Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo headlines MLB Futures Game roster

On Tuesday morning, MLB announced the Futures Game rosters for both the AL and NL, and the Orioles landed just one prospect in the event. It's a bit of a surprise as the O's have four prospects listed in MLB Pipeline's top-100 list and are widely regarded as having one of the better minor league systems in the entire sport.

Baltimore's lone inclusion is 19 year old catcher Samuel Basallo, and his appearance in Texas will be well deserved. The young Dominican has raked in Double-A Bowie, slashing .278/.338/.456 with 11 homers and 7 steals.

Basallo's plate discipline has looked great thus far and he's transitioned well after moving up from High-A last year. The biggest knocks on him are his framing and receiving, but he's still young and has a good enough arm to make up for it.

Plus, with Adley Rutschman locked into the starting catcher role in Baltimore, there's no rush to get Basallo up to the majors, nor is there certainty that Basallo will stick behind the plate if he's good enough to earn every day playing time.

Samuel Basallo selected to MLB Futures Game, two other top Orioles prospects left out

While the selection of Basallo to the roster makes sense, two other top prospects didn't make the cut. Number one overall prospect Jackson Holliday won't be in attendance. He made an uninspiring MLB debut earlier this year but was demoted back to Triple-A in late April, tasked with getting back on track. Holliday was on the IL with an arm injury until his return last week.

Meanwhile, third baseman Coby Mayo has continued to demolish opposing pitchers in Triple-A Norfolk but wasn't able to capture the elusive Futures Game invite this year.

Mayo has crushed the ball in 2024. He's slashing .304/.380/.622 and is up to 17 homers on the year. He's chipped in 39 runs and 48 RBI, and is surely at the top of the list of O's prospects who are forcing their way into the major league lineup.

Mayo has recently been discussed as a potential trade chip for the Orioles but it looks like Mike Elias might be intending to hold onto him this summer. With the way he's hitting, Mayo could be a star. Unfortunately for baseball fans, they won't get to watch him mash in the Futures Game later this month.

With any luck, Basallo will do the O's proud and show out in Texas. The game is scheduled for Saturday July 13 at 4:10pm EST.