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SEATTLE -- Cal Raleigh isn’t the only catcher in the Mariners organization who will have a homecoming during this year’s festivities surrounding the Midsummer Classic in Atlanta. Harry Ford, who grew up just 20 miles from Truist Park, has been invited to take part in the All-Star Futures Game, the sport’s showcase event for the best Minor Leaguers.
Ford, who is ranked by MLB Pipeline as Seattle’s No. 5 prospect and the sport’s No. 59 overall, will be joined by switch-pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje (Seattle’s No. 8, overall No. 84) and outfielder Lazaro Montes (Seattle’s No. 2, overall No. 30), giving the Mariners the most prospects invited in the sport, along with the Tigers.
The Futures Game will be played at 1 p.m. PT on July 12 and will be televised live on MLB Network and MLB.TV.
“Harry, Laz, and Jurrangelo are three of the most unique prospects in baseball, and we are all looking forward to seeing them represent the M’s in Atlanta,” Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said in a statement.
This is Ford’s third consecutive Futures Game appearance, underscoring how far he has come -- but also how close he is to the MLB doorstep.
Ford, who has spent the entire season at Triple-A Tacoma, was nearly called up for his MLB debut over the weekend in Arlington as an injury replacement for Mitch Garver, after the veteran jammed his jaw when he was hit by a foul tip Wednesday in Minnesota. But Garver cleared medical protocols, avoided the injured list then went on to hit a home run on Sunday.
“Obviously, tough circumstances and couldn’t foresee this and whatnot, but I think there is a silver lining to it,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson told reporters. “It’s really good to see him after not seeing him since Spring Training, get a chance to say hello, catch up with him and really compliment him on just the season that he’s having.”
Ford has a slash line of .305/.418/.459 for an .877 OPS, with eight homers, 12 doubles, 43 RBIs, 40 runs, a 17% strikeout rate and 15.2% walk rate over 61 games, making him worth 129 wRC+. (League average is 100.)
“He’s had such an incredible season down in Triple-A,” Wilson said. “So in some ways really glad that he’s able to get the chance to experience this just for a day.”
Cijntje, however, could be the headliner of the entire event, given how he has taken the sport by storm with his ambidextrous ability.
In his first professional season, after being selected with the No. 15 overall pick in last year’s MLB Draft, Cijntje has appeared in 15 games (12 starts) with High-A Everett, going 4-4 with a 4.88 ERA with 58 strikeouts and 31 walks.
The Netherlands-born pitcher has faced 42 batters as a left-handed pitcher and 180 batters as a right-handed pitcher this season, with an ever-evolving routine that first featured him starting once per week as a righty then mixing in a mid-week outing out of the bullpen exclusively as a lefty. That’s changed to just one start per week while picking his spots for when to pitch lefty.
It’s obviously unclear how he’ll be deployed in the Futures Game, but knowing his competitive spirit, he’ll pitch with both hands if the right situation manifests. Cijntje pitched both lefty and righty in the MLB Spring Breakout Game earlier this year.
Montes leads the Minors with 21 homers, split between Everett and Double-A Arkansas after he was promoted last week. At 20 years old, Montes is over four years younger than the average Double-A player, per Mariners PR. Montes is slashing .268/.388/.582 for a .959 OPS, with 50 runs, 13 doubles, five triples, 57 RBIs, a 26.9% strikeout rate and 16.3% walk rate in 73 games.