It was an exhibition game with no real stakes. How Mike Soroka and Ronald Acuna fared in the All-Star Futures Game on Sunday will have no bearing on their Braves career paths.
That’s not to say the game was meaningless for the Double-A Mississippi teammates. Both said they were eager to showcase their talents as part of the collection of 50 top minor league players at Marlins Park.
“I’m ready to show what I’m capable of,” Acuna said through an interpreter before the game.
“Definitely,” Soroka said. “Of course. You want to show off a little bit, show what you’ve learned.”
Acuna (Venezuela) and Soroka (Canada) played for the World team vs. the USA. Acuna started in center field and batted fifth while Soroka, a starter in the minors, pitched out of the bullpen. The USA won 7-5.
Acuna played the entire game, including two innings in left field, and went 0-for-4. In the fifth inning, Acuna fouled off three straight 98-plus mph fastballs from Orioles prospect Tanner Scott before striking out on a slider.
Soroka came on to pitch at the start of the bottom of the third inning and got off to a shaky start by hitting Rhys Hoskins with a pitch. Soroka gave up a one-out, RBI double to Kyle Tucker before finishing the inning (the run was unearned after a throwing error allowed Nick Senzel to advance to second base).
Acuna and Soroka, both 19, were among the youngest players in the Futures game. After helping Single-A Rome win the South Atlantic League championship in 2016, they moved up the prospect rankings while being fast-tracked by the Braves.
Acuna began the season ranked the No. 67 prospect by Baseball America and was No. 10 in the most recent update. He’s touted as a “five tool” prospect who can do it all : hit for average, hit for power, run the bases, field and throw.
Acuna started 2016 at Rome and was off to a strong start before a May thumb injury derailed his season. He returned to play for Rome in August and continued to produce, then showed promise while hitting .296 with a .387 on-base percentage in 13 spring training games with the big-league Braves this year.
Acuna opened the season at high-Single A Florida and quickly earned a promotion to Mississippi in May. He had his fourth four-hit game of the season on Friday and for the season at Mississippi is batting .325 with a .374 OBP and .507 slugging percentage over 230 plate appearances.
Acuna said better health has been a key for him. He said his rapid rise through the system hasn’t made him impatient about reaching the majors.
“I’m just going to keep working hard and wait for that opportunity, and be ready when it shows up,” he said.
Soroka, who turns 20 next month, was Baseball America’s 48th-ranked prospect before the season. He made 24 starts for Rome in 2016 and posted a 3.02 ERA with 125 strikeouts and just 32 walks over 143 innings. He began this season at Mississippi and his results have been even better: 2.55 ERA with 73 strikeouts and 21 walks over 91 2/3 innings.
Soroka noted that during high school he faced older hitters, including some professionals, while playing for the Canadian junior national team. He said facing batters with a more refined plate approach in Double-A better suits his pitching style.
“Most of my game in past has been (about) execution,” he said. “Sometimes execution doesn’t always get results in lower levels. Now with older hitters having a different approach at the place, it’s mainly about who can execute better. It’s more of a cat and mouse game a little more at the higher level.”
As Soroka moves up levels, he’s been tinkering with a new grip on his change-up. He said he switched from a two-seam to a four-seam change-up in an effort to make it look more like his fastball as it leaves his hand.
“Now it’s about refining it and commanding it a little better,” Soroka said. “Finding consistency with it is definitely a key for my career.”
