A pair of Pittsburgh Pirates minor-leaguers will represent the organization at the 2015 MLB All-Star Futures Game. The game, part of the MLB All-Star Game festivities, will be held at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Sunday, July 12.
Representing the Buccos will be Indianapolis Indians catcher Elias Diaz and Altoona Curve first baseman Josh Bell.
Diaz, 24, is batting .281 with 11 doubles and 25 RBI in 57 games with the triple-A Indians. He has also caught 9-of-31 base stealers, for a 29% caught stealing rate. The Venezuelan has been a member of the Pirates organization since 2009, coming out the Pirates Venezuelan Summer League team.
Bell, 22, is hitting .318 with with the Pirates’ double-A affiliate in Altoona, which leads the Eastern League. The former second-round draft pick from Dallas, Texas also has a .828 OPS and 44 RBI. This is the second consecutive season that Bell has been selected for the game.
Bell and Diaz will be on opposing sides of the game, which features prospects from the United States on one team and the rest of the world on the other.
The Curve will also be represented by manager Tom Prince, who will be a coach for the United States team.
Photo credit: MILB.com
