Verlander, Trout and six other players who starred in the Futures Game before MLB

Any prospect junkie will tell you that the beauty of following Minor Leaguers is in the dream. In the thought of what could be. Many of the even the highly regarded the prospect will never reach the heights of superstardom. That's just the unfortunate truth about the world -- not everyone can be the best. 

Of course, that makes it all the sweeter when a player does breakthrough and become a generational talent. Since the Futures Game began in 1999, the public's first glimpse of these soon-to-be MVPs and one-day Hall of Famers has often been at the All-Star break's smorgasbord of the prospect elite. 

Just as many of us can immediately remember Roy Halladay and his postseason no-hitter, so too do we recall when a then-18 year-old Bryce Harper threw the ball from the left field corner to home plate on one bounce in 2011. 

Which other superstars sent save-the-dates for big league fans at the Futures Game? Here are 8 of the top performances that hinted at greatness to come:

Chase Utley

One of the greatest second basemen of all-time, Utley is also one of the greatest Futures Game peformers, going 2-for-3 with two RBIs in 2001. We just had no idea it would inspire Mac from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia to fall so in love with his hair. 

Adam Wainwright

Since the advent of the Cy Young award, Jose Rijo is the only starter with at least 1,000 innings that has a better ERA+ than Wainwright's and no Cy Young Award. That could very easily change this year as Wainwright's 1.79 ERA and 203 ERA+ are best in the Majors while his 131 IP is fourth. 

Wainwright gave a hint of what was to come when he pitched a perfect inning in 2002. Even more impressive, Wainwright was a 20-year-old in Class A - much younger than most players in the game. It would take him three more years to make his big league debut. 

Miguel Cabrera

Ranked 38th by Baseball America on their list of top 100 prospects in 2002, few expected Cabrera to become one of the greatest hitters of his generation.

But those watching the Futures Game in 2002 saw promise in Cabrera's bat-to-ball skills. Cabrera went 2-for-2 in the game and even showed excellent instincts with a diving grab at third base. 

Zack Greinke

Zack Greinke announced his presence with authority in 2003, going 15-4 with a 1.93 ERA between two Minor League levels. Naturally that extended to the Futures Game, where he punched out two batters in a perfect inning . 

Justin Verlander

It's crazy to think that there was a time before we knew Justin Verlander as a Rookie of the Year, Cy Young, MVP, and Kate Upton dalliancer. And that time was 2005.  

Verlander started the game and pitched a scoreless first. Of course, he showed his inexperience, too. The three-time MLB strikeout king didn't net a single K.

Alex Gordon

Alex Gordon had an incredible professional debut in 2006, hitting .325/.427/.588 with 29 HR, 101 RBIs, and 29 SB for Double-A Wichita. And while it would take a few years and a position change for Gordon to hit his stride in the Major Leagues (3 Gold Gloves and 2 All-Star Games since 2011), Gordon gave a taste of the future to come with two hits and two RBIs at the Futures Game. 

Jose Altuve

Never listed on a Top 100 prospect list, Jose Altuve had a breakout year in 2011 when he hit .389/.426/.591 in Class A and Double-A. Before being called up to the Majors for his debut, the diminutive Altuve went 2-for-3 with a double in the Futures Game. Even then, there were non-believers who didn't think Altuve's size would let him succeed beyond a utility role in the Majors. 

And yet, here we are, Altuve currently leading the league with 41 stolen bases and a .339 batting average. 

Mike Trout

While the baseball world is still shocked at just how good Mike Trout is three years into his career, perhaps we shouldn't have been. After all, when he was only 18 years old (at the time the youngest player to play in the game), he went 2-for-4 with a double, and two runs scored. 

Of course, Trout was caught stealing, something that's only happened 12 times in 108 Major League steal attempts. 

Which future superstar will emerge from this year's Futures Game? Personally, I'm putting my money on Joey Gallo and his thirty-freaking-one first half home runs. Or Francisco Lindor and his incredibly smooth defense. Or Javier Baez and his lightning fast wrists. Really, you should just check out the full roster and get ready to predict the future this Sunday.