MLB

The 2013 Home Run Derby participants have been set, and it's obvious the American League has the edge on paper. David Wright might have the home-field advantage at Citi Field and Bryce Harper on his roster, but it's not going to be enough on July 15.

The 2013 MLB All-Star rosters are officially set, but before things kick off at Citi Field on Tuesday night we can't help but take a look back at how the 35 spots on both the American and National League teams were filled. 

Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman and Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Steve Delabar won the All-Star Game Final Vote to be the last two players not named as injury replacements to make the two rosters. 

It is kind of fun to use the rosters of the Futures Games kind of like you use those copies of the Baseball America Prospect Handbook that you bought so many years ago. You can see what happened and which players became what they should have become.

All of those players were chosen for those games because they seemed to have a world of potential at the time.

Naturally, the people using the teams know something about baseball and many of their picks did indeed become quality major league players.

The 2013 MLB All-Star Futures game will take place tomorrow at Citi Field. On the field will be some of the best and brightest young stars in the game in what should be a preview of future MLB All-Star games to come.

We have already seen a number of players from the 2012 Futures game break into the big leagues. That list of players includes the likes of Manny Machado, Gerrit Cole, Jurickson Profar, Zack Wheeler and Wil Myers.

Snubs are a part of every MLB All-Star Game experience in sports. Players know it. Coaches know it. Fans know it. 

The process of talking about these oversights is often among the most inane conversations we have in sports. In the NFL, the event usually gets so watered down that you're arguing the difference between the 13th- and 14th-best quarterbacks in the league by the time rosters are finalized. In the NBA, you're talking about the separation of players who would be third bananas on a contender. 

With eight of the game's best sluggers gearing up to launch balls into the skies of New York for the Home Run Derby, I figured I'd take a stab at ranking the three sluggers who have the best shot at a title. 

To my amazement, I found there are actually odds posted on the contestants. At first, I wondered what kind of degenerate it would take to gamble on this event. Then I quickly realized it would take a degenerate like me. 

While technology has brought us all increased familiarity with athletes, baseball has remained somewhat localized. For instance, the casual fan in Philadelphia isn't likely to be all that familiar with the pitch arsenal of the Mariners' Hisashi Iwakuma. 

This helps make the All-Star game such a fun event. It also provides an opportunity for players to make an impression on a national level.

The MLB Futures game provides prospects with an excellent opportunity to showcase their skills against other top prospects in front of scouts from around the league. But it won't be long before these minor league All-Stars are playing in the big league version of the game. 

Players like Grady Sizemore, Alfonso Soriano and Jose Reyes have parlayed MVP performances in the Futures Game into multiple All-Star performances later on in their career. 

The 2013 Home Run Derby is just around the corner and each league has a number of talented guys with unbelievable power.

While some players seem poised for quick exits, there are other players who look to have real staying power in the competition.

We'll break down each league's participants, giving a sense of which players have the best chance of winning. 

National League

Bryce Harper

According to a tweet from ESPN sports business reporter Darren Rovell, Major League Baseball may be preparing to attempt to ban Alex Rodriguez and Ryan Braun from baseball for life.