Futures Roster Announced for Thursday's Phillies Futures Game

The Philadelphia Phillies have announced the Futures roster for the first-ever Phillies Futures Game on March 31st at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Futures roster includes nine pitchers, two catchers, nine infielders and six outfielders, and is highlighted by six of the top 100 prospects in baseball, according to MLB.com.

Pitchers (9): Right-handers Mark Appel, Victor Arano, Zach Eflin, Miguel Nunez, Ricardo Pinto, Edubray Ramos and Jake Thompson, and left-handers Joely Rodriguez and Tom Windle.

Catchers (2): Jorge Alfaro and Andrew Knapp.

Infielders (9): Malquin Canelo, J.P. Crawford, Rhys Hoskins, Tommy Joseph, Scott Kingery, Angelo Mora, Brock Stassi, Jesmuel Valentin and Mitch Walding.

Outfielders (6): Aaron Brown, Dylan Cozens, Andrew Pullin, Roman Quinn, Carlos Tocci and Nick Williams.

Eflin will start Thursday's 6:05p.m. game in Reading with Appel to follow. Thompson will start Saturday's 1:05p.m. game at Citizens Bank Park with Pinto to follow in relief.

The team will be managed by Reading Fightins Manager Dusty Wathan. Dave Lundquist, pitching coach at Lehigh Valley and Reading coach, Frank Cacciatore will round out Wathan's staff.

The game will kick off the "50 Phillies Seasons" celebration, honoring the 50-year affiliation between Philadelphia and Reading. It is the first exhibition game in Reading featuring the Phillies in 16 years. The last exhibition game in Reading drew over 9,307 fans to see the Reading Phillies defeat the Philadelphia Phillies, 5-2, on May 8th, 2000.

Only three teams in Minor League Baseball history have reached the 50-season plateau in the organization's 114 year history. In fact, the Fightins trail just three seasons behind the all-time affiliation leader Bluefield Orioles, who were affiliated with Baltimore from 1958 through 2010. In a modern era where many teams have switched affiliations with their parent club, it's so rare to see one team affiliated with a single major league club like the Reading and Philadelphia partnership.

Single game ticket for the Fightin Phils 50th season affiliated with the Philadelphia Phillies are available now by visiting Fightins.com, by calling 610-370-BALL, or by stopping by the Fightins Ticket Office located at FirstEnergy Stadium. The 2016 season opens up with the Phillies Futures Game between the Phillies and top prospects in the organization on March 31st in Baseballtown.