As a guy who typically likes to check milb.com (the online home of Minor League Baseball, for those you don't know) at least once daily, the Futures Game is one of my favorite parts of the MLB All-Star festivities. It's not often that you can watch baseball's top prospects on national television, so tune in right now to ESPN2 if you want to see prospects from your favorite club. Here is a look at three of the most hyped prospects on the rosters of the U.S. and World teams.
Jurikson Profar: Some may remember watching him play for Curacao in the Little League World Series awhile back, but now the 19 year-old is now raking at Double-A for the Texas Rangers (Frisco RoughRiders). He already homered in the first inning and singled in the third inning of the Futures Game, which continues a good season in which he has compiled a .292 average, nine homers, 39 RBI, and nine stolen bases. He also happens to be the youngest player at Double-A. He was recently named the number two prospect in Baseball America's Midseason Top 50 Prospects list, so Elvis Andrus better watch out, as Profar will probably force him to move to second base in the coming years. MILB Player Profile: http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=595777
Dylan Bundy: The Orioles' prospect is only 19, but he is already one of the best pitching prospects in baseball. He was recently named baseball's number one prospect in the Baseball America Midseason Top 50 Prospects list. He throws a mid-to-high nineties fastball, a 12-6 hammer, and a power change-up. In eight starts for the low-A Delmarva Shorebirds he did not allow an earned run, while striking out 40 batters in 30 innings. After his promotion to high-A Frederick Keys, Bundy has gone 4-2 with a 3.58 ERA in seven starts. MILB Player Profile: http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=605164
Billy Hamilton: How many steals could the Reds' 21 year-old prospect possibly have only 82 games into the season? How about 104 - which is downright ABSURD. Half way through his season for the high-A Bakersfield Blaze, Hamilton is batting .323 with one homer, 30 RBI, and those 104 steals. He just tripled to dead center in the Futures Game, which unfortunately doesn't give him much of a chance to steal a base (unless he goes balls to wall and steals home). Baseball America ranked him as the 27th best prospect on its Midseason Top 50 Prospects list. MILB Player Profile: http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=571740
