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Not only is the release of the Futures Game roster a fun event for prospect lovers around the world, it also confirms our suspicions that not every prospect was called up over the past few months.

Here’s a look at the USA roster—which is once again loaded with talented players both on the mound and in the field—and what you should be looking for come July 11 in Cincinnati.

The Hitters:

Josh Bell, 1B/OF, Pittsburgh Pirates (Double-A Altoona)

After shifting primarily to first base last fall, Bell has continued to make strides at the position. While he can still play right field, the Pirates do not have an opening there with the big league club. The switch-hitting Bell has already lessened some of the noise in both sides of his swing this year, and is cruising along in his second season at the Double-A level. The power has yet to arrive, but there is plus raw slumbering within. —Tucker Blair

Michael Conforto, OF, New York Mets (Double-A Binghamton)

Conforto offers one of the most seasoned approaches in the minors, which he displayed during my viewing this season. While the profile is strictly left field, this is one, if not the most, polished bats in the futures game, The only question remaining with Conforto is really how much will he hit in the majors, not if. —Tucker Blair

J.P. Crawford, SS, Philadelphia Phillies (Double-A Reading)

Thanks to an advanced approach, elite level talent and the depletion of the prospect ranks, Crawford has worked his way not only atop the Phillies farm system but also into the conversation for the best prospect in all of baseball. He's a sure fire shortstop with offensive potential, which makes him a rarity on its own accord, but his control over the strike zone and contact ability border on elite. —Jeff Moore

Kyle Farmer, C, Los Angeles Dodgers (Double-A Tulsa)

There are questions about Farmer’s bat—the bat speed is below-average and the swing isn’t conducive to power production at all—but there’s no doubt he can stay behind the plate, as the right-handed hitting backstop has excellent catch-and-throw skills and gets solid reviews for his work with hurlers. —Christopher Crawford

Aaron Judge, OF, New York Yankees (Triple-A Scranton)

Judge looks more like a defensive end than a right fielder, but don’t let his size fool you; he’s a quality athlete with average speed and enough arm strength to play right field. The bat is what makes him a potential star though, as the 2013 first-rounder has plus-plus power potential and a chance to hit for average because of his extension and plane. —Christopher Crawford

Tony Kemp, 2B/OF, Houston Astros (Triple-A Fresno)

A solid defender and prototypical leadoff hitter, Tony Kemp has flown under the radar in the Astros system simply due to there being a preponderance of power hitters above him. The Vanderbilt product has hit his way up the system, though, earning a promotion to Triple-A Fresno in early June, where he’s hit .357/.419/.422 through 14 games. Kemp brings speed and an unwillingness to strike out to the top of the lineup, with more walks (153) than strikeouts (144) for his career and 83 steals in 117 attempts. The diminutive second baseman also has experience in the outfield, making him a valuable piece for a team that already has a diminutive franchise second baseman. —Kate Morrison

Brandon Nimmo, OF, New York Mets (Double-A Binghamton)
Nimmo has slowly become one of the best outfield prospects in baseball, which is all the more impressive when you consider just how raw he was coming into the 2012 draft. There’s no real weakness in the left-handed hitter’s game, and his solid approach at the plate along with underrated athleticism give him the chance to be a regular in the Mets outfield relatively soon. —Christopher Crawford

Matt Olson, 1B, Athletics (Midland Rockhounds)

Olson has plus-plus raw power—he challenged Kris Bryant and Joey Gallo for the MiLB home run crown last year—and a Three True Outcomes profile, with a first base defensive profile. The swing and miss hurts his hit tool and limits the in-game utility of his power, but his ability to get on base (15.8 percent career walk rate) will help him add back some of the value he loses in the field. —Mauricio Rubio

Kyle Schwarber, C/OF, Chicago Cubs (Triple-A Iowa)

An aggressive promotion to the majors showed just how much the Cubs believe in Schwarber's bat and maturity. He has plus power and an advanced approach with solid bat-to-ball skills. Defensively, he's not going to be an everyday catcher but Schwarber has the work ethic to catch part time to begin his career. —Mauricio Rubio

Richie Shaffer, 1B, Tampa Bay Rays (Triple-A Durham)

Shaffer put up less-than-spectacular numbers in his first few seasons in the system, but appears to have put it together in 2015. The former Clemson Tiger’s best tool is his plus power from the right side, but the swing has shortened and his approach at the plate has gotten better each season. The question is where he’ll play defensively, but the bat could play at first or third if the progression continues. —Christopher Crawford

Trevor Story, SS, Rockies (Double-A New Britain Rock Cats)

After struggling in 2013 and parts of 2014, Story has rebounded strongly in 2015, as he's hitting with power while maintaining a solid approach and improved contact rates. He has power and speed, a rare and valuable combination for a middle infielder. —Mauricio Rubio

Trea Turner, SS, Washington Nationals (Triple-A Syracuse)

When properly utilized, speed can be an asset on defense and offense and Trea Turner is a prime example of proper utilization. Turner's hit tool will play up thanks to his double-plus speed and his range similarly benefits from his athleticism. Turner is a smooth athlete with good actions and a long-term future at short. —Mauricio Rubio

Kyle Waldrop, OF, Cincinnati Reds (Double-A Pensacola)

The left-handed hitting Waldrop is a bat-first prospect that profiles best in left field, although he can also play first base. He has plus raw power, but he's had trouble tapping into it during games, partly due to an aggressive approach and partly because his stiff swing isn't conducive to making adjustments while the ball is in flight. He'll sting it when he makes contact though and there's a chance that he tightens up his approach and develops into a second-division starter capable of launching 20-plus homers per year. Without much speed or defensive value, he'll need to hit to earn his keep once he reaches the big leagues. —Brendan Gawlowski

Nick Williams, OF, Texas Rangers (Double-A Frisco)
One of the biggest wild-cards amongst top prospects coming into 2015, Nick Williams has shown considerable improvement at the plate, and has put his athleticism to use in the field. He’s already surpassed his previous career-high for walks in a season (27 in 72 games as opposed to 2014’s 22 in 112 games) and this discipline has helped him keep his average around .300 for half of Frisco’s season, an impressive feat in a league not known for offense. Defensively, Williams has spent a good deal of time in centerfield this season, as the Rangers try to take advantage of his natural speed by putting him at a premium position. —Kate Morrison

Bradley Zimmer, OF, Cleveland Indians (High-A Lynchburg)

With five average or better tools, Zimmer has the all-around profile that I like in a prospect. He's excelled with Lynchburg this season, and looks very capable of playing centerfield moving forward. Zimmer's stock continues to rise, and the Futures Game is a solid opportunity for his game to be displayed on the national level. —Tucker Blair

The Pitchers:

Mark Appel, RHP, Houston Astros (Triple-A Fresno)

Appel has been maligned for various reasons—some legitimate, some not—but there’s no denying that when he’s at his best, he’s one of the top right-handed pitching prospects in the game. The former Stanford ace has a borderline plus-plus fastball that will touch 97 mph, and above-average-to-plus secondary offerings as well. The command isn’t where it needs to be at this point, but there’s still no. 2 stuff in the young Texan’s right arm. —Christopher Crawford

Tyler Beede, RHP, San Francisco Giants (High-A San Jose)

An enigmatic starter at Vanderbilt, Beede has plenty of potential to develop into a solid mid-rotation starter. When the Giants popped him in the 2014 draft, there were many in the industry that believed this was a perfect landing spot for his development. So far this season, Beede has had some ups and downs, including a stretch of starts where his stuff was consistently described as electric, and more recent starts where the quality of his raw stuff has wavered. At his best, Beede can show a fastball in the 92-95 mph range and he will reach back for an extra tick when he needs it. Both his changeup and curveball have flashed plus at various points in his career, though both have been inconsistent this season. In the end, Beede still owns mid-rotation potential but his inconsistency still leaves him open to a wide range of outcomes. —Mark Anderson

Zach Davies, RHP, Baltimore Orioles (Triple-A Norfolk)

Size doesn't always matter, and Davies is living proof of this in the baseball realm. While his fastball sits 90-92 mph, it comes with hard arm-side run and potential plus command. He also displays an above-average changeup and an average curveball, which he mixes and matches well against his opposition. Pitchability is the name of the game with Davies, who has seen success in all stints of the minors leading up to this season in his first stint of Triple-A. —Tucker Blair

Carl Edwards Jr., RHP, Chicago Cubs (Triple-A Iowa)
Edwards operates in the low-to-mid 90’s with his fastball, but can touch 96-97 with natural cut movement. His curve sits in the upper 70’s with above average depth, and tight spin. Both pitches graded out as plus to me. The change shows promise with natural split action and is an above average pitch. Edwards throws a heavy ball that hitters rarely make hard contact against. The one concern with Edwards is his control. His pitches have so much life and movement that the control is a concern, and is currently fringe average. The walks have consistently gone up as he has progressed through the minors, and that is something that he’ll need to continue to work on. He has the stuff for a middle of the rotation starter, but the frame and command will likely keep him in the pen, where he would undoubtedly be a reliable weapon. —Brandon Decker

Amir Garrett, LHP, Cincinnati Reds (High-A Daytona)

If you like left-handers who can touch the high 90’s with their fastball and ooze athleticism—he was a forward for the St. John’s basketball team—then Garrett is your guy. He’ll also flash an above-average slider and fringe-average change, but they’re both inconsistent offerings, and the command is well below-average this point. —Christopher Crawford

Lucas Giolito, RHP, Washington Nationals (High-A Potomac)

One of the premiere arms in the minors, Giolito displays a fastball that can sit mid 90's and a curveball that makes sounds in the air. The big righty's development has been guided along slowly, with the Nationals holding him back a month in extended this year, but the talent is undeniable. While he is a force in High-A, Giolito is still working on building stamina, refining the changeup, and harnessing his control. —Tucker Blair

Sean Newcomb, LHP, Los Angeles Angels (High-A Inland Empire)

Once the pride of the America East conference, Newcomb has also become the pride of the Angels depleted farm system. Last year's first round pick has racked up massive strikeout numbers as a professional, but still offers far too many additional base runners. He’s currently surviving the California League but could move quickly and see the majors by 2016. —Jeff Moore

Aaron Nola, RHP, Philadelphia Phillies (Triple-A Lehigh Valley)

Nola is one of the most polished pitchers in the minors, and will likely see the show at some point this season. The righty displays a three-pitch arsenal, all average or better offerings, and has the command to go along with each pitch. This will be the last futures game for the LSU alum. —Tucker Blair

Colin Rea, RHP, San Diego Padres (Double-A San Antonio)

Rea’s numbers have been spectacular in the Texas League, posting a 1.06 ERA with a 55:11 strikeout-to-walk ratio in the process. The right-hander’s best pitch is a low-90’s cutter that bores into the hands of left-handed hitters, but he’ll also show an average curveball and pounds the strike zone with all four of his pitches. —Christopher Crawford

Blake Snell, LHP, Tampa Bay Rays (Double-A Montgomery)

Simply put, there might not be a more improved prospect than Snell in 2015. The 2011 sandwich-round selection is now consistently sitting 93-95 mph with his fastball, and the secondary offerings both flash plus with vastly improved control to boot. —Christopher Crawford

Thank you for reading

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DAW0001
6/26
How long before the baseball universe (including BP) finishes updating its automated links from C. J. Edwards to Carl Edwards, Jr.?
ironcityguys
6/26
Maybe I missed something, but why isn't Corey Seager among this group?
j1vrieze
6/26
Would've liked to see Tim Anderson as well...if nothing else to see how his approach handles upper tier arms.
Dgalloway15
6/26
Dodgers declined his invitation to participate in the likely case JRoll finally becomes unbearable to watch before July 11th.
lonechicken
6/26
Double-A Potomac?
darthack2661
6/27
Huh, so its seems there are some prospects left in the minors after the Year of the Rookie...