Carter Kieboom has been to Nationals Park several times and has even taken batting practice there.
But the shortshop will get to display his skills at a higher level Sunday, July 15 at 4 p.m. when he takes part in the 2018 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game.
Kieboom, 20, who was born in Marietta, Georgia, was named to the U.S. team on Friday while fellow infield prospect Luis Garcia, 18, of the Nationals was named to the World team.
The rosters include 15 former first-round selections such as Kieboom, a 2016 pick, and the world team has players from eight different countries and territories outside of the United States.
“I think that is the cool part about it,” Kieboom told The Washington Times on Friday about getting to play in the game at Nationals Park. “I get to go play in front of the crowd that I hope to play in front of for a long time. I think that is going to be a really neat thing.
“It is like my home part and I will be around guys who have helped me get this point,” added Kieboom, before his Double-A Harrisburg (Pa.) Senators played Friday night at the Bowie Baysox.
Kieboom, the younger brother of Nationals catcher Spencer Kieboom, entered Friday hitting .314 with 20 doubles, 13 homers and 53 RBI this year for Single-A Potomac of the Carolina League and Harrisburg (Pa.) of the Eastern League.
Garcia has played third base and shortstop in the minors and is currently with Potomac.
“We are proud of both players and where they are in their development,” Mark Scialabba, the director of player development for the Nationals, told The Times. “It shows the depth we have up the middle in the organization.”
Kieboom began the season with Potomac and was named a Carolina League mid-season All-Star and then was promoted to Harrisburg on June 21.
“Carter has shown the ability to have a very consistent approach in everything he does,” Scialabba said. “His power is starting to blossom and he is hitting the ball to all fields. He is not intimidated. He is very confident in his abilities. He certainly has the ability to impact a game on both sides of the ball.”
Garcia, now 18, was hitting .294 with 14 doubles, four triples, three homers and 31 RBI this season split between low Single-A Hagerstown and high Single-A Potomac. He was 17 earlier this year with Hagerstown and was the youngest player in the South Atlantic League.
Garcia was born in New York City and moved to the Dominican Republic when he was 3 years old. His father, also Luis, played in the major leagues. His first game with Potomac was Wednesday.
Baseball America rated Kieboom as the fourth-best prospect in the system and Garcia sixth.
“He just continues to improve his ability to recognize pitches and stay in the strike zone and hunt the fastball. That has been a key to his success,” Scialabba said of Garcia. “He is still learning multiple positions.”
The U.S. manager will be former All-Star outfielder Torii Hunter. Coaches will include Matt LeCroy, the manager of Kieboom at Harrisburg, and Gary Thurman, a roving base-running and outfield coach in the Nationals system.
Thurman was instrumental in the development of rookie sensation Juan Soto, 19, a left fielder who has been one of the top hitters in the majors since promoted from Harrisburg to Washington on May 20. Soto also played for LeCroy, a former bullpen coach for the Nationals, before his promotion.
The bullpen coach for the U.S. team will be Joel Hanrahan, a former pitcher for the Nationals in 2008 and 2009 who is now a coach in the Pittsburgh Pirates minor league system with the West Virginia Power of the South Atlantic League.
The world team manager will be former Red Sox and Twins slugger David Ortiz.
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