ASG hosts will send trio to Futures Game

Renfroe to play for U.S.; Margot, Asuaje to play for World team

June 28th, 2016

SAN DIEGO -- If all goes according to plan, Padres prospects Manny Margot, Hunter Renfroe and Carlos Asuaje will be wowing fans at Petco Park for years to come.
On Sunday, July 10, the three of them will get the chance to do so on one of baseball's biggest stages.
Margot, Renfroe and Asuaje were chosen as the Padres' representatives in this year's Futures Game, which will be held at Petco Park as part of the week's All-Star festivities.
Futures Game rosters and scouting reports
Renfroe will represent the U.S. team, which will be managed by legendary Padres closer Trevor Hoffman. Margot and Asuaje help comprise the World roster, skippered by Moises Alou, currently the Padres' special assistant for player development.
"All three are doing really, really well for us at El Paso, and we're really proud of the progression that they're making," said Hoffman, who is a senior advisor for baseball operations with the Padres. "Hunter was our No. 1 Draft pick a couple years back, and we've seen his progression through the Minor League system and what a hot start he's off to. We're excited about his prospects. The power's coming along."
Renfroe, rated the Padres' No. 3 prospect by MLB.com, is the most big league ready of any player in the system. The club's top pick in the 2013 Draft, Renfroe is batting .324/.346/.600 with a team-leading 18 home runs for Triple-A El Paso, and scouts have raved about his power and his outfield arm.
Margot, a center fielder acquired in the trade that sent Craig Kimbrel to Boston, is the club's top-rated prospect. He has also thrived at Triple-A, batting .295/.349/.412, while racking up 22 steals and 14 outfield assists.

"The bat speed that Manny produces and the ground that he covers out in center field is fabulous," Hoffman said. "He's a kid that plays beyond his age."
Both Renfroe (2014) and Margot ('15) will be participating in their second Futures Game. It'll be the first for Asuaje, who is batting .324/.389/.467 for the first-place Chihuahuas. The club's No. 14 prospect, Asuaje has played second base almost exclusively this season, though he's also played third base and left field in the past. Like Margot, Asuaje came to the Padres in the Kimbrel trade.

The 18th edition of the Futures Game will take place on Sunday, July 10, at 4 p.m. PT on MLB Network.
"To have the main event in your own city, it's an honor," Hoffman said earlier this month. "If there's an opportunity to maybe pass along some knowledge and maybe help a kid get comfortable ... we're talking about kids that are close and that are going to make an impact at the big league level -- so to have an opportunity to be around them is fabulous. And to represent the Padres and San Diego itself at the Midsummer Classic, it's pretty special."
Fantasy spin | Fred Zinkie (@FredZinkieMLB)
Hitting .324 with 18 homers and 67 RBIs across 315 at-bats with Triple-A El Paso this season, Renfroe is likely on the verge of his big league debut. Currently in last place in the NL West, the Padres may soon clear space for promising youngsters such as Renfroe by making trades or sending veterans to the bench. Despite a lack of plate discipline (10-to-59 walk-to-strikeout ratio in 2016), the 24-year-old could use his plus power to impact mixed leagues during the second half of the season. Batting .295 with 22 steals across 342 plate appearances in El Paso this year, Margot may not be far behind Renfroe. Although Margot is unlikely to impact fantasy leagues this year, he should be regarded as a potential mixed-league contributor for '17 given his solid plate skills and plus speed.