The All-Star Futures Game is perhaps the most exciting contest of the year in the world of prospectdom, with the largest collection of talent you'll see in any game of Minor Leaguers.
For anyone who watched on Sunday, there would've been a bevy of familiar names to those who follow the Prospect Team of the Week. Of course, top statistical performers and most talented players do not always overlap, but it's even more exciting when they do.
This year, there were 20 players in the Futures Game who also have appeared on a Prospect Team of the Week, 20 of whom have done so this year. Even more notable is the fact that two of them -- Royals catcher Blake Mitchell and Giants outfielder Dakota Jordan -- did so the very same week they played in the showcase. This, despite having to miss two games of Minor League action over the weekend to compete.
To be eligible for the Pipeline Prospect Team of the Week, Minor League players must be ranked among their club's Top 30 prospects on Pipeline's lists. (Those in the Majors do not qualify.)
This is the Prospect Team of the Week for July 5-12:
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C: Blake Mitchell, Quad Cities River Bandits (High-A)
Royals No. 3
.438/.550/1.063, 4 G, 7-for-16, 3 HR, 1 2B, 6 RBI, 6 R, 4 BB, 5 K, 2 SB
Before heading to the All-Star Futures Game, where he started and drew a walk, Mitchell made a big impression at High-A. After homering once in the 18 games heading into last week, the 2023 first-rounder went deep in three straight games and even added two stolen bases, putting him on the brink of the fourth 20-20 season for a Minor League catcher since 2008. Strikeouts have been Mitchell's biggest issue this season, and his five K's in 20 plate appearances were an improvement from the season as a whole.
1B: Will Bush, Corpus Christi Hooks (Double-A)
Astros No. 18
.429/.538/.810, 6 G, 9-for-21, 2 HR, 2 2B, 5 RBI, 6 R, 5 BB, 6 K, 2 SB, 1 CS
Bush has been splitting his time between first base and catcher, and he's been slugging regardless of position. The 2023 16th-rounder hit safely in all six games -- reaching base safely at least twice each time -- while going deep twice. Strikeouts remain an issue (his 32.2 percent K rate is worst on the circuit), but he's up to a career-high 16.5 percent walk rate after five more free passes last week. Bush ranks sixth in the Texas League with a .401 on-base percentage and ninth with an .855 OPS.
2B: Ryan Burrowes, Winston-Salem Dash (High-A)
White Sox No. 27
.423/.516/.923, 6 G, 11-for-26, 4 HR, 1 2B, 6 RBI, 10 R, 5 BB, 5 K, 5 SB, 1 CS
Burrowes has a super-utility defensive profile with questions about his bat, and he's starting to heat up at the plate over the past three seasons. The 21-year-old has hits in 15 of 18 contests over that stretch, including seven multihit contests. Last week alone, he doubled his season home run total while adding five steals. He leads all White Sox Minor Leaguers with 31 swipes (although he's been caught nine times) and ranks sixth among qualified full-season players with a .387 on-base percentage.
3B: Jansel Luis, Amarillo Sod Poodles (Double-A)
D-backs No. 12
.471/.526/1.118, 4 G, 8-for-17, 3 HR, 1 3B, 8 RBI, 6 R, 2 BB, 2 K, 2 SB
Despite playing half his games in HODGETOWN, one of the most hitter-friendly parks in the Minors, Luis wasn't getting much going on offense this season, outside of a stretch in May that also earned him Prospect Team of the Week honors. That was until a red-hot July in which he's recorded multiple hits in five of eight games, which raised his OPS from .714 to .779. The switch-hitter went deep in three of his four games last week and added a pair of stolen bases to give him 20 on the season, four off his career high.
SS: Emil Morales, Great Lakes Loons (High-A)
Dodgers No. 5/MLB No. 46
.500/.571/1.000, 5 G, 9-for-18, 2 HR, 3 2B, 7 RBI, 5 R, 3 BB, 6 K
Morales has quickly taken to High-A as the fourth-youngest player at the level this year. Although the 19-year-old is striking out a bit more and his average is down, much of the latter can be attributed to a 120-point drop in BABIP, and he's hitting for much more power. He put that on display Friday when he delivered his third multihomer game of the season as part of a four-hit day. Among players in the Midwest League with at least as many plate appearances as him, Morales ranks ninth in isolated power (.265).
OF: Blaine Bullard, Dunedin Blue Jays (Single-A)
Blue Jays No. 14
.450/.520/.900, 6 G, 9-for-20, 2 HR, 3 2B, 11 RBI, 4 R, 4 BB, 5 K, 1 SB, 1 CS
Bullard stood out more for his bat-to-ball skills when the Blue Jays signed him to a 12th-round record $1,697,500 bonus last year, but the Texas native is tapping into his power more lately. The switch-hitter bookended last week with a pair of homers and went for extra bases on four of his nine knocks, which brings him to a 1.003 OPS in July. His plus speed remains his best tool, though, and he's up to 30 swipes on the season at an 88.2 percent success rate.
OF: Asbel Gonzalez, Quad Cities River Bandits (High-A)
Royals No. 15
.520/.581/.720, 6 G, 13-for-25, 2 3B, 1 2B, 6 RBI, 11 R, 4 BB, 4 K, 8 SB
Gonzalez has perhaps the best speed in the Royals farm system and put that on display last week with eight steals in as many attempts. The center fielder is second in the Minors in stolen bases (49) and has done so while markedly increasing his success rate, from 75 percent to 83 percent. The 20-year-old is riding a 12-game hitting streak, but questions remain about his impact at the plate, as he only has three extra-base hits during that stretch, all in the last series.
OF: Dakota Jordan, Eugene Emeralds (High-A)
Giants No. 5
.375/.444/1.063, 4 G, 6-for-16, 3 HR, 2 2B, 5 RBI, 4 R, 1 BB, 3 K
Jordan is coming off perhaps his best week in professional baseball. Not only did he play in the All-Star Futures Game -- doubling in his only at-bat -- but he also put together a career day at the plate. In his final game for Eugene before heading to Philadelphia for All-Star festivities, he mashed three home runs as part of a four-hit game. The 2024 fourth-rounder ranks fifth in the Northwest League with a .970 OPS, and three of the players who rank above him play half their games at the hitter's haven that is Everett Memorial Stadium.
LHP: Zach Root, Great Lakes Loons (High-A)
Dodgers No. 12
1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 11 K, 0.50 WHIP
Root entered pro ball mostly standing out for his wide arsenal, pitchability and deception rather than pure swing-and-miss stuff. But he's overpowered High-A hitters with 69 strikeouts across 49 1/3 innings this season after punching out a career-high 11 last time out. The southpaw also issued just two walks, which increased his K-BB% to 24.8 percent, 17th among full-season pitchers with at least as many innings as him. This is Root's second appearance on a Prospect Team of the Week in the past six editions.
RHP: Peyton Olejnik, Tri-City Dust Devils (High-A)
Angels No. 25
0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 K, 0.29 WHIP
Olejnik is an intimidating force on the mound, standing 6-foot-11. Understandably, control has been an issue at times, given how hard it can be to sync up his long limbs. But the 2024 sixth-rounder has seemingly turned a corner lately, with 25 strikeouts and no walks over his past three outings. Since the calendar hit June, the right-hander has a 2.18 ERA with 43 K's to seven walks over 33 innings. While he doesn't yet have a plus pitch, continuing to repeat his delivery and stay in the zone will go a long way in his path to the Majors.
RP: Toni Rossi, Somerset Patriots (Double-A)
Yankees No. 30
0-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 G, 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, 0.33 WHIP
Rossi has been a gem for the Yankees since they signed him for $10,000 as a non-drafted free agent in 2024. The 27-year-old right-hander has torn through three levels in two years with a low release and plenty of extension that help his fastball, which touches 98 mph, play up. After picking up five strikeouts and no walks across three scoreless innings last week, he increased his K-BB% to 31.9 percent, sixth best in the Minors (min. 30 IP).