Every year during MLB All-Star Weekend, there are numerous events outside of the actual game that draw the attention of baseball fans around the world. Sure, the Celebrity Softball game is fun, and the Home Run Derby is always a fantastic spectacle for fans everywhere, but the All-Star Futures Game might take the cake as being one of the most exciting events every year for baseball nerds like myself.
While the results and score don't really matter, it's a great opportunity for fans of the sport to be able to see some of baseball's top prospects on a national stage. Since minor league television coverage isn't the greatest or most accessible, for many fans, it is one of the first opportunities they will have to be able to watch some of their team's future stars on a big league field.
In the past, we have seen guys like Brady House, Dylan Crews, James Wood, Cade Cavalli, and others all take part in the game, and we now know who will be representing the Washington Nationals in 2025. Both of these players should be guys that play a significant role in this team's future, and should be up in the big leagues by next season at the latest.
The first name is Travis Sykora, the #1 prospect in the organization who has been a huge riser in prospect rankings. The 2023 3rd round pick of the Nationals recently received a promotion to AA Harrisburg, where he made his first start a few days ago with some mixed results. However, Sykora looks more and more as if he could make a push to be arguably the top pitching prospect in all of baseball, and will get a chance to show off what he can do against some of the other premiere minor leaguers in the sport.
As for the other name, righty reliever Marquis Grissom Jr., a friend of District on Deck, was chosen to represent the Nationals as well. He is currently in AAA Rochester, and could be in line to potentially get a look from the big league club before the end of the season if the team's bullpen continues to pitch poorly. He too has been a name that has steadily risen the organization's rankings, and has put himself squarely on the map to be a solid big league reliever.
The NL All-Star Futures Game roster features 17 Top 100 prospects! 💪 pic.twitter.com/GgyrxRMu79
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) June 30, 2025
Both Sykora and Grissom Jr. will join the likes of some of the game's other top prospects, such as Leo De Vries, Andrew Painter, Charlie Condon, and Konnor Griffin, among others on the National League roster, and can hopefully put on a good show on behalf of the Nationals. While it is no guarantee either of them will pitch in the game, hopefully it lines up so that both of them can give Nationals fans a preview of what they can expect once they reach the big leagues.
What do you think of Travis Sykora and Marquis Grissom Jr. being selected for the Futures Game? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.