaA
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The American League team had three alums, including Drew Gilbert, who spent some time with FSS CEO Jeremy Booth before the game. Gilbert, who also played in the 2017 National Tournaments as well as 2018 International Week, recorded a seventh inning single off of Patrick Monteverde in his second and final plate appearance of the day.
Kyren Paris was a teammate of Gilbert’s at that 2018 International Week event in Glendale, Arizona at Camelback Ranch, and found himself playing alongside Gilbert once again at the Futures Game. The Angels prospect went hitless in two plate appearances.
Tyler Soderstrom was seen at multiple NorCal World Series as well as a Pro Combine, and led all alums by reaching base twice in the game, once on a hit and the other coming on a walk. Paris and Soderstrom connected for a defensive out in the seventh with Paris making the throw from shortstop on a Jackson Merrill groundout to Soderstrom at first.
