Mountcastle and Wells chosen to All-Star Futures Game

MINNESOTA - The Orioles will have two representatives in the All-Star Futures Game to be played July 15 at Nationals Park.

Double-A Bowie third baseman Ryan Mountcastle has been chosen to represent the U.S. team and Single-A Frederick left-hander Alex Wells will pitch for the World Team.

One of the top position prospects in the system, Mountcastle, 21, is batting .313/.363/.498 with 10 doubles, three triples, seven home runs and 32 RBIs in 54 games. He also continues his conversion from shortstop to the hot corner, where he's trying to become established and increase his chances of a promotion to the majors later this summer while the Orioles slip into rebuild mode.

Mountcastle's season debut was delayed by a hairline fracture in his right hand sustained after being hit by a pitch on the first day of minor league spring training games. He was rated as the No. 71 prospect by Baseball America and No. 98 by MLBPipeline.com.

The Orioles brought Mountcastle, a supplemental pick in the 2015 draft, to major league camp and he responded by going 7-for-24 (.292) with two home runs and five RBIs in 13 exhibition games.

The U.S. team is getting a player who's been on a roll. He collected two more hits last night, owns a nine-game hitting streak and is 13-for-41 (.317) in his last 10 games.

Wells, 21, is 3-5 with a 3.90 ERA and 1.45 WHIP in 15 starts with the Keys. The Orioles chose him as their minor league Pitcher of the Year last summer after he went 11-5 with a 2.38 ERA and 0.91 WHIP in 25 starts with low Single-A Delmarva and walked only 10 batters in 140 innings.

The same pinpoint control hasn't carried to the Carolina League, where Wells has walked 24 batters over 80 2/3 innings.

Wells hasn't pitched since June 29, but he's fine. The starters are being skipped one turn in the middle of the season.

Signed as an international free agent, Wells represented Australia in the 2017 World Baseball Classic. His twin brother, Lachlan, pitches in the Twins organization, but he underwent Tommy John surgery on May 14.

Major League Baseball created the Futures Game in 1999, which pits minor league prospects from the U.S. against prospects from other countries around the world. It's become part of the annual All-Star Game festivities.

The Orioles were represented last year by left-hander Tanner Scott and catcher Chance Sisco, with the latter producing an RBI triple. Sisco also played in 2016 and hit a home run.