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The Futures Game, to be played Sunday at 4 p.m. ET (ESPN2) at Detroit's Comerica Park as part of the All-Star festivities, is a showcase for 50 of baseball's best young players. The game is played between a team of U.S.-born players and a team comprised of those born outside the States -- with the usual anomaly that Puerto Rican players are considered to be part of the foreign team.

When one looks at the list, several questions are apt to arise pretty quickly. Where is Andy Marte? What about Ian Stewart, Felix Hernandez, or [insert any of several teams' missing top prospects here]?

So, how are the 50 hopeful future stars chosen? Baseball America makes the first pass at selecting players, with the restriction that each of the 30 franchises has at least one, but not more than two, players representing them. The BA editors forward a list to each major league team, which either accepts or refuses their picks. If the latter, the team must suggest an alternate.

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