Mets-to-be set to square off at future home

They hope to be rotation-mates at Citi Field in the future. But Sunday, Noah Syndergaard and Rafael Montero, ranked by MLB.com as the Mets' No. 3 and No. 8 prospects, will be dueling partners. Syndergaard will throw the first pitch of the Futures Game for the United States team; Montero will follow him in the bottom of the first as the starter for the World Team.

It is not the first time an all-host starting pitching tandem has occurred in the Futures Game. Last year. in Kansas City, Jake Odorizzi started for the U.S. and Yordano Ventura took the ball for the World. Both were Royals prospects, though Odorizzi is now with the Tampa Bay Rays.

In previous years, there has been one starter from the host team's organization, but only 2012 and 2013 have managed the double feature. Tyler Skaggs started in Arizona in 2011, Justin Verlander got that honor in Detroit in 2005 and Neal Cotts started in Chicago in 2003.