MLB All Star Game

Everyone knows who the top prospects in baseball are, but it is rare to see many of them play before they reach the majors.

The MLB Futures Game during All-Star weekend gives fans a chance to see these players while they are still in the minors.

All of the players selected to the Futures Game are incredibly talented, but some are much closer to the major leagues than others.

Derek Jeter deserves all the praise in the world today.

The New York Yankees captain, who has spent the past decade serving as the de facto face of Major League Baseball, joined the exclusive 3,000-hit club in thunderous fashion, with a solo home run to left field at Yankee Stadium off of Tampa Bay Rays All-Star David Price.

We are just a few days away from the All-Star break for the 2011 MLB season.

We've already seen some spectacular performances in the first half from expected names and some newcomers alike.

Like last season, baseball has been largely dominated by incredible pitching performances. Pitchers are going deeper into games than they have in recent memory and leaving most hitters in the dust.

There have been a few exceptions however.

With that in mind, here are the best (and just for fun, the worst) in the AL and NL this season

With the 2011 All-Star Game set to take place on Tuesday night, we have a pretty good idea of how the American League roster will look. With that being said, there are a few changes that need to be made for this to be the best possible roster.

Fans have the option to vote for All-Stars, and that can lead to problems.

Some fans don't vote for the best player available. They will instead vote for players on their favorite teams, or they will vote based off of name.

To become a true All-Star lineup, the American League would have to make these five changes.

As the crowd roars and the sun begins to set behind the firework explosions in the outfield, the players stay calm in anticipation for the opportunity to display their talent against the best in the league.

While players tremble with anticipation, it becomes clear that this is more than just a game.

These players will exemplify hard work and immense skill for the opportunity to receive home field advantage for their respective league, but there is more behind the all-star festivities. 

The MLB All-Star game also known as The Mid-Summer Classic is designed for the fans, right?

I mean, we are the ones who ultimately pay at the gate, buy the drinks and dogs, which pays the wages of the men we come to see.

You may call Cincinnati a small market city, but let’s call Mr. Peabody and have him fire up the Wayback Machine to 1957.

The National League was replete with major stars, some established and some still in the making. Stan Musial, who would go on to set a record for All-Star appearances, was 15 years into his illustrious career.

What do Michael Bourn, Marlon Byrd, Matt Capps, Andre Ethier, Yovani Gallardo, Jason Heyward, Omar Infante, Ubaldo Jimenez, Hong-Chih Kuo, Brian McCann, Evan Meek, Brandon Phillips, Martin Prado, Arthur Rhodes, Troy Tulowitzki, Joey Votto, Adam Wainwright and Chris Young all have in common?

They were all named to their first All-Star Game in 2010, representing about half of the National League roster last summer. 

What do Elvis Andrus, Jose Bautista, Adrian Beltre, Clay Buchholz, John Buck, Trevor Cahill, Robinson Cano, Fausto Carmona, Neftali Feliz, Phil Hughes, Jon Lester, David Price, Rafael Soriano, Nick Swisher, Matt Thorton, Jered Weaver and Ty Wigginton all have in common?

They were each named to their first All-Star Game in 2010. This particular bunch represented almost half of the American League roster last summer.

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There are currently two pitching phenoms in Major League Baseball.

One, though, is getting an absolutely massive amount of media attention in Washington Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg.

The other is David Price, the Tampa Bay Rays starter who recently started the All-Star game in Anaheim this past Tuesday.

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