Reds prospect Cam Collier wins MLB All-Star Futures Game MVP in 6–1 win for National League

Cincinnati Reds prospect Cam Collier hit a solo home run in the third inning that opened the scoring for the National League in the MLB All-Star Futures Game at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. The NL went on to defeat the American League, 6–1, in Saturday’s seven-inning matchup of top MLB prospects.

Collier, 19, batted 1-for-2 in the game and was honored with the Larry Doby Award as the Futures Game Most Valuable Player.

The third baseman was the Reds’ No. 3 prospect coming into the season, according to MLB.com. He is hitting .231 with a .714 OPS in 78 games for High-A Dayton this season. Collier was Cincinnati’s first-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft out of Chipola College in Marianna, Florida.

Collier’s home run was off pitcher Caden Dana, the top prospect for the Los Angeles Angels. That was the only run Dana allowed in his one-inning appearance. The right-hander has 97 strikeouts in 90 1/3 innings and a 2.99 ERA for Double-A Rocket City this season.

Atlanta Braves prospect Drake Baldwin hit the NL’s other home run in the sixth inning. Baldwin, a 23-year-old catcher, is batting .309 with a .972 OPS in 24 games for Triple-A Gwinnett. The Braves’ 2022 third-round pick out of Missouri State, he was promoted after 52 games with Double-A Mississippi.

Baldwin’s opposite-field homer was off Fernando Perez, the Toronto Blue Jays‘ No. 23 prospect. Perez, 20, has 81 strikeouts in 75 innings and a 3.81 ERA in 14 starts for Low-A Dunedin.

Chicago White Sox prospect Noah Schultz allowed three runs on three hits, putting the first four batters he faced on base in the fourth inning. That gave the NL a 4–1 lead that essentially put the game out of reach. Schultz, 20, was the White Sox’s 2022 first-round pick. He has a 3.66 ERA in 14 starts between High-A Winston-Salem and Double-A Birmingham, striking out 75 batters in 54 2/3 innings.