MLB Futures Game Selects Hot Astros Pitching Prospect

The Houston Astros had one player selected to participate in this year’s MLB Futures Game during All-Star Weekend.

Feb 14, 2024; West Palm Beach, FL, USA; Houston Astros pitcher A.J. Blubaugh (69) works out during spring training at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches. / Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

A.J. Blubaugh, who is among the Houston Astros’ top minor-league prospects, has been selected to represent the organization in the MLB Futures Game.

Blubaugh is pitching for the Sugar Land Space Cowboys, the Astros’ Triple-A affiliate. He is the No. 7 prospect in the organization per MLB Pipeline and their highest-ranked pitcher with the recent graduation of Spencer Arrighetti from the prospects rankings.  

The Futures Game is set for 3 p.m. central on July 13 at Globe Life Field, the home of the Texas Rangers and the home of this year’s All-Star Game. The seven-inning contest will be broadcast on MLB Network.

The Astros hope his selection is foreshadowing to his future in the Majors. Per MLB.com, 88% of the players selected to the MLB Futures Game went on to play in the Majors and 21% have made it to at least one All-Star Game.

This year’s Futures Game will mark the 25th anniversary of the game.

Blubaugh, a right-hander, has spent the vast majority of this season with Sugar Land, where he is 5-2 with a 3.53 ERA, with 61 strikeouts and 27 walks in 66.1 innings. He made one start at Double-A Corpus Christi to start the season.

He spent most of 2023 with High-A Asheville, earning a promotion to Corpus Christi late in the season. He was solid at both levels, going 6-3 with a 4.41 ERA as a part-time starter. He struck out 112 and walked 45 in 100 innings.

That was his first full minor league season. He pitched in six games at the end of the 2022 season, going 2-1 with a 4.34 ERA with the Astros’ Florida Complex League rookie team and Class-A Fayetteville.

Houston selected him in the seventh round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of Milwaukee.

The Astros will know if they have any starters in the American League lineup on Wednesday night when those lineups are announced. After Tuesday’s results release, second baseman Jose Altuve still had a lead on Texas Rangers star Marcus Semien, while designated hitter Yordan Alvarez had a slim lead on Baltimore’s Ryan O’Hearn.

Outfielder Kyle Tucker was lagging behind in voting among the remaining four outfielders vying for two starting spots, as he was in last place.

Among Houston’s AL West rivals, each had at least one player selected — Los Angeles Angels pitcher Caden Dana, Oakland pitcher Luis Morales, Seattle shortstop Cole Young and catcher Harry Ford, and Texas shortstop Sebastian Walcott, pitcher Emiliano Teodo and pitcher Winston Santos.