WEYMOUTH, Mass. (October 1, 2024) 一 For the third consecutive October, Futures League alumni will be represented in the Major League Baseball (MLB) Postseason.
With Wild Card action beginning on Tuesday, six former Futures Leaguers were rostered on five of the 12 total clubs in championship contention during the month of September. Five of those players were active when the regular season concluded.
The American League Wild Card Series between the Houston Astros and Detroit Tigers will feature league alumni going head-to-head.
The Astros boast the lone Futures League product who has ever won a world championship in former Gold Glove-winning shortstop and 2022 ALCS and World Series MVP Jeremy Pena, formerly of the Torrington Titans and the University of Maine. Pena hit .266 with 28 doubles, 15 home runs, 70 RBI and a career-high 20 stolen bases in 157 games this season.
Outfielder Justyn-Henry Malloy, who made his MLB debut on June 3, helped the Tigers go on an incredible 31-13 run to clinch their first Postseason berth in a decade. The Bristol Blues and Georgia Tech alum recorded eight homers and 21 RBI in 71 games as a rookie, including his first go-ahead RBI in the eighth inning or later last Thursday against the Baltimore Orioles.
Two Milwaukee Brewers with New England ties make up the Futures League’s representation on the National League side.
Looking to appear in a Postseason game for the second time in his career, former Worcester Bravehearts and Northeastern University right-hander Aaron Civale will take the mound for Milwaukee after being acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays in a July trade. Civale has gone 6-3 with a 3.53 ERA in 14 starts since becoming a Brewer, winning three of his last four in September.
Also on the Brewers roster is former Boston College standout Sal Frelick, a two-time Futures League Top Pro Prospect with the North Shore Navigators. Frelick made his first career Opening Day roster in April and has hit .259 with two homers, 32 RBI, 66 runs scored and 18 stolen bases in 145 games this season, all while playing standout defense in the outfield.
Awaiting the Wild Card results are the A.L.-leading New York Yankees, who boast the 2020 Futures League MVP in first baseman Ben Rice. Another former Worcester Braveheart and a Dartmouth College product, Rice had seven home runs and 23 RBI in 50 games, including a memorable three-homer game against the Boston Red Sox on July 6. With Anthony Rizzo still injured, Rice was promoted back to New York on Sunday.
A former Futures League Top Pro Pitching Prospect for the New Britain Bees, Ben Casparius saw September action for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The University of Connecticut grad went 2-0 with a 2.16 ERA in his first three major league appearances, with the most recent coming last Friday.
As of the conclusion of the 2024 MLB regular season, a total of 24 former Futures League players have made their big league debuts, including six in each of the past three years. The count grew with former Worcester Bravehearts infielder Dustin Harris playing for the Texas Rangers on Saturday and Sunday.
For the latest news and information on the Futures League all year long, visit thefuturesleague.com and follow the league’s Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram pages.
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