Grayson Rodriguez Headed to Futures Game

SALISBURY, MD - The Delmarva Shorebirds, in conjunction with the Baltimore Orioles, are pleased to confirm that right-handed pitcher Grayson Rodriguez has been selected to participate in the 2019 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game, announced by Major League Baseball on Friday afternoon.
Rodriguez is one of 10 pitchers selected to the American League roster for the 21st annual Futures Game, which will be played on Sunday, July 7, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, home of the 2019 MLB All-Star Game two days later. First pitch is set for 7:00 p.m. (ET), and the game will be televised live on MLB Network and streamed online at MLB.com.
The 11th overall pick in last year's MLB Draft, Rodriguez has been a revelation for the Shorebirds and Orioles this season. The 19-year-old from Nacogdoches, Texas, who was recently named Baltimore's No. 1 overall prospect (MLB Pipeline), is 7-1 with a 2.21 ERA over 11 starts, walking just 15 and striking out an astounding 78 batters over 57 innings (12.32 K/9).
Rodriguez exploded onto the scene by winning the year's first South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week award in April, recording back-to-back scoreless 10-strikeout starts en route. After opening the season on a 14.2-inning scoreless streak and boasting a 3-0 record and 0.54 ERA through the end of April, the Orioles named him their Minor League Pitcher of the Month.
The beat rolled on for Rodriguez through May as he capped the month by going a career-long seven innings of one-run ball to beat Hagerstown on May 27. One week later he was selected to the SAL All-Star Game and started the game itself for the Northern Division in Charleston, West Virginia, on June 18, headlining an All-Star class of eight Shorebirds.
Behind Rodriguez's runaway success, Delmarva went 48-21 in the first half and won the Northern Division title, clinching its first postseason berth since 2005.
In a game usually reserved for prospects further along in their development, Rodriguez will be the only representative of the South Atlantic League in the Futures Game. The only other Class-A player among the 50 prospects selected is Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Alek Thomas, who currently plays for the Kane County Cougars in the Midwest League.
Rodriguez becomes the first Orioles prospect to make it to the Futures Game as a Delmarva Shorebird since Hunter Harvey in 2014. He is joined by Frederick Keys lefty DL Hall, himself a 2018 Shorebird, on the American League team, which will be managed by Hall-of-Famer Jim Thome.