Malgeri in Motown: Former Futures League Defensive Player of the Year Reaches Tigers

ROCKLAND, Mass. 一 Another star from the Futures League's most memorable season has received his call to The Show.

Two-time All-Futures League outfielder Ben Malgeri, who was a member of the North Shore Navigators in both 2019 and 2020, made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut for the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night. The Stratham, N.H., native became the 33rd Futures League alum to play in an MLB game, going 2-for-3 with a run scored against the New York Yankees. He also recorded his first career RBI the following night.

Malgeri was an 18th-round draft pick out of Northeastern University in 2021, but made prior collegiate stops at the College of the Holy Cross and New Mexico Junior College. The 26-year-old has played in 531 minor league games, spending parts of three seasons with both the High-A West Michigan Whitecaps and Double-A Erie Seawolves before getting his first Triple-A experience with the Toledo Mud Hens this season. 

Though he is not ranked as a top-30 organizational prospect by MLB Pipeline or Baseball America, Malgeri has produced at every level en route to Detroit, owning a .775 OPS, 52 home runs and 66 stolen bases in his professional career. He contributed to back-to-back Eastern League championship teams with Erie in 2023 and 2024. This season, he has a career-best .296 average, .897 OPS, nine homers and 34 RBI in 65 Triple-A games.

Malgeri burst onto the Futures League scene following his freshman year at Holy Cross in 2019, posting a .333 average with 18 extra-base hits, 27 RBI and 42 runs scored in 42 games playing for Manager of the Year Mike Odenwaelder. He returned to North Shore the following summer and was an even brighter star, leading the league in total hits (49), extra-base hits (20), runs scored (46) and stolen bases (18) while hitting at a .333 clip again in 38 contests. 

Those back-to-back successful summers have Malgeri's name dotting the Futures League history books still today. He played in the Futures League All-Star Game and earned second-team All-Futures League status in 2019 before reeling in Futures League Defensive Player of the Year, first-team All-Futures League and Most Valuable Player finalist honors in 2020. His nine career triples remain the second-most in league history.

Following his second Futures League summer, Malgeri arrived at Northeastern and helped the Huskies win their first-ever CAA championship, hitting .280 with seven homers, 28 RBI and 23 stolen bases in 45 games. He was named CAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player after going deep five times in the postseason alone.

Malgeri is the eighth player from the 2020 Futures League season alone to reach the MLB level. He earned his 2020 first-team All-Futures League honor alongside teammate Sal Frelick (North Shore '18,'20), the Boston College grad and two-time Futures League Top Pro Prospect who is currently in his fourth season with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Malgeri follows Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Ryan Ward (Worcester '16) as the second Futures League alum to debut in MLB in 2026. Additionally, he is the fourth former Futures Leaguer to wear a Tigers uniform and the fourth Northeastern product to reach the highest level following a summer stop.

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