There may be some other boring stuff going on tonight and tomorrow night in San Francisco, but we don’t care about that here at The Farm Report. We were most excited about seeing the stars of tomorrow show off their many tools in the All-Star Futures Game, and there was plenty to ooh and ahh over during Sunday’s contest.

In case you missed it (and shame on you if so), the World Team used their speed and timely hitting to overtake the US Team in a 7-2 victory.

Many were disappointed not to see Tigers prospect Cameron Maybin show off his stuff, but the slick-fielding outfielder was sidelined with an injury, allowing Boston farmhand Jacoby Ellsbury to sneak back onto the starting roster for the US Team. Maybin is widely regarded as the top prospect in America. Looks like we’ll have to wait a bit longer to see just what he can do.

While Maybin’s absence was disappointing, there was more than enough budding star power to make this game interesting. So without further ado, here are my top performers from the 2007 All-Star Futures Game.

1. Chin-Lung Hu, Shortstop, Los Angeles Dodgers (World)

This one’s a no-brainer, since Hu was the undisputed MVP of the game. A slick-fielding shortstop known more for his defensive skills than for his bat, Hu showed off a bit of both on Sunday, but made the biggest impact offensively. The Taiwanese infielder had quite the productive, all-encompassing day with a double, a single, a stolen base, two RBI and one run scored.

"It's a real honor to be named the MVP, and I'm glad I represented the Dodgers very well," Hu said. "It's an honor to be here with all these great players. Anyone could have won the award. I am thankful to win it, and my family will be very proud."

2. Justin Upton, Outfielder, Arizona Diamondbacks (US)

Nineteen-year old Upton was the first overall pick of the 2005 draft, and there’s no doubt about his amazing tools. Upton showed off his cannon of an arm from center field on a sacrifice fly hit by Wladimir Balentien, unleashing a hose of a throw that nearly nailed Hu at the plate on a play that shouldn't have been nearly that close.

Upton would later spark more murmurs of excitement when he crushed a towering line-drive home run into the left field seats to put the US on the board in the third inning. The blast was given up by White Sox pitching prospect Fautino de los Santos, who had struck out Ellsbury on three pitches moments beforehand.

3. Joey Votto, First Base, Cincinnati Reds (World)

Widely known as a power-hitter with great strike zone discipline, the Canadian infielder displayed exactly why when he blasted a homer off of highly-touted Boston pitching prospect Clay Buchholz. Votto has heated up considerably after overcoming early season eye problems; he was diagnosed with 20-70 vision as well as an astigmatism and had to start wearing contacts. He’s currently making a strong push to join the major league roster, batting .315 with 11 home runs and 50 RBI.

4. James Van Ostrand, Outfielder, Houston Astros (World)

Another Canadian prospect showed some power against the US Team’s pitching, though this shot was a bit more impressive than Votto’s. Van Ostrand muscled the ball out of the park with an almost one-handed swing, hitting the ball off the end of the bat. It certainly seemed to impress ESPN commentator Steve Phillips, who trailed off into a moment of surprised silence when the ball just kept going and landed in the stands.

5. Jay Bruce, Outfielder, Cincinnati Reds (US)

Cincinnati’s first pick of the 2005 draft, Bruce has tremendous raw power, which was evident when he crushed a triple into the deepest part of the park, the triangle in right-center field that traveled 420 feet easily. His teammates shook their heads, seemingly in awe that a ball hit that hard and that far hadn’t gone out of the park. Named the low class A Midwest League’s top prospect last year, Bruce is making a strong case to repeat that honor this season in the high class A Florida State League.

6. Wladimir Balentien, Outfielder, Seattle Mariners (World)

The Seattle outfielder had two RBI for the World Team on a sacrifice fly and a single, and he also stroked a nice gap-double later in the game. Balentien is considered to have one of the best arms in the minors and has greatly improved his power stroke while working on decreasing his strikeouts.

7. Rick Vanden Hurk, Right-handed Pitcher, Florida Marlins (World)

Vanden Hurk pitched one inning, giving up one hit and striking out a batter to earn the win for the World Team. The Marlins prospect has already had a taste of the major leagues this season, going 2-2 with a 8.38 ERA in his brief stint. This season is his best since signing with the Marlins at 17 years old out of their Dutch academy.

8. Joba Chamberlain, Right-handed Pitcher, New York Yankees (US)

While Chamberlain did allow a run on a leadoff walk, a stolen base, and a seeing-eye single from Hu, the blemish was more due to a case of Phil Hughes-itis—the righty was visibly overthrowing in his appearance in last year’s Futures Game, and Chamberlain seemed to fall prey to that early on in his appearance.

But the Winnebago Tribe member—he’s the second highest drafted Native American in MLB history, behind only Boston’s Ellsbury—showed a live fastball that hit 100 mph on the stadium radar and was consistently around 97 mph, not to mention a plus slider and an excellent changeup. It’s easy to see why the Yankees envision him bolstering a future Yankees rotation with the likes of Chien-Ming Wang and the previously-mentioned Hughes.

9. John Wittleman, Third Base, Texas Rangers (US)

Whittleman provided the only other bright spot besides Upton and Bruce for the US Team, belting a solo shot in the fifth inning. The lefty showed a sweet, easy swing and good pop. A pure hitter, he’s warmed up considerably after a sub-par performance in his first full season of pro ball.

10. Robinzon Diaz, Catcher, Toronto Blue Jays (World)

Diaz, the only Toronto prospect on either roster, certainly gave Blue Jays fans something to be excited about, going 2-2 with an RBI and a stolen base in his appearance. Athletic and consistent, he won the Rookie-level Appalachian League batting title in 2003 and has steadily improved his game-calling skills.

Have a question or comment for Shannon? Email her at shannonmccarthy@sportsgrumblings.com.