The 2017 Major League Baseball All-Star Futures Game rosters have been announced and the Cincinnati Reds will have two participants. Third baseman Nick Senzel and reliever Jimmy Herget will represent the Reds and Team USA in the game. The game will be played on July 9th in Miami and Marlins Park at 4pm.
Nick Senzel, the #2 overall pick in the 2016 Major League Baseball draft, is now playing with the Pensacola Blue Wahoos. He’s only spent five games at the Double-A level after playing the first half of the season with the Advanced-A Daytona tortugas. Between the two stops this season he’s hitting .297/.364/.460 with 27 doubles, two triples and four home runs. Senzel has also stolen nine bases in 11 attempts to go along with 25 walks and 61 strikeouts in 291 plate appearances.
Jimmy Herget will also be on Team USA as one of the relievers. He began the year with the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, but was promoted up to Triple-A two weeks ago. The right hander has already saved 18 games this season between the two levels. In 35.2 innings pitched he had posted a 2.78 ERA. Herget has walked 12 batters, though two were intentional, and he’s struck out 54 of the 145 he has faced (37%).
The two players represent the top prospect at their respective spot on the field. Nick Senzel is the top prospect in the entire organization, and easily the top position player prospect that the team has. Jimmy Herget isn’t the top pitching prospect, being a reliever makes that nearly impossible. He is, however, the top relief prospect that the team has. This will be the first Futures Game appearance by both players.
Here are some of the other recent players that have represented the Reds in the Futures Game:
2016: Amir Garrett
2015: Amir Garrett, Kyle Waldrop, Yorman Rodriguez
2014: Robert Stephenson, Jesse Winker
2013: Carlos Contreras, Billy Hamilton
2012: Kyle Lotzkar