A former Philadelphia Phillies World Series champion will be participating in All-Star festivities. Shane Victorino, the starting center fielder of the 2008 championship squad, will manage the National League’s prospects in the Futures Game. Former Phillies manager Larry Bowa will manage the American League prospects.
The Futures Game is an exhibition during the All-Star break, in which the best prospects from all 30 MLB organizations participate in. It’s much akin to the MLB All.-Star Game, in terms of who plays and how the game is run. The format is National League vs. American League.
Each league will have a roster of 25 players. Presumptively, most of the players will appear in the game at some point.
Phillies Champions Shane Victorino and Larry Bowa Named Managers For Futures Game
GettyPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – OCTOBER 23: Former baseball player and coach Larry Bowa throws out the ceremonial first pitch before Game Six of the Championship Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Arizona Diamondbacks at Citizens Bank Park on October 23, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Victorino’s best years came with the Phillies. In eight seasons in Philadelphia, he hit .279 with 88 home runs and accumulated 24.0 bWAR. His best season with the club came in 2011, when he slashed .279/.355/.491 with 27 doubles, 16 triples, and 17 home runs.
He was twice named an All-Star (2009 and 2011) and won three Gold Gloves in center field. His all-out playing style earned him the “Flyin’ Hawaiian” nickname.
Bowa won the 2001 National League Manager of the Year Award during his tenure in Philadelphia. The 80-year-old has a lot of ties to the Phillies organization, spending parts of five decades with the team.
He played the first 12 seasons of his career in Philadelphia, including the 1980 championship squad, then returned as a coach and manager. His last stint came as the club’s bench coach under both Ryne Sandberg and Pete MacKinnon.
Bowa managed the Phillies from 2001-2004, with a career record of 337-308.
Phillies Prospects in the Futures Game
GettyCLEARWATER, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 19: Dante Nori #84 of the Philadelphia Phillies poses for a portrait during photo day at BayCare Ballpark on February 19, 2026 in Clearwater, Florida. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Each team will typically send a couple of prospects to participate in the Futures Game. The top candidates from the Phillies organization are Gage Wood, Aroon Escobar, and Dante Nori.
Aidan Miller might have also participated if healthy, but is currently recovering from a radiofrequency ablation procedure with his back issues persisting. He has not played since September 2025 as a result of this issue. The Phillies are hoping he’ll be playing again by the end of July.
Both Miller and Wood are consensus Top 100 prospects, and the top two prospects in the Phillies’ farm system.
Considering the venue, Wood will likely start the Futures Game. The 2025 first-rounder has made considerable progress this season, skipping the High-A level in his midseason promotion. He’s currently pitching for Double-A Reading. In 2026, he’s pitched to a 3.35 ERA with 59 strikeouts and 15 walks over 40.1 innings between Clearwater and Reading.
The right-hander sits 94-98 on his fastball, which plays up to the flatter vertical angle, complemented by a curveball, slider, and splitter. Developing his breaking pitches to complement his plus heater has been the key focus of his development in 2026.
Escobar and Nori are both on Reading. Both prospects are struggling in Double-A, but project to be future regulars at second base and center field. Escobar is hitting .224 with a .610 OPS while Nori is hitting .245 with a .667 OPS.
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