Wil Myers, Jake Odorizzi and Yordano Ventura named to SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game roster
KANSAS CITY, MO (June 21, 2012) — Kansas City Royals prospects Wil Myers, Jake Odorizzi and Yordano Ventura today were named to the rosters for the 14th annual SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game. The game, which will match Myers, Odorizzi and the U.S. squad against Ventura and the World roster, will begin at 4 p.m. CDT on Sunday, July 8 from Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. The Royals are the only organization in baseball to place three players in the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game.
The game will be televised live on ESPN2, ESPN2 HD and MLB.TV and is also available on the radio at MLB Network Radio (SiriusXM channel 89). Tickets are still available for purchase for the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game and Taco Bell All-Star Legends and Celebrity Softball Game by visiting www.allstargame.com, calling 1-888-326-3378 or visiting the Royals box office at Kauffman Stadium.
Myers, 21, will be making his second-straight appearance at the XM All-Star Futures Game, also appearing last July at Chase Field in Phoenix, Ariz. The 6-foot-3, 206-pound outfielder is currently tied with 31-year-old Brad Eldred for the minor league baseball lead with 24 home runs. Myers opened the season with Northwest Arkansas (AA) before being promoted to Omaha (AAA) in mid-May. He has combined to hit .336 (86-for-256) with 18 doubles, three triples, 24 home runs, 62 RBI and 60 runs scored in 68 games, posting a .416 on-base pct. and .711 slugging mark. He is the Royals third-round selection from the 2009 June Free Agent Draft.
The 22-year-old Odorizzi, like Myers, opened 2012 with Northwest Arkansas before a promotion to Omaha. The 6-foot-2 right-hander has compiled an 8-2 record with a 2.89 ERA in 13 games (12 starts), recording 81 strikeouts in 71.2 innings while holding opponents to a .219 average. Odorizzi was acquired along with shortstop Alcides Escobar, outfielder Lorenzo Cain and pitcher Jeremy Jeffress from the Milwaukee Brewers on December 19, 2010 in exchange for pitcher Zack Greinke and infielder Yuniesky Betancourt.
Ventura, 21, worked a scoreless inning with a walk and a strikeout at the Carolina-California League All-Star Game on Tuesday. The 5-foot-11 right-hander is 3-5 with a 3.10 ERA in 13 starts for High-A Wilmington, posting 78 strikeouts in 61.0 innings. Born and raised in Samana, Dominican Republic, Ventura was signed by the Royals as a non-drafted free agent on October 8, 2008.
Major League Baseball, in conjunction with the Major League Baseball Scouting Bureau, MLB.com, Baseball America and the 30 MLB teams selected the 25-man rosters for each club.