Brewers top prospects Jesús Made and Luis Peña both represented Milwaukee in this year’s All-Star Futures Game, though neither could help the National League avoid a 6-1 loss in the seven-inning exhibition. While the game remained tied 1-1 through four innings, the American League pulled away late, scoring a run in the fifth and two runs in each of the final two frames.
The National League managed just four hits all afternoon and never generated much offense against a deep American League pitching
staff, although Made wasted little time making an impact. Batting third for the National League, he came to the plate with two outs in the bottom of the first and looped a single into shallow right field against Mariners prospect Kade Anderson, widely regarded as one of the top pitching prospects in baseball.
Made later accounted for the National League’s only run, driving in Pirates prospect Edward Florentino with an RBI groundout in the third inning. In his third and final plate appearance, against Ryan Sloan, the Mariners’ No. 2 prospect, Made flew out to right field. He would finish the afternoon 1-for-3 with an RBI.
The performance wasn’t enough to spark the National League offense, but Made still turned in one of the better offensive outings on the team. His first-inning single accounted for one of the National League’s four hits, while his RBI groundout produced the club’s only run of the game.
Peña, meanwhile, made his Futures Game debut after earning a starting nod at third base. The 19-year-old finished 0-for-3 at the plate, flying out to center field twice and left field once, but looked comfortable defensively throughout the afternoon. He handled all five of his chances cleanly without committing an error, highlighted by a terrific running catch in foul territory down the left-field line. Peña covered a ton of ground, ending up nearly halfway to the outfield wall, before making an over-the-shoulder grab to rob Guardians prospect Ralphy Velasquez of a hit.
While Peña didn’t record a hit, simply reaching the Futures Game is another milestone for MLB Pipeline’s No. 18 overall prospect. Despite missing significant time this season because of health issues, Peña has continued to show why he’s regarded as one of the game’s top young infielders whenever he’s been on the field.
Neither player delivered a headline-grabbing performance, but that’s not necessarily the point of the Futures Game. Made and Peña earned their invitations by establishing themselves among baseball’s premier prospects, and Sunday’s showcase served as another reminder that both belong on the same field as the sport’s brightest young talent. With Made continuing to strengthen his case as baseball’s consensus top prospect, Peña cementing himself as one of the game’s best young infielders, and a boatload of depth behind them, Brewers fans have plenty of reasons to be excited about the organization’s future.
