Nationals Top Prospects Underwhelm at MLB All-Star Futures Game
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Before the All-Star Game on Tuesday, where there will be three Washington Nationals participating due to Foster Griffin's selection, Major League Baseball gave fans a glimpse into the future with the MLB All-Star Futures Game that took place on Sunday.
In that showcase event, all 30 teams had one of their prospects represent their respective organizations. The Nationals were one of 20 teams to have multiple prospects compete in the game, as shortstop Eli Willits and right-hander pitcher Miguel Sime Jr. were selected to the roster.
Unfortunately, after both players had incredible showings during the first half of the season, that didn't carry over into this contest, since both Willits and Sime underwhelmed on the big stage.
Eil Willits Had Lackluster Day at the Plate
The talent of the 2025 No. 1 overall pick is undeniable. He has been a hitting machine since he made his professional debut, and after he added some power to his game, that was enough for MLB Pipeline to deem him a top five prospect in baseball.
Willits had a chance to pay off that hype against some of the best prospects in the sport, but he went 0-for-1 at the plate with a walk in his two plate appearances.
Of course, one exhibition game isn't going to define the career of the 18-year-old at this point. However, No. 1 overall prospect Jesus Made made his mark on the game with an RBI, as did No. 2-ranked prospect Leo De Vries and No. 4-ranked prospect Josue De Paul, who both recorded hits in their limited at-bats.
Nobody is waving a red flag about Willits based on this performance in the All-Star Futures Game. But it would have been nice to see him dominate on this big stage.
Miguel Sime Jr. Flashes Elite Stuff and Lack of Command
Everything that Sime is at this point in his career -- and could be going forward -- was on display during his appearance on Sunday with elite stuff and poor command.
He entered the game in the top of the seventh inning. Sime struck out the first batter he faced by blowing a 100 mph fastball by him on the first pitch, and then forced the batter to foul off a 99.9 mph fastball on the second pitch. Then, after a changeup went for a ball on his third offering, Sime dropped another changeup to record a swinging strikeout.
But after that, it got dicey. Sime was tagged for a double by the second batter he faced that scored an inherited runner. Sime then threw a wild pitch that allowed the runner to advance to third during an at-bat where he eventually issued a walk. Then, he gave up an RBI single.
Sime bounced back when facing the next batter to finish his appearance with a strikeout on three pitches, as he once again showcased some high-end stuff with a 99.4 mph fastball, a 98.6 mph fastball and then a changeup that got the batter to chase. On the day, the flamethrowing righty gave up two runs (one earned) on two hits across 2/3 of an inning with two strikeouts and one walk.
It's clear there is still a lot for Willits and Sime to work on, and it will be up to the Nationals to get them to the next level. But despite the underwhelming performance in this All-Star Futures Game, it was a great sign to see two standout prospects in this pipeline represent the franchise on such a big stage.
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Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he worked at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad became the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continued to cover Penn State athletics. Currently, Brad is the Publisher for Washington Nationals On SI and covers multiple teams across the On SI network. He is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, where he and his co-host discuss topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai