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Through sub-atomic manipulation of the quantum ether, and advanced subspace tunneling, I have managed to take a peek into the future at the 2008 All-Star teams.

Of course, this is just one possible future. By writing this article, I'm changing the future from what it was supposed to be. Or maybe not ... temporal mechanics give me a headache.

Anyhow, the point here is to look at current minor-league prospects who have a good chance of becoming All-Stars by '08. Obviously, this will not include guys who are already established stars and who will still probably be active at that time.

Putting A-Rod on this list is pointless. Also, there will probably be guys drafted in 2004 or 2005 who could be All-Stars by '08. I won't talk about them either, since my time-bending abilities only work so much. I'm avoiding anyone who has received full playing time in the majors this year: no Hank Blalock, who isn't a "prospect" anymore. I'm not putting any 2003 draftees on the list, since we don't have much data to work with for them yet.

This list is meant to be fun. If your favorite prospect isn't here, don't be offended. This is just one possible reality, after all. The future is infinite.

Finally, a special hello to Doc Peck and his comrades of Bravo Company, 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance, United States Marine Corps, currently serving in Iraq. Hang tight, guys.

Catcher
Joe Mauer (Minnesota) and Justin Huber (New York Mets)
Both of these guys were recently promoted to the Double-A Eastern League from Class A, and both are holding their own so far. Mauer is the premier catching prospect in the game, with strong defensive skills and a proven ability to hit for average and get on base. His power has not fully developed, but that should come with time. Huber has better pop right now and also hits for a decent average, but his overall ceiling isn't quite in Mauer's class.

Honorable mentions: Victor Martinez, Cleveland, is a great hitter, though he may be a first baseman or DH by 2008. Jeff Mathis, Anaheim, has more power than Mauer does right now and is almost as refined in other ways. He is one of the best-kept secrets in the minor leagues.

First base
Justin Morneau (Minnesota) and James Loney (Los Angeles)
I'm cheating a bit by putting Morneau here, as he is currently in the Show, though he hasn't exceeded rookie qualifications yet. If he stays healthy and maintains his current approach, he will be an All-Star, no question. Loney is further back, still in A-ball, but he's made rapid progress considering he was just drafted out of high school in 2002. He is playing well in the Florida State League after a slow start, and combines power, decent plate discipline, and strong athletic tools.

Honorable mention: Prince Fielder, Milwaukee, has enormous power and has hit very well this year, but will have a harder time than Loney finding a position, and could be a DH by '08. But his bat is terrific.

Second base
Russ Adams (Toronto) and Josh Barfield (San Diego)
Adams is an on-base machine, a sparkplug at the top of the order who draws walks, steals bases, and hits for average. If he can develop a bit of power, he will be an all-around player. Josh Barfield is Jesse's son, but is a middle infielder rather than an outfielder. He is hitting .345/.390/.547 in the Class A California League this year, with 10 steals. If he can improve his defense at second base, he will be a mainstay in the middle infield.

Third base
Kevin Youkilis (Boston) and Chad Tracy (Arizona)
Youkilis is a sabermetric darling, due to his incredible plate discipline. He has 70 walks with just 35 strikeouts to go with a .313 average in Double-A this year. He won't have bunches of power, and he could end up being a useful player like Bill Mueller, but not a star. But the crystal ball says he has one All-Star season in him, and it might as well be '08. Tracy doesn't have Youkilis' eye, but he is a sweet swinger himself, with "potential batting champion" written all over him according to scouts.

Shortstop
B.J. Upton (Tampa Bay) and Khalil Greene (San Diego)
The second player picked in the '02 draft, Upton is having a solid year in the Class A Sally League, hitting .263 but with 29 steals and plenty of walks. His power should increase with time, and his defense is well-regarded. Greene doesn't have Upton's physicality, but is much closer to being ready, playing well right now in Triple-A. The Padres are optimistic he can remain at shortstop, and he has the sort of quick bat and compact stroke that should produce both batting average and power production.

Outfield
Laynce Nix (Texas), Gabe Gross (Toronto), Nick Swisher (Oakland)
Miguel Cabrera (Florida), Scott Hairston (Arizona), Jeff Francouer (Atlanta)
Nix hasn't received much attention yet, but he is a fine prospect who combines both tools and skills, and is having a solid year in Double-A. His name has popped up in trade rumors, but the Rangers may end up keeping him. Gross has rebounded from a poor 2002 season to play well in '03. Like Nix, he has tools and skills, though he doesn't quite have Nix's raw power. Swisher is a Billy Beane favorite, recently promoted to Double-A a year after being drafted in the first round. He is a switch-hitter with power, patience, and fine defensive outfield skills.

On the National League side, we will cheat a bit and slot in Cabrera, currently playing with the Marlins but still technically a rookie. He was developed as a third baseman but looks to be in the outfield by '08. Like Morneau, his bat is very special, and he deserves mention on this list. Hairston, one of the baseball playing Hairston family, is currently a second baseman, but could move to the outfield eventually. His bat is excellent. Francouer is a toolsy product of the Braves system, playing well in the Sally League. There are numerous promising outfielders at the A-ball level who could be mentioned here, but Francouer has a terrific ceiling, and has shown signs of being able to reach it.

Starting pitchers
Zack Greinke (Royals), Rich Harden (Oakland)
John VanBenschoten (Pittsburgh), Adam Wainwright (Atlanta)
I profiled Greinke in Down on the Farm this week. Click here for the full report. Harden, meanwhile, continues to strike people out at a good clip in Triple-A, though he hasn't been quite as overpowering as he was early in the season. He is still an outstanding long-range prospect, and as good a bet as any minor-league pitcher to be a future All-Star. Other AL pitching prospects to watch include Kris Honel (White Sox), Jason Arnold, Dustin McGowan, and Brandon League of Toronto, and Brandon Claussen of the Yankees.

VanBenschoten, an '01 first-round pick and former college outfielder, has proven the Pirates were right about moving him to the mound full-time, confounding skeptics (like me) who thought it was a mistake. Wainwright, a Braves prospect, should continue Atlanta's tradition of developing starters in the Kevin Millwood/Jason Schmidt mode. The aging of the Braves rotation will, perhaps, keep them from trading Wainwright and other impressive arms they have collected. Gavin Floyd of Philadelphia, Edwin Jackson and Joel Hanrahan of Los Angeles, and Aaron Heilman of the Mets are other possible NL stars.

Relief pitchers
Dan Denham (Indians) and Scott Kazmir (Mets)
Denham is currently a starting pitcher, but his sinking fastball and good slider could make him a dominant relief pitcher. Kazmir was compared to Billy Wagner when he was drafted, and projecting similar performance from him isn't hard to do as long as he stays healthy. Many relief pitchers were starters in the minors, so it would be no surprise if some of the All-Star bullpenners in '08 were actually minor-league starters in '03.

Conclusion
Exercises like this are fun, but they don't tell us a whole lot about what will actually happen in 2008. Injuries will intervene, especially for the pitchers. Prospects can and will come out of nowhere. "Can't miss" guys can miss, and miss badly. And surely someone drafted in 2004 or 2005 will develop very quickly and make an '08 All-Star team.

But peeking into the future is what I do here at Down on the Farm, and rest assured at least some of the names listed above will make the '08 teams. At least in the universe I accessed with my time machine.

John Sickels is the author of the 2003 Baseball Prospect Book, which can be ordered from his Web site, JohnSickels.com. His biography of Bob Feller will be published this fall by Brassey's. He lives in Lawrence, Kansas, with his wife, son, and two cats. You can send John questions or comments at JASickels@aol.com.