On Saturday, MLB held its annual All-Star Futures Game in Arlington, Texas, as part of All-Star Week. The top talent across MiLB are selected to compete in a game that features the best up-and-coming players in all 30 farm systems. This year’s edition of the game showcased 10 of the Cape Cod Baseball League’s most gifted alumni. Each player participated in the seven-inning exhibition, and Cam Collier (Cotuit '22) took home the Larry Doby MVP.

Before the game, Collier shared what playing on Minor League Baseball’s biggest stage meant to him. “It’s an event I wanted to come to my whole career,” Collier said. “It’s [a game] I looked up to and watched every year.”

Collier of the Cincinnati Reds won the Futures Game MVP after he crushed a solo home run in the third inning to open the scoring. In terms of what the Cape League did to prepare him for such an event, he said, “I faced really good, really consistent arms, and got a feel for pro ball.”

New York Yankees No. 1 prospect Spencer Jones (Brewster '21) was geared up to compete in his second Futures Game. As one of the biggest names at Globe Life Field on Saturday, perhaps no one had as bright a spotlight on them as Jones. “Being here to represent my organization and Minor League Baseball is a special opportunity,” Jones said. In his second at bat, he drew a walk and immediately stole second base.

Despite being three years removed from his summer in the Cape League and now heralded as one of MLB’s top prospects, Cape Cod still has a special place in Jones’ heart. “The Cape is my happy place,” he said, “Cape Cod is what taught me how to play baseball every single day and enjoy doing it.”

One of Jones’ Brewster teammates and fellow outfielder also was selected to play. The Kansas City Royals’ Gavin Cross (Brewster '21) actually came in to replace his former teammate in the fifth inning, and immediately made an impact by forcing a fielding error, reaching first base and advancing the runner on second.

Cross was thrilled to be competing in the Futures Game, and rightfully so. He’s in the midst of a career year, so for him it’s “a really big accomplishment and something that means a lot.” To be chosen as one of Minor League Baseball’s best, it means “you’re playing well and your team is doing well.”

One of the best performances in the Futures Game came from the Boston Red Sox's Kyle Teel (Harwich '22). Teel was the only player in the game to record two hits, both of which were doubles. Earlier in the week before a regular-season game with the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs, Teel said, “There's just a great level of baseball in the Cape Cod League. Getting that opportunity to play against great competition has benefited me throughout my career.”

The Cape League’s 2022 Pat Sorenti MVP Matt Shaw (Bourne '22) also appeared in the Futures Game just a year after being drafted 13th overall by the Chicago Cubs. The importance and magnitude of playing in such a high-profile event was not lost on him amid all the hype surrounding the game though. Shaw expressed his feelings on being a Futures Game selection, saying, “It means a lot to everyone here. Everyone’s dream is to play in the big leagues, and playing in the Futures Games can be an important step to getting there.”

The hitters and position players weren’t the only ones to shine on MiLB’s biggest stage, three pitchers did, too. On the American League side, the Houston Astros’ A.J. Blubaugh (Orleans '22) came in to record two outs in the fourth, and for the National League, the New York Mets’ Brandon Sproat (Chatham '21) and the St. Louis Cardinals’ Quinn Mathews (Cotuit '21) tossed scoreless frames.

Between the three of them, only one hit was allowed. Sproat was credited with a hold, and Mathews struck out two. In the clubhouse before warming up, Blubaugh said the Cape “prepared [him] more than anything before pro ball.” He recalled playing for Orleans field manager Kelly Nicholson and pitching coach Jim Lawler, saying, “They really understood what it takes to [succeed]. They groomed me perfectly for this.”

For Mathews, the Cape served more as a place to tweak his mechanics and make some physical adjustments. He went to pitch at Cotuit in 2022 coming off of what he described as a rough sophomore year at Stanford, so the Cape League was “kind of a reset.” With the Kettleers, he posted a 1.56 ERA in four appearances, and took off from there.

“I changed some stuff mechanically, so it gave me a time period to play against really good hitters and see if my physical adjustments were going to work,” Mathews said. “That was the stepping stone for me … pitching well my junior and senior years, and now in the Minor Leagues. I attribute a lot of my success to the Cape.”

Brooks Lee (Y-D '21) of the Minnesota Twins was originally named to the Futures Game roster but was promoted to MLB, so he wasn’t able to appear in the game. However, he was replaced by Twins teammate and former Cape Leaguer Luke Keaschall (Orleans '21-22). For Keaschall, spending multiple summers in the Cape League prepared him for the grueling professional season.

“It was a lot of fun,” Keaschall said. “For a summer and a half, getting to play every day just prepares you for the long season … it helped me grow up a little bit.”

Potentially the best base runner in professional baseball, Minor or Major Leagues, is the Tampa Bay Rays’ Chandler Simpson (Cotuit '22). He’ll enter the All-Star break with an affiliated baseball-leading 62 stolen bases. While he’s virtually unable to be thrown out, he’s also having a fantastic year at the plate, batting .358 between High-A and Double-A.

“The Cape was great, it taught me to grind,” Simpson said. “Just competing against all those great players because that’s the best summer league for college players. It definitely got me ready for pro ball.”

For not just the 10 Cape League alumni, but all players on the 2024 Futures Game rosters, Saturday was a surreal experience they’ll never forget. Playing in an MLB stadium with the world watching isn’t an opportunity that Minor League players experience every day. Not only did they showcase their talent, but took inspiration from their surroundings as they continue their journey toward MLB.

(Photo via Alysa Rubin)