MLB held its annual Futures Game on Sunday as part of the All-Star Game festivities in Cincinnati. The MLB Futures Game is a showcase for the top prospects in the minor leagues to display their talents in front of a national crowd. The Washington Nationals had two participants in the game yesterday, pitcher Lucas Giolito and shortstop Trea Turner, and both guys showed why they are the top two prospects in the Nationals organization.

Giolito was expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 draft before he tore his UCL in March 2012, which required Tommy John surgery. As a result, he went sliding down draft boards that June before the Nationals selected him with the 16th overall pick.

Since his return from Tommy John, Giolito has shown the dominant stuff that he had before the injury, as he possesses a 2.76 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and a 76/18 K/BB ratio in 58.2 innings this season for the Class-A Potomac Nationals. There’s been discussions that the Nationals could be ready to move Giolito to the Double-A Harrisburg Senators by the end of the month, which means there’s a slight chance he could get a September call-up this season at only 20 years old.

Giolito showed why he is considered by many to be the best pitching prospect in MLB. He started for the United States team and delivered two shutout innings while only allowing two hits, one of which was an infield single that was legged out by the World Team’s lead-off hitter. Giolito was hitting 97 mph on the gun with his fastball, and showed great bite on his curveball.

When he finally makes it to the major leagues, and Max Scherzer takes him under his wing, Giolito could be the best pitcher in baseball in a short amount of time.

Although Turner just joined the Nationals organization in early June, it’s been known around MLB that he was the second player traded to Washington in an offseason three-team deal that involved the Tampa Bay Rays to the San Diego Padres. Due to some archaic rule that doesn’t allow players to be traded until they are exactly one year after being drafted, Turner had to stay in the Padres’ system until the deal could officially be finalized.

Turner possesses game-changing speed, and a knack for getting on base. The Nationals have designs on him being the shortstop of the future once Ian Desmond leaves at the end of the season, but with Desmond’s season-long struggles, there’s a possibility that fans could see Turner in a Nationals uniform before the end of the year.

In the Futures game, Turner put his ability on display for the whole world to see. Although he didn’t enter the game until the fifth inning, Turner ripped a two-run double in his first at-bat, which turned the game into a blowout, and then he legged out a triple during his second at-bat. The Nationals haven’t had a player with Turner’s speed or athleticism in a long time, and his energy could do wonders for team that’s missing a number of key players heading into the second half.

While it remains to be seen whether GM Mike Rizzo will summon either player to the parent club this season, knowing that these two guys are in the pipeline should get every Nationals fan excited.

Jason Fletcher is a Senior Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @JasonFletcher25, “Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google+.