Mornin’ everyone! Hoping you’re all well and thriving. We’ve got some extra juicy stuff for you today – shoutout to Ryan Felix Fernandes’ brain for the idea. Today, we bring you our projected 2027 National League All-Star lineups! 

A couple ground rules:

• Players are only eligible if they are currently in the minor leagues and rookie-eligible at time of posting
• Players who have not yet been drafted are also eligible
• This is dynasty fantasy land – so projecting trades is also allowed!

Hope you enjoy this as much as we did. Thanks for reading!

Aaron Cumming

• C: Henry Davis, Pittsburgh Pirates
• 1B: Deyvison De Los Santos, Arizona Diamondbacks
• 2B: Ryan McKay, St. Mary’s Prep (Orchard Lake, MI)
• 3B: Noelvi Marte, Seattle Mariners (for now)
• SS: Ezequiel Tovar, Colorado Rockies
• LF: Sal Frelick, Milwaukee Brewers
• CF: Corbin Carroll, Arizona Diamondbacks
• RF: Pete Crow-Armstrong, Chicago Cubs
• SP: Kyle Harrison, San Francisco Giants
• RP: Edward Cabrera, Miami Marlins
• NL HR Derby Finalist: Elly De La Cruz, Cincinnati Reds

Notes: 

With the emergence of Edwin Arroyo, I could see Marte as a centerpiece in a deal for Luis Castillo and winding up on the Reds, a team that Jerry DiPoto seems to enjoy dealing with. De Los Santos has massive power and so far this year has demonstrated an improved hit tool, which could cement him as a high end corner infielder. Tovar is having a quintessential breakout year and has the benefit of playing at Coors Field. Frelick looks like the second coming of Starling Marte. Cabrera has shown incredible stuff in the majors (a 95 MPH changeup!!), but still seems destined for the bullpen behind the endless parade of starting pitchers Miami has produced. McKay is the starting second baseman on the #1 high school team in the country, and has an unparalleled eye at the plate. The Michigan State commit is also my cousin, but I’m pretty sure that didn’t affect this prediction at all.

Ross Jensen

• C: Francisco Alvarez, New York Mets
• 1B: Jacob Berry, Colorado Rockies
• 2B: Jace Jung, Pittsburgh Pirates
• 3B: Jordan Walker, St. Louis Cardinals
• SS: Adael Amador, Colorado Rockies
• LF: James Wood, San Diego Padres
• CF: Corbin Carroll, Arizona Diamondbacks
• RF: Jackson Chourio, Milwaukee Brewers
• SP: Eury Perez, Miami Marlins
• RP: Gavin Stone, Los Angeles Dodgers
• NL HR Derby Finalist: Francisco Alvarez

Notes: 

• I’m not sure whether the two college bats, Berry and Jung, qualify, but let’s roll with it.
• I see Adael Amador surpassing Ezequiel Tovar (as good as Tovar is) in the pecking order to earn starting shortstop duties for the Rockies.
• I’m giving the HR crown to Alvarez, but this one is close. Honorable mentions to Berry, Walker, Wood, and possibly Chourio as other potential contenders.

Taylor Case

• C: Diego Cartaya, Los Angeles Dodgers
• 1B: Mark Vientos, New York Mets (moves off 3B to 1B)
• 2B: Felix Valerio, Milwaukee Brewers
• 3B: Jordan Walker, St. Louis Cardinals
• SS: Aeverson Arteaga, San Francisco Giants
• LF: James Wood, San Diego Padres
• CF: Corbin Carroll, Arizona Diamondbacks
• RF: Robert Hassell III, San Diego Padres
• SP: Max Meyer, Miami Marlins
• RP: Ryan Pepiot, Los Angeles Dodgers
• NL HR Derby Finalist: Andy Pages, Los Angeles Dodgers

Notes: 

• James Wood’s star will just continue to rise. The window to trade for him under the radar has closed – but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t keep trying.
• Felix Valerio continues to be a menace on the basepaths, and slowwwwly develops enough power to annually swat 10 homers on the big stage. He becomes a solid 3-4 category fantasy contributor at the top of the Brewers lineup.
• Andy Pages will be hitting .240 at the break but with 25 homers – enough to cement his status as one of the better power hitters in the Senior Circuit.

Phil Barrington

• C: Drew Romo, Colorado Rockies
• 1B: Won-Bin Cho, St. Louis Cardinals
• 2B: Leonardo Balcazar, Cincinnati Reds
• 3B: Aeverson Arteaga, San Francisco Giants
• SS: Yiddi Cappe, Miami Marlins
• LF: Yohendrick Pinango, Chicago Cubs
• CF: Warming Bernabel, Colorado Rockies 
• RF: Samuel Munoz, Los Angeles Dodgers
• SP: Brandon Pfaadt, Arizona Diamondbacks
• RP: John Ross Carver, Arizona Diamondbacks
• NL HR Derby Finalist: Bubba Chandler, Pittsburgh Pirates

Notes: 

I tried to make this a bit tougher (on myself), only choosing guys who are rostered in 15% or less on fantrax. I want to highlight a couple guys to target in deeper leagues: 

• Pfaadt seems criminally underrated; he has 118 Ks in only 88 IP, a 1.19 WHIP this season; though a 4.48 ERA holds him back for now. John Ross Carver has the stuff to be a lights out reliever.
• The already 6’3” 200 pound Cho I have moving to first base and hitting homers in bunches. He and Chandler could put on a show in the 2027 Home Run Derby.
• Balcazar, Arteaga, and Cappe form the rest of the infield, though they could swap positions when they make it to the bigs, probably not until 2025 though. Same can be said about Bernabel, who I have moving from SS to CF in the bigs. All are long term stashes (same with Munoz), but if your league is deep enough, it’s wise to take chances when you can. You never know when one of these types of guys vaults into top 100 lists and become big trade chips.

Chris Knock

• C: Francisco Alvarez, New York Mets
• 1B: Jordan Walker, St. Louis Cardinals
• 2B: Vaughn Grissom, Atlanta Braves
• 3B: Elly De La Cruz, Cincinnati Reds
• SS: Masyn Winn, St Louis Cardinals
• LF: James Wood, San Diego Padres
• CF: Jackson Chourio, Milwaukee Brewers 
• RF: Oneil Cruz, Pittsburgh Pirates
• SP: Eury Perez, Miami Marlins
• RP: Max Meyer, Miami Marlins
• NL HR Derby Finalist: Kevin Alcantara, Chicago Cubs

Notes: 

• I don’t think any of these names will likely get traded between now and 2027, although maybe Wood and Alvarez have the highest likelihood. So I didn’t factor real trades into this.
• Oneil Cruz is still a prospect by our criteria here (< 130 ABs in majors). Tough to believe I’m the only believer in him being an All Star in 5 years. He’ll move off short eventually and will get to showcase that cannon in right field.
• Speaking of cannons, Masyn Winn has the grit and defensive prowess that STL fans love.  They’ll definitely vote him into the starting line up a time or two, even if he’s more of a “slap and (lots of) dash” type profile.
• I love me some Elly and Walker. Actually add Chourio and Eury and all these names to my love list.
• Marlins will continue to lock down the pitching side of the All Star Game.

Ryan Felix Fernandes

• C:  Kevin Parada, drafted by Cubs at #7 of 2022 draft 
• 1B:  Kyle Manzardo, traded from Rays to Pirates in 2023
• 2B: Nick Yorke, traded to the Cubs in 2023
• 3B: Christian Hernandez, Chicago Cubs
• SS: Masyn Winn,St Louis Cardinals
• LF: James Woods, San Diego Padres
• CF: Druw Jones, drafted by Arizona Diamondbacks at #2 of 2022 draft 
• RF: Christian Vaquero, Washington Nationals
• SP and DH: Bubba Chandler, Pittsburgh Pirates
• RP: Tink Hence, St Louis Cardinals
• NL HR Derby Finalist: Druw Jones, Arizona Diamondbacks

Notes

• I went with prospects outside of the top 50 consensus prospect rankings and used a couple of the 2022 draft prospects to fill out my team. 
• I believe Druw Jones will be the best player to come out of this MLB draft, but not necessarily the best fantasy player. I have Jones getting drafted at #2 by the Diamondbacks and later on in draft I have the Cubs drafting Kevin Parada at #7. Parada can hit for average and power and there is no question he has a major league bat right now, but the question will be if he will stay at catcher. I am betting the Cubs, who have had a good track record developing All-Star catchers who can hit (Wilson Contreras and Kyle Schwarber) are the perfect team for Parada.
• First trade has the Pirates getting Manzardo from the Rays because Curtis Mead will block him at 1B after he gets called up in the beginning of 2023 and Mead is just a hitting machine. Manzardo is no slouch, but the Rays won’t need both and I just want the Pirates to win a trade with the Rays so I got Manzardo in the black and yellow.
• I have Nick Yorke and a couple more prospects being traded to the Cubs in 2023 for Ian Happ who will be in his last year of eligibility for arbitration which means he is good as gone for the cash strapped Cubs and Boston will also receives a very good bullpen arm in Mychal Givens for a playoff run. Yorke is worth trading both players who can be the second coming of Dustin Pedroia.
• Both Winn and Chandler have a chance to have an Ohtani effect on the majors with both being able to pitch and hit at an All-Star level, but from what I read it looks like Winn will only be a SS for now, but the Pirates are open to letting Chandler DH and pitch and Chandler acts and looks the part to be that special.  
• Tink Hence is my wildcard.. I think he is the second coming of Pedro Martinez from what I’ve seen. He obviously has a long way to go being only in A ball with very limited outings, but check out any of the games he has pitched on YouTube and don’t tell me you don’t come away impressed.