Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
The rosters for the All-Star Futures Game were announced Tuesday, and the Dodgers will have two prospects in the showcase game: catcher Thayron Liranzo and infielder Jeral Perez.
It is a slight change from last year when Dalton Rushing was the lone Dodgers representative at the Futures Game. In 2022, when the All-Star festivities were hosted at Dodger Stadium, Bobby Miller, Miguel Vargas and Diego Cartaya were on the Futures roster.
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Liranzo will be getting his second taste of prospect spotlight action after he shined in the Spring Breakout game back in March. In that matchup against Angels prospects, Liranzo launched a three-run homer after starting in the cleanup spot.
Thayron Liranzo sends this ball WAY over the right-center wall!
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) March 17, 2024
The switch-hitting catcher (@Dodgers' No. 10 prospect) knocks a three-run homer from the left side. pic.twitter.com/cfa1ICOH3n
This has been Liranzo’s first season in High-A, and although he has not been quite as productive as last year, he has still shown positive signs. The switch-hitting catcher led the Single-A California League in homers last year and has six long balls so far in 2024. His overall power production has taken a step back, at least in terms of overall results. His excellent .290 ISO (isolated power) from last year has been cut in half to a .143 clip this year. The Dominican backstop still has a lot of power to tap into that should start showing itself in full force again soon.
Liranzo could appear in the Futures Game as either a catcher or a first baseman. He is one of three catchers on the roster, and he has played roughly 1/3 of his games this season at first base, with most of the remaining games coming behind the plate. Liranzo will be 21 years old by the time of the game, which is younger than average in the Midwest League.
Top #Dodgers C prospect Thayron Liranzo delivered a walk-off hit for the second straight game! pic.twitter.com/YPvQMBq5dy
— Bruce Kuntz (@Bnicklaus7) May 24, 2024
Perez was not on the Spring Breakout roster in March, but he has quickly made a name for himself in Single-A this season. The 19-year-old infielder has posted a 133 wRC+ across 61 games, reaching base at a .403 clip. Similar to Liranzo, Perez has a great eye at the plate. His 14.1% walk rate leads Rancho Cucamonga, and he has batted .283 to go along with it. He’s only listed at 6-foot, 179 pounds, but Perez has hit eight home runs this season.
Perez led the Arizona Complex League with 11 homers last year as an 18-year-old, so he has been showing his talent with the bat for a long time now. His quick success in Single-A despite his age was enough to get him onto the Futures Game roster.
Defensively, Perez has played almost exclusively second base this year, which is where he will likely remain long-term. He has the actions to be an average defender but doesn’t have the quickness to play shortstop. However, with his offensive profile, he could become a valuable power-hitting second baseman.
Jeral Perez deep into the Southern California sunset!
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 15, 2024
The @Dodgers prospect hammers his 5th homer of the year, continuing a sizzling a start for the Single-A @RCQuakes: https://t.co/4ubqmlTMLX pic.twitter.com/uPhG1PUIIp
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Neither Liranzo or Perez are on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospects list around baseball. Liranzo is ranked No. 8 in the Dodgers system and Perez is ranked No. 17.
There were some notable Dodgers prospects who have not appeared in the Futures Game before but were left off the roster this year. Josue De Paula, who was recently promoted to High-A, is arguably the top prospect in the system but may have been forced out of consideration by a stacked National League outfield group. On the pitching side, Justin Wrobleski and River Ryan may not have been considered due to other factors; Wrobleski was placed on the development list Tuesday, and Ryan is still building up his workload after a delayed start to the season.
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The 2024 All-Star Futures Game will be a seven-inning game played July 13 in Arlington, Texas as part of the Rangers hosting the All-Star Game and events this year.
