A Look into the Future

The All-Star Futures Game is an annual baseball exhibition game hosted by Major League Baseball. Starting back in 1999, the game features a team of Minor League Baseball prospects from the United States and a team of Minor League prospects from around other countries around the world.

Major League Baseball, along with the Major League Baseball Scouting Bureau, MLB.com, Baseball America and the 30 teams, selected each of the 50 players who will participate in this game during the All Star Break in July at Target Field. All players from full-season Minor Leagues were eligible for selection and each Major League organization is going to be represented in the 2014 All-Star Futures Game, including Baltimore.

The Baltimore Orioles farm system will be showcased in this game thanks to two players: Hunter Harvey and Dariel Alvarez.

Harvey from Single-A Delmarva will play for the United States team and Alvarez from Double-A Bowie will be competing against him as part of the World team.

Harvey has played in his first full season in the Minors. Having played on the GLC Orioles and the Aberdeen Ironbirds last season after having gotten drafted by the Orioles in the first round of the 2013 Draft, Harvey showed much promise coming into the 2014 season. Now in the thick of things in 2014, Harvey is not only showing promise, he is showing results.

Starting in 13 games, Harvey currently holds 4-4 record and is posting a 2.98 ERA with the Shorebirds. In addition to this impressive ERA, Harvey has also struck out 76 batters in 66.1 innings pitched, and opponents are only batting .200 when  he is on the mound pitching.

Alvarez on the other hand is impressing scouts with his bat rather than his arm. Alvarez currently is batting .308/.326/.503 with 32 extra base hits and 57 RBIs to his name. In addition to this, Alvarez is hitting .342 with runners in scoring position.

Although they will be competing against one another in July, these two will be representing Baltimore on prime time television and showing everyone in the baseball community that Baltimore has some of the best up-and-coming stars in the world of baseball.

Sunday, July 13th will prove to be a glimpse into the future for Harvey, Alvarez and the entire Baltimore Orioles community.