Predicting the 2027 All-Star Game lineups

Last year, I tried to predict what the starting lineups would look like for the 2026 All-Star Game, which will be in Philadelphia. As the All-Star votes continue to pour in, I thought it might be fun to try to predict the 2027 game, now five years away. There will be some crossover with last year’s list, but also a lot has changed in the last year. What’s an ASG lineup look like in five years? Let’s take a guess.

Players are listed with their current age and with their current team, though we all know that could change too.

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Catcher: Adley Rutschman, Orioles (age 24)
All right, so he hasn’t gotten off to the most rip-roaring start since his callup last month. Mike Trout struggled in his first weeks in the big leagues too. There’s still no reason to think he won’t be dominating this position for years to come. This year, 2022, may be the last time he isn’t the AL All-Star starting catcher for a while.

First base: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays (age 23)
Vlad Jr. will actually be a free agent after the 2025 season if the Blue Jays don’t sign him to an extension before then. But Vlad Jr. wouldn’t really leave the Jays, would he? Whether he’s a Jay or not, if he’s in the American League, he’s here.

Second base: Termarr Johnson, Mays HS, Atlanta, Ga. (age 18)
Yes, yes, I know it’s ridiculous taking someone who hasn’t even been drafted yet and putting him in this spot. (First off, he might not even get picked by an AL team.) But there’s no obvious other answers in the AL, and it’s fun to dream on a kid who is currently ranked as the No. 4 prospect in this July’s Draft by MLB Pipeline. According to his scouting report, “one scout gave him a double Hall of Famer comparison by calling him a combination of Wade Boggs' plate discipline and Vladimir Guerrero Sr.'s bat-to-ball skills.” No pressure, kid!

Shortstop: Wander Franco, Rays (age 21)
Yankees fans might make a case for Anthony Volpe here, and Royals fans for Bobby Witt Jr. (who I’d guess will be a full-time shortstop in 2027), but we will be fighting it out with this crew for the next half-decade (and Tim Anderson will only be 34 then, for what it’s worth). But Franco sure looks like he might have an MVP season or two in his future. The shortstop position in the AL is absolutely stacked for the foreseeable future.

Third base: Rafael Devers, Red Sox (age 25)
Assuming Devers is still a Red Sox player in five years -- and he should be, right? Right? -- he gets the nod over Spencer Torkelson, Alex Bregman and maybe, oh, Josh Jung.

Outfield: Mike Trout, Angels (age 30); Aaron Judge, Yankees (age 30); Julio Rodríguez, Mariners (age 21)
Is it unimaginative to still see Trout and Judge as All-Stars in their mid-30s? Both of their teams will certainly still be paying them as All-Stars. It’s tempting to put Judge, at least, as a DH, but apologies to Riley Greene, Byron Buxton and Kyle Tucker, I’ll stick with Judge here.

Designated hitter: Yordan Alvarez, Astros (age 24)
You know what’s scary about Alvarez? He might be hitting just like he’s hitting right now for the next 15 years.

Starting pitcher: Alek Manoah, Blue Jays (age 24)
Shane McClanahan is better right now and only a year older, but you never know with those Rays pitchers -- many of whom have not had staying power. There’s a part of me, honestly, that wants to just pick then-44-year-old Justin Verlander here.

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Catcher: William Contreras, Braves (age 24)
The two best-hitting catchers in the National League are both Contrerases, but William is six years younger than his older brother. He’s actually the same age as Adley Rutschman.

First base: Pete Alonso, Mets (age 27)
There’s a paucity of young first base prospects out there, and of all the first basemen tearing it up in the National League, Alonso is the youngest. For what it’s worth, Alonso is a free agent after the 2024 season.

Second base: Nolan Gorman, Cardinals (age 22)
The Cardinals slugger has held up decently at second base, and he’s unlikely to move over to his natural third base position anytime soon with Nolan Arenado signed through 2027.

Shortstop: Fernando Tatis Jr., Padres (age 23)
Tatis will just be hitting his prime in 2027 … and will still have seven years to go on his contract.

Third base: Austin Riley, Braves (age 25)
There was a time when it looked like Riley was too much of a free-swinger to become a superstar. That time has absolutely passed. Look for the Cardinals’ Jordan Walker and the Mets’ Brett Baty to make a run here too. If Ke’Bryan Hayes could find some more power, he’d be here too.

Outfield: Ronald Acuña Jr., Braves (age 24); Juan Soto, Nationals (age 23); Corbin Carroll, D-backs (age 21)
We know Acuña will still be with the Braves then, and the Nationals will do whatever they can to keep Soto. This is awfully lofty company for Carroll, but he has been absolutely rocketing up prospect lists this year.

Designated hitter: Bryce Harper, Phillies (age 29)
Harper eventually will be a DH, we’d bet, even when he’s not injured. By the time he’s 34, he may be the perfect DH … if he’s not already.

Starting pitcher: Hunter Greene, Reds (age 22)
He won National League Player of the Week last week and sure looks like he’s starting to put it all together. It’s terrifying to think what he might be capable of by 2027.