Kris Bryant and Javier Baez were on the big stage at the annual SiriusXM Radio All-Star Futures Game at Target Field Sunday afternoon. The U.S. Team topped the World Team 3-2. A Joey Gallo two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth was the difference in the game.
Javier Baez went 1-for-2 with a home run, two RBI and a strikeout in two plate appearances. Baez’s two-run homer in the top of the sixth accounted for the World Team’s only runs. Kris Bryant went 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts in four plate appearances for the U.S. Team.
Kris Bryant worked the count in three of his four at bats and was solid in the field. Bryant made a very good play to his left in the ninth inning and threw out Domingo Santana for the second out.
Kris Bryant created quite the buzz in batting practice before the game. While several players, including Joey Gallo and Javier Baez, were using batting practice as a way to show off their power and hit the balls as far as they could, Bryant went about his business as usual. Bryant hit balls to right and to center before he started pulling the baseball. Bryant said he would not treat Sunday’s batting practice any different from batting practice prior to a regular season game.
After putting on a show in batting practice, Javier Baez backed it up in the game. Baez did not start and entered the game in the bottom of the fifth inning at shortstop. Baez drove the first pitch he saw from Lucas Giolito over the wall in right field. The opposite field shot was very impressive and showed off his power.
Javier Baez made the plays in the field and had a couple of opportunities to show off his very good arm.
Javier Baez is the third Cubs prospect in three years to hit a home run in the Futures Game. Baez joined Arismendy Alcantara (2013) and Jae-Hoon Ha (2012) as Cubs prospects to hit home runs in a Futures Game.
Joey Gallo was named MVP of the Futures Game (Click Here for Complete Box Score of the Futures Game). Joey Gallo and Kris Bryant are tied for the minor league lead in home runs (31).