Two Detroit Tigers Prospects Will Play in All-Star Futures Game
By Matt Snyder
Detroit Tigers prospects Joe Jimenez and Christin Stewart have been selected to participate in the 2016 All-Star Futures Game in San Diego.
Major League Baseball announced the rosters for the 2016 All-Star Futures Game on Tuesday afternoon. Included in the list are two members of the Detroit Tigers organization.
Outfielder Christin Stewart, currently in High-A Lakeland, and relief pitcher Joe Jimenez, currently in AA Erie, will be the Tigers’ representatives. Jimenez, who was the Tigers’ lone representative while in Low-A last year, will be making his second Futures game roster.
The 2016 #FuturesGame rosters have been announced on #TheRundown! pic.twitter.com/AvpeG8Ri21
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) June 28, 2016
Futures game rules stipulate that each major league organization be guaranteed one selection, but up to two players per team are permitted to fill out the 50 roster spots. The futures game is contested between players born inside the 50 U.S. states and those born internationally or in Puerto Rico.
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As such, Jimenez (from Puerto Rico) and Stewart (from Georgia) will play on different sides and could find themselves squaring off against each other in a head-to-head pitcher vs. batter matchup.
That would potentially spell bad news for Stewart because Jimenez has been mowing down batters across stints in Advanced-A and AA this season. Jimenez has faced 100 batters combined between the two levels this season and has struck out 46 batters while ceding just 11 hits, eight walks, and one single run.
That isn’t to say the Stewart’s a slouch. His .929 OPS leads all qualified batters in the Florida State League (with the next closes at .862). The Florida State League — with it’s ballparks designed for major league hitters and spring training in mind — is not usually one that’s conducive to home run hitting, but Stewart has managed to hit 18 homers already. Last year’s leader hit 14 for the season.
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Jimenez faced two batters in last year’s game and got them both out. His final pitch was a swinging strikeout on a 96 mph fastball.