Sunday afternoon, the 2017 All-Star Game festivities begin with the Futures Game at Marlins Park. Each year baseball rounds up its most talented minor leaguers and gets them on the field for what amounts to a top prospect showcase game. It is exactly what it sounds like: a game featuring the future of baseball.

Here's how you can watch the 2017 Futures Game:

Date: Sunday, July 9

Time: 4pm ET

Television: MLB Network

Streaming: MLB.com

You can see the Futures Game rosters right here. The rosters are picked by MLB with assistance from the MLB Scouting Bureau, MLBPipeline.com, and Baseball America. Here are six things to know about the 2017 Futures Game.

1. So many of baseball's top prospects will play.

This sounds pretty obvious, and it is, but it's worth repeating just how much top notch talent will be on hand in this year's Futures Game. A total of 27 players from MLB.com's top 100 prospects list will play, including nine of the top 20:

1. 3B Yoan Moncada, White Sox

3. SS Amed Rosario, Mets

5. OF Victor Robles, Nationals

8. OF Eloy Jimenez, Cubs

10. SS Brendan Rodgers, Rockies

11. RHP Michael Kopech, White Sox

12. 3B Rafael Devers, Red Sox

13. OF Lewis Brinson, Brewers

19. 3B Nick Senzel, Reds

Moncada is back after being named MVP of the 2016 Futures Game at Petco Park. Also returning is Jimenez, who dazzled with both his bat and glove last year.

Undoubtedly, someone will put on a monster show on both side of the ball this year like Jimenez did last year. My guess? Robles. That kid is as exciting as any prospect in baseball.

2. Some top prospects are held out.

Although the rosters are compiled by MLB, the 30 teams do have input, and they will often hold out some of their top prospects. And for a good reason: they are considering calling them up. The rosters are finalized a few weeks in advance, and if a club is considering calling up one of their top prospects in the near future, they'll request that he be held out of the Futures Game. This happens most often with pitchers. The most notable example came two years ago, when the Yankees held Luis Severino out of the 2015 Futures Game then inserted him into their MLB rotation in the second half. So if you're upset one of your favorite prospects wasn't selected to the Futures Game this year, chances are he was kept out for a good reason. Because he might soon be a big leaguer.

3. Many of these players will reach MLB this year.

A total of 50 players participated in last year's Futures Game and already 32 have reached the big leagues. Among the most notable are Red Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi, Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson, Astros third baseman Alex Bregman, Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez, Athletics third baseman Ryon Healy, and Cardinals righty Alex Reyes. Those guys didn't just get a token September call-up last year. They were called up because their teams thought they could help them win, and they all had an immediate impact. Without a doubt, several players from this year's Futures Game will find themselves in the big leagues in the coming weeks, and some will quickly emerge as difference makers.

4. Several of these players will be traded this year.

Clint Frazier went from the Futures Game to trade bait last July. USATSI

This is the other side of the business. We all love prospects and dream about the day they reach the big leagues and help our favorite team win. Sometimes though, they help your team win by being traded for an established big leaguer. Several players from the 2016 Futures Games were traded just a few weeks later at the trade deadline, including:

Teams hoard prospects for two reasons: the help their big league roster and to trade them. Inevitably a few 2017 Futures Gamers will be traded at the 2017 trade deadline.

5. Two Marlins legends will manage the game.

The All-Star Game is in Miami this year and two Marlins legends will serve as managers for the Futures Game: former shortstop Edgar Renteria and former catcher Charles Johnson. Renteria will manage the World Team while Johnson will run the dugout for Team USA. There's not a whole lot of managing that has to be done -- the manager's top priorities in the Futures Game are making sure a pitcher doesn't get overworked and making sure everyone plays -- but still, someone has to do it, and Renteria and Johnson will do it this year.

6. The game will last, at most, 10 innings.

Chances are extra innings will not be required, but, if they are, the Futures Game will not go longer than 10 innings. That's because each pitcher is limited to three outs, and each team has 10 pitchers on the roster this year. Once upon a time the Futures Game was only seven innings. Now it's nine with a maximum of 10.

Here are the last five Futures Game results:



Ballpark Final Score MVP 2012 Kauffman Stadium USA 17, World 5 3B Nick Castellanos, Tigers 2013 Citi Field USA 4, World 2 3B Matt Davidson, Diamondbacks 2014 Target Field USA 3, World 2 3B Joey Gallo, Rangers 2015 Great American Ball Park USA 10, World 1 OF Kyle Schwarber, Cubs 2016 Petco Park World 11, USA 3 IF Yoan Moncada, Red Sox

The World Team snapped a six-year Futures Game losing streak last summer, and you can be sure they're looking to start a winning streak in earnest this year. Team USA leads all the all-time series 11-7, however.