TL Northwest Arkansas Naturals

Naturals' Nick Pratto and Bobby Witt Jr. Named to SiriusXM All-Star Futures Roster

Published on June 30, 2021 under Texas League (TL)
Northwest Arkansas Naturals News Release


SPRINGDALE, Ark - Major League Baseball announced today that Nick Pratto and Bobby Witt Jr. of the Northwest Arkansas Naturals have been named to the American League roster for the 2021 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game. The two highly touted Kansas City Royals prospects will play in the exhibition game on Sunday, July 11 at Coors Field as part of All-Star Sunday. The contest is scheduled for seven innings, beginning at 2 p.m. CST and will be televised exclusively on MLB Network and simulcast on MLB.com.

Pratto, 22, was a first-round selection (14th overall) by the Kansas City Royals in the 2017 draft out of Huntington Beach (Calif.) High School. The power-hitting first baseman has spent the minor league season with Northwest Arkansas and is tied for the Double-A Central lead with 13 home runs. He also leads the league in walks (32), extra-base hits (25), and OPS (1.011). Through June 29th, he is slashing .280/.407/.604 (46-for-164) with 10 doubles, two triples, and 34 RBI, which rank third in the league. Defensively, he has been great for Northwest Arkansas as he has played error-free with 332 putouts.

Witt Jr., 21, was the Royals first-round pick (2nd overall) in the 2019 draft out of Colleyville Heritage High School (Texas). The shortstop has spent the entire season with Northwest Arkansas and has been a stalwart at the top of the Naturals lineup as he has hit 12 home runs, which ranks fifth among Double-A Central players, and ranks second in total bases (102) and RBI (35), third in extra-base hits (22), and is fourth in runs scored (31). Through June 29th, the right-handed hitter is batting .286 (50-for-179) with seven doubles and three triples while starting at shortstop 37 times in his first full professional season.

This will be the 22nd SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game, which began operating under the NL-AL format in 2019 after previously featuring a U.S.-vs.-World system. Major League Baseball, in conjunction with MLB Pipeline, Baseball America and the 30 Major League Clubs, selected the 25 players on each team. Each organization is represented and players from all player development leagues were eligible for selection.

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are the Double-A Affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. They play at state-of-the-art Arvest Ballpark in Springdale, Ark. For more information, including ticket options, promotions, groups, visit NWANaturals.com, and follow us on Twitter @NWANaturals and Facebook.com/Naturals.

Check out the Northwest Arkansas Naturals Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Texas League Stories from June 30, 2021


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central