Vitters, Castro Named to Futures Game

Two Chicago Cubs prospects were named to the 2009 All-Star Futures Game at Busch Stadium in St. Louis Thursday -- third baseman Josh Vitters and shortstop Starlin Castro. The Futures Game can be seen Sunday, July 12 at 1 p.m. CT on ESPN2.

Vitters, 19, is batting .308 with 13 home runs, 12 doubles and 42 RBI in 66 games for Class-A Peoria. He was named to the 2009 Midwest League All-Star team.

Castro, 19, is batting .305 with two home runs, nine doubles and 21 RBI in 63 games for Class High-A Daytona and was named to the 2009 Florida State League All-Star team. He was 4-for-4 with an inside-the-park home run in the All-Star game.

Vitters was the Cubs’ first-round draft pick (No. 3 overall) in the 2007 draft from Cypress (Calif.) High School and will represent the U.S. Team. Castro was signed in the Dominican Republic in 2006 and will represent the World Team.

Entering the season, Vitters was ranked as the Cubs’ top prospect by Baseball America; Castro was tabbed as the Cubs’ seventh-best prospect.