2023 MLB Futures Game: Marlins prospect Nasim Nuñez earns MVP in National League win

The best of MLB's prospects assembled Saturday for the league's annual Futures Game. The biggest hero of the day came in the form of one of the lesser known prospects.

Miami Marlins prospect Nasim Nuñez earned MVP honors with a bases-clearing RBI double in the fifth inning, which put the game out of reach in a 5-0 National League win. Nuñez proceeded to use his top-tier speed to steal third base.

Nuñez, ranked as the No. 20 prospect in Miami's system by MLB Pipeline, was playing in the game a year after the death of his grandfather, one of his biggest fans. Asked about that after the game, he kept it simple:

The NL got its other runs on an RBI single from Milwaukee Brewers catching prospect Jeferson Quero, the No. 76 prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline.

Meanwhile, No. 44 prospect Mick Abel of the Philadelphia Phillies started a shutout for the NL, whose pitchers combined to strike out 12 in the seven-inning game.

All told, the game featured appearances from six of the top 10 prospects in baseball, including No. 1 prospect Jackson Holliday of the Baltimore Orioles, No. 3 prospect Jackson Chourio of the Milwaukee Brewers and No. 4 prospect Marcelo Mayer of the Boston Red Sox. No. 2 prospect Elly De La Cruz was busy doing something else.

The Futures Game kicked off the week of MLB All-Star events in Seattle. Fittingly, the Futures Game coaching staffs were filled out with past Mariners players, including managers Harold Reynolds and Raul Ibañez and pitching coaches Félix Hernández and Jamie Moyer.

Coming up this week are the first two rounds of the MLB Draft on Sunday, the Home Run Derby on Monday and the All-Star Game itself on Tuesday.