Who will make the MLB All-Star Game -- in 2023?
The All-Star Game isn't just a meeting of the best baseball has to offer -- it's a historical record, a snapshot of the game at a specific point in time. So what better way to imagine what MLB's future might look like?
Polls are officially open to determine who will start the 2018 All-Star Game at Nationals Park (you can vote in the 2018 Camping World MLB All-Star Ballot here), but in between rounds of voting, let's think a little bigger: Who will appear in the Midsummer Classic five years from now, in 2023? Obviously a lot can happen between now and then -- you can't predict baseball, as the saying goes, and who knows what teenage phenom will emerge that we can't see coming -- but it's a fun exercise nonetheless.
First, though, some ground rules:
- For simplicity's sake, assume that each player will remain on his current team for the next five years
- Normal All-Star roster rules apply: 20 batters, 12 pitchers, and every team must be represented
- Age matters, and there will be turnover. This is no slight on current greats, but go back and look at the 2013 roster to see just how much will change over five years.
Now, without further ado (and please, by all means, give us your picks in the comments) ...
The A.L. Starters
C:
Age: 30
Predicting how a catcher will age is always tricky, but it's hard to bet against Sanchez's historically good bat.
1B: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays
Age: 24
Whether or not Vladito sticks at third as he matures into a big leaguer, one thing is almost certain: MLB Pipeline's No. 2 prospect is going to rake.
2B:
Age: 26
He's 21, he's been a big leaguer for all of 37 games and he's already doing things Yankee fans haven't seen since Mantle.
SS:
Age: 28
A friendly reminder that Correa has a career .285/.363/.494 line and he hasn't even turned 24 yet.
3B: Jose Ramirez, Indians
Age: 30
The prospect who never sniffed a top-100 list is now one of the best all-around players in baseball.
LF:
Age: 26
Who knows, by the time Jimenez hits his physical prime, MLB Pipeline's No. 3 prospect might actually be able to hit a ball to the moon:
CF:
Age: 31
Sure, you can't predict baseball, but we feel pretty comfortable predicting Trout.
RF:
Age: 30
Ditto for the guy who's been so good this year that he's forced us to entertain the question "What if Trout isn't easily the best player in baseball?"
DH:
Age: 31
Point: Judge is an incredibly large man, and we don't know how he'll age as he crosses 30. Counterpoint:
The A.L. Pitchers
SP:
Age: 29
Amid all the hype, the massive dingers and the nasty splitters, it's easy to lose sight of the fact that Ohtani is still just 23 years old.
SP:
Age: 29
He burst onto the scene last year, finishing third in AL Cy Young voting -- and his encore has arguably been even better.
SP:
Age: 32
If 2018 Cole is here to stay, he's going to make a lot of Midsummer Classics before he's done.
SP:
Age: 29
McCullers has been just about an average starter the last couple of years, but he's still young, and the stuff is absolutely there:
SP: Casey Mize, Tigers
Age: 26
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 Draft will be in Detroit sooner than later, and his splitter looks downright unhittable.
SP:
Age: 30
A former top prospect, Snell has quietly put it all together and is having a career year.
SP: Forrest Whitley, Astros
Age: 25
The team that helped Cole,
SP:
Age: 27
One word: velocity.
SP:
Age: 28
This was supposed to be Honeywell's year, until Tommy John surgery forced us to wait a little longer for the return of the screwball.
RP:
Age: 29
If you'd like to know why first-place Seattle is 18-9 in one-run games this year, look no further than Diaz.
RP:
Age: 28
The lanky lefty has some Randy Johnson in him, and if his command is under control he'll be a mainstay in Oakland's rotation -- even if it's not, though, "lights-out closer" isn't a bad fallback option.
RP:
Age: 29
The A.L. Reserves
C:
1B:
2B:
2B:
SS:
SS:
SS: Royce Lewis, Twins
3B:
OF:
OF:
OF:
The N.L. Starters
C:
Age: 31
1B:
Age: 33
Yes, Freeman will be 33 in 2023, but he's a smooth enough athlete with a sweet enough swing to think that he'll age just fine.
2B:
Age: 26
If you've never heard of Hiura before, there's only one thing you need to know: All he does is hit. MLB Pipeline's No. 49 prospect posted a 1.033 OPS across two levels of the Minors last year, and he's currently working on a .333/.429/.417 line in Double-A at just 21 years old.
SS:
Age: 29
Seager had his year cut short by Tommy John surgery, so we'll just take comfort in watching him do stuff like this until he returns.
3B:
Age: 31
One of the most reliable players in the game, and there's no reason to think that will change.
LF: Ronald Acuña Jr.
Age: 25
A fun thought: By this point, Acuña -- MLB Pipeline's No. 1 prospect, with an 112 OPS+ in the Majors at age 20 -- will just be entering his prime.
CF:
Age: 26
Robles' introduction was put on hold due to injury, but MLB Pipeline's No. 5 overall prospect will return to terrorize outfields and basepaths soon enough.
RF:
Age: 30
The only real question here is, "What will his hair look like by then?"
The N.L. Pitchers
SP:
Age: 31
If the triple-digits fastball doesn't get you, the low-90s slider will.
SP:
Age: 31
Martinez might be the best under-the-radar ace in baseball, but that should change: He's pitched to a 1.62 ERA this year, and might be your frontrunner for NL CY Young.
SP:
Age: 28
Reyes came back from Tommy John surgery last week, looked every bit the nasty top prospect we remembered, then went back on the DL with a lat injury. When he's healthy, though, there aren't many better.
SP:
Age: 28
It was a long road to Dodger Stadium for Buehler, but L.A.'s No. 1 prospect has been worth the wait, posting a 2.74 ERA in his first eight career starts.
SP: Mackenzie Gore, Padres
Age: 24
It's bold to project that a teenager will be an All-Star in five years, but if you can't believe in "his potential for four above-average-or-better offerings" -- MLB Pipeline's words, not ours -- what can you believe in?
SP: Sixto Sanchez, Phillies
Age: 24
19-year-olds generally don't tear through Class A the way Sanchez currently is, but then again, 19-year-olds generally don't have a fastball like this:
SP: Mitch Keller, Pirates
Age: 27
He's MLB Pipeline's No. 19 prospect, and with the way he's pitching in Double-A at the moment, you should be seeing Keller in Pittsburgh sooner rather than later.
SP:
Age: 30
We should probably be talking more about Newcomb, a former top prospect who's currently 10th in the NL with a 2.73 ERA
RP:
Age: 29
Hader's been so good that Milwaukee has used him in just about every conceivable situation, from an out to multiple innings, from the sixth to the ninth.
RP:
Age: 30
Who knows, in five years Arizona's lights-out fireman may be a two-way player.
RP:
Age: 26
The Braves will give Gohara every chance to stick as a starter, but Atlanta has an embarrassment of starting pitching prospects -- and that fastball will do just fine in the ninth inning.
RP:
Age: 26
Another fastball that should do just fine in the ninth inning someday:
The N.L. Reserves
C:
1B:
1B:
2B:
SS:
SS:
SS:
3B:
3B:
OF: Juan Soto, Nationals
OF:
OF:
