FUTURES GAME MVP | LARRY DOBY AWARD

The Futures Game Most Valuable Player Award | Baseball Almanac

The Larry Doby Award is presented annually to the most valuable player in the annual futures game. From 1999 through 2002, the award was originally called the Futures Game Most Valuable Player Award.

The All-Star Futures Game is an annual exhibition game hosted by Major League Baseball. The event started in 1999, and featured a team of Minor League Baseball prospects from the United States. versus a team of prospects from other countries in the world.

The Future Games is played during All-Star week, usually two days before the Midsummer Classic is played, in the same ballpark. The original idea for the exhibition game was conceived by the Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations (MLB), Jimmie Lee Solomon, who wanted to create an event that rounded out All-Star week, and featured the best players in the minors.

In 2019, the format changed from the U.S. versus the World to American League versus National League players based soley on the player's Minor League team and their parent organization.

Listed below in chronological order are players who won the Futures Games Most Valuable Player Award (1991-2001) and Larry Doby Award (2002-2023). Research by Baseball Almanac.

Baseball Almanac Top Quote

"Green got all of it, hitting it to straightaway center field, where he thought he had a home run. But thanks to the big wall at Chase Field, it landed just below the home run line and he had to stop at second. 'I thought it was gone,' Green said. 'I didn't know it was a 15-foot-high wall. I thought it was a normal wall. I even heard from people in the stands when I got to second base, telling me to hit the weight room. The shortstop [Jurickson Profar] was cracking up behind me. It's all fun and games. That wall's huge. They need to lower that thing, make me feel good about myself.'" - Mayo, Jonathan. MLB Staff Writer. A's Green wins XM Futures Game MVP Award. 10 July 2011.

Futures Game Most Valuable Player Award

In Chronological Order

1999 Alfonso Soriano (1) SS New York Yankees World 7–0 Fenway Park
2000 Sean Burroughs (1) 3B  San Diego Padres U.S. 3–2 Turner Field
2001 Toby Hall (1) C Tampa Bay Devil Rays U.S. 5–1 Safeco Field

Larry Doby Award

In Chronological Order

2002 Jose Reyes (1) SS New York Mets World 5–1 Miller Park
2003 Grady Sizemore (1) OF Cleveland Indians U.S. 3–2 U.S. Cellular Field
2004 Aaron Hill (1) SS Tampa Bay Devil Rays U.S. 4–3 Minute Maid Park
2005 Justin Huber (1) 1B Kansas City Royals World 4–0 Comerica Park
2006 Billy Butler (1) OF Kansas City Royals U.S. 8–5 PNC Park
2007 Chin-lung Hu (1) SS Los Angeles Dodgers World 7–2 AT&T Park
2008 Che-Hsuan Lin (1) OF Boston Red Sox World 3–0 Yankee Stadium
2009 Rene Tosoni (1) OF Minnesota Twins World 7–5 Busch Stadium
2010 Hank Conger (1) C Los Angeles Angels U.S. 9–1 Angel Stadium
2011 Grant Green (1) C Oakland Athletics U.S. 6–4 Chase Field
2012 Nick Castellanos (1) DH Detroit Tigers U.S. 1–5 Kauffman Stadium
2013 Matt Davidson (1) 3B  Arizona Diamondbacks U.S. 4–2 Citi Field
2014 Joey Gallo (1) 3B  Texas Rangers U.S. 3–2 Target Field
2015 Kyle Schwarber (1) C Chicago Cubs U.S. 10 –1 Great American Ball Park
2016 Yoan Moncada (1) 3B  Boston Red Sox World 11–3 Petco Park
2017 Brent Honeywell Jr. (1) RHP Tampa Bay Rays U.S. 7–6 Marlins Park
2018 Taylor Trammell (1) OF Cincinnati Reds U.S. 10–6 Nationals Park
2019 Sam Huff (1) 1B Texas Rangers Tie 2–2 Progessive Field
2020 Game Cancelled (x) n/a COVID-19 Pandemic n/a n/a Dodger Stadium
2021 Brennen Davis (1) CF Chicago Cubs N.L. 8–3 Coors Field
2022 Shea Langeliers (1) C Oakland Athletics A.L. 6–4 Dodger Stadium
2023 Nasim Nuñez (1) SS Miami Marlins N.L. 5–0 T-Mobile Park
2024 Not Yet Awarded (x)

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A Larry Doby Award winning player, whose name appears on the chart in gray, has not yet made it to the Major League level.

The first Futures Game MVP Award winner was Alfonso Soriano — he hit two home runs and drove in five runs during the 1999 Futures Game — who was widely considered the best shortstop in the minor leagues. Standing in his way to the majors was an All-Star shortstop, but Soriano had confidence as illustrated by these USA Today comments, "I know Derek Jeter is there, and I might have to play second base. I think I can be a superstar."

Did you know that the following Futures Game MVPs — Alfonso Soriano (1999), Jose Reyes (2002), Grady Sizemore (2003), Aaron Hill (2004), Billy Butler (2006), Joey Gallo (2014), Kyle Schwarber (2015) — went on to not only play in the majors, but also played in a Major League Baseball All-Star Game?