Predicting the 2030 NL All-Star Team

A definitive look five years into the future that is guaranteed to age well

As a soccer fan, I remember laughing a few years back at a 2013 Independent article chronicling the England team that would go on to win the 2022 World Cup. In reality, they predicted exactly one of the starting 11, and, no, they did not win the World Cup. In honor of that piece, and perhaps because we doubt anyone will remember this in 2030, we’re here to do the same: predict the NL 2030 All-Star squad.

Our one rule is that the players have to be guys we covered at some point; talents like Elly De La Cruz and Juan Soto certainly have a good shot at dominating five years down the road, but they came before our time and are thus eliminated from consideration (as always, our full projections can be found here).

Without further ado, your 2030 NL All-Stars!

C Alfredo Duno (CIN)

Duno has been one of our favorite players since the early days of the model; in fact, our first viral post was about his 2024 Single-A breakout! After injury limited him to 32 games in 2024, he’s upped his game in his second Single-A season, continuing to club homers while also seeing a boost to his XBH numbers. All signs point to improved maturity at the dish; he’s lowered his K% from 28.8% to 21.4%, reduced his infield fly ball rate from over 30% to below 20%, and improved his contact rate five percentage points to 69.4%. He also consistently taps into his raw power with a low 35.1% ground ball rate and 47.6% pull rate.

We think Duno is one of our few “underrated gems” that has scary eye-catching upside; most of our gems are undersized or have a sneaky good combo of tools, whereas Duno has the chance to ride his elite power to the top. Our model is not only persuaded by Duno’s pop, but also his good discipline, as he has walked in 18.2% of his plate appearances in 2025, ranking second among all qualified hitters in his league.

Behind the dish, scouts praise his maturity and ability to manage pitching staffs, traits that are boosted by his bilingual language skills. His standout defensive trait is his plus arm, but he’s only nabbed 27.7% of potential stealers, a struggle that Baseball America cites as technique rather than “tool” related. We’re intrigued to see how his catching improves over time as he adds experience; he only DH’d in 2023, and only played 21 games behind the plate in 2024. In fact, he’s caught more games this season than the previous two combined!

All-Star Duno is a hit-first masher, capable of hitting 15+ homers before the break. While he’s unlikely ever to be a plus catcher, he projects as a solid mentor and clubhouse guy. For now, we’re eager to see him challenged further in High-A!

1B Luke Adams (MIL)

Adams gets very little love. He’s not in the Fangraphs or Baseball America top 100, and Fangraphs barely has him ranked within the top 30 of the Brewers organization. He’s a slugging right-handed first baseman who doesn’t look super graceful out there, but who absolutely gets the job done and more. So far this year he’s smacked 11 long balls in 59 games, the same total it took him 101 games to get to last year. He’s 6’4” and 210 and likely to fill that frame out more as he continues to develop, so that upward trend in home run rate has a very good shot of continuing.

Adams is also an on-base machine. Going into the year there was some concern that his good walk rate was driven by passivity rather than patience, but the fact that he’s managed to just about maintain that walk rate while also lowering his strikeout rate this year while adjusting to life in Double-A suggests he does actually have a good eye at the plate and won’t get beat by strike throwers going forward. More broadly than that, the fact that he’s managed to actually improve almost all aspects of his game despite making the significant jump up from High-A to Double-A this year is an extremely good sign–that’s a rare achievement and hitters who are able to improve their performance in the same season they climb a level are surer bets to be productive at the MLB level.

And just to prove we’re not fair-weather Adams fans: when he was struggling at the beginning of this year, we highlighted him in our article about the stickiness of different tools as a player to keep the faith with. We wrote: “a tough start contact-wise and underwhelming XBH numbers in the past couple of seasons masks plus power and some bad batted-ball luck (but he does hit a ton of infield fly balls).” The infield fly balls are still there, but the BABIP luck has turned and the power is shining through. All-Star Adams has mashed 18 tanks before the break, 16 of them to the pull side, and is rocking a low average but great on-base percentage. See you in the Midsummer Classic (in five years) Luke!

2B Jett Williams (NYM)

Jett Williams fits the bill of an Oyster favorite–an undersized shortstop that at points has been counted out by mainstream rankings. Injuries limited his effectiveness and time on the field in 2024, but now that he’s fully healthy and playing every day he’s dominating Double-A. You only need to glance at his season stats and his elite 155 wRC+ to know this guy is going to be good.

But why do we think he’s going to be the NL starter at the keystone in 2030? Because he is not just a darling of our model, but is also a guy who has almost every green flag we’ve identified in our other research projects. He’s a shortstop in MiLB, which means that when he likely mans second for the Mets (Lindor will still be around when he’s called up) he’s likely to be a great defender there. He’s a pure hitter (high contact rate, great gap power, some fence-clearing ability)–the most frequently successful combination of traits among Double-A players. And, unlike some pure hitters, he also walks a lot–a skill that is hard to develop and sticky, meaning he’s likely to be an on-base machine in the show as well. If that’s not enough, this guy is also a prolific and efficient base stealer (24 bags at an 82.7% success rate this year). He does so many things well that he’s not reliant on just one elite trait, which makes us more confident in projecting him as a productive MLB player for the long haul. All-Star Jett is an all-round threat at the plate who plays a mean second base and is dangerous on the bases.

SS JJ Wetherholt (STL)

Wetherholt recently hit our minimum sample size to be considered for our model, and he’s rocketed to near the top of our rankings. He’s incredibly well-rounded, posting above-average contact, discipline, and some decent power as well. While he lacks the theoretical sky-high upside or 30-HR power of other prospect shortstops, Wetherholt can do it all, and the mainstream outlets agree, with MLB Pipeline, Fangraphs, and Baseball America giving him no lower than a 50 rating in any of his tools.

Despite the lack of ++ tools, Wetherholt has put up some gaudy Double-A numbers; walking more than he Ks (15.7% to 14.5%), hitting .300 with a respectable .466 slugging percentage, and doing it all with a non-bizarre .337 BABIP. He’s also avoided injury thus far, which is key for a guy who battled injury in college.

He’s proven to have an apt glove at shortstop and will be given some third base time in Triple-A to aid in his overall versatility, which should help him to secure regular at-bats in the show. Wetherholt’s scooted under the radar relative to his draft year peers, but we wouldn’t be shocked if he outshines all of them!

All-Star Wetherholt is a strong overall producer who would be a standout in any lineup. A steady Eddie with limited flaws, he’s the best player in the league, who nobody would say is the best player in the league.

3B Luis Peña (MIL)

We’ve said nearly all there is to say about Peña; he’s an elite hitting talent with a top-end hit tool and respectable power. In every one of our pieces outlining prospect development, Peña checks all the boxes when predicting future success; he’s only 18 and in Single-A, he has a sub-15% K%, and has improved his overall power, cranking six homers a year away from hitting only one in the DSL. It is extraordinarily rare for prospects to hit over .300 in their first year in domestic ball, and Peña is doing so with above average power. The exceptional nature of his 2025 is highlighted in his player comparisons; three bonafide big league ballplayers and two with star upside.

We think Peña’s lack of power or massive fielding upside keeps him relatively under the radar, but his 2025 production has been undeniable. Peña has rocketed up the Baseball America rankings, rising to #20 overall after beginning the year unranked. We’ve had him in our top 25 since our preseason rankings, and his standout season forced him to #3 overall, and one of only three players with a “Star %” of at least 40%.

Peña’s few flaws are his relatively low walk percentage, (below 10% in the DSL and Single-A) and his acceptable but not fantastic shortstop glove. His power surge has helped assuage slap hitter concerns, and his great overall athleticism should make him a solid fielder wherever he ends up, even if he fails to develop the skillset for shortstop.

NL-All-Star Peña is a 3B who makes the old heads blush with his high batting average, but if opposing pitchers make mistakes, he’s capable of crushing the ball. Out of all our NL prospects, he’s the guy with the biggest modeled upside.

OF Konnor Griffin (PIT)

Konnor Griffin finally has the sample size to appear in our models, and he’s surged to near the top of our list! The breakout prospect of 2025 so far, Griffin is a tool shed with the results to back it up, tallying a 158 wRC+ in Single and High A. Power? Check (He has 13 homers). Average? Check (He is hitting .330). Response to better competition? Check (He’s been even better in High-A). Griffin has a sky-high ceiling and has more than passed every test thus far.

Our model cutoff (June 27) leaves off much of his High-A work, during which he’s displayed skills that our model covets. He’s slashed his 51.0% Single-A groundball rate to 37.1%, key considering his gaudy exit velo numbers. He is also walking more and striking out less in High-A than in Single-A, a testament to his strong swing decisions despite higher caliber arms.

Our model still balks at his small sample size, but if he continues to dominate High-A, a top five ranking is imminent. In our non-modeled opinion, he may have the highest ceiling in all of baseball, with the capability to be a 5-tool player at shortstop or center field. If the scouts believe, and the model believes, we’re sold. The Pirates may finally have the hitting prospect they’ve waited for since Andrew McCutchen!

All-Star Griffin is one of the game’s best, a well-rounded, exciting prospect that the kids want to be when they grow up. With under 350 minor league PA, he’s got a long way to go, but his skills are dynamic and potentially generational.

OF Zyhir Hope (LAD)

Hope is one of the next young up-and-comers in the Dodgers’ elite farm, and we believe he’s a promising all-around prospect! While fellow Dodger Josue De Paula is known as a bat-first outfielder, Hope is a solid fielder with a similarly prodigious bat. In 2025, he continued his ascension, posting an identical 138 wRC+ in High-A as he did in his limited High-A action in 2024. De Paula’s greatest weapon is his stellar K/BB rate and fantastic contact quality; he strikes out just a bit more than he walks (19.3 K%, 18.8 BB%) and has a tremendous 26.8% line drive rate.

As Hope continues to add muscle, it may benefit him to hit more pulled fly balls, but with a decently low 39.5% groundball rate, he’s excellent at avoiding the easier outs. He does have a solid 40.4% pull rate, but also has a 39.4% opposite-field rate, a profile that could cap his power; he’s not a James Wood-esque monster. Regardless, line drives are always solid outcomes!

There’s some variance to his mainstream scouting profiles; Fangraphs gives him a poor 40 hit tool, 70 raw power, and 60 in-game power, while Baseball America and MLB Pipeline have Hope’s hit tool as a 55. We’d tend to lean toward the latter projection, as Hope’s line drive approach screams a decent hitting output, with the walk rate turning him into a premier producer. As a fielder, Hope is athletic but also growing in size; he’s a candidate to move from center to a corner (although that’s what we all said about premier centerfielder Julio Rodríguez years ago…). Overall, he offers a decent floor with his solid approach, with the potential to have massive upside if the power begins to surface. At age 20, he’s got time, and if he can keep smacking liners, he’ll be a solid MLB player either way!

NL All-Star Hope is an under-the-radar producer in the corner outfield who does everything well. He’s a run-gathering machine with the juice to punish those who are forced into strike-throwing with his great eye.

OF Justin Crawford (PHI)

Justin Crawford, another prospect with an MLB dad, is one of the game’s most polarizing prospects. The haters point to his absurd 60% + groundball rate as evidence that he’s a slap hitter without a huge MLB ceiling, akin to a Chandler Simpson (who has nearly been a league average hitter in 2025). We believe in Crawford far more than nearly anyone; we have him in our top 10. What do we see?

While undoubtedly a limited power threat, Crawford has been somewhat effective in generating doubles, posting an above-average XBH rate in his 2025 Triple-A stint. Comparative player Chandler Simpson failed to crack a .100 ISO in A-Ball or higher, while Crawford has maintained a .100+ ISO in each of his last three seasons. The X-factor that sparked Crawford’s rise into our top 10 is his improved walk rate, which is 11%, up from 6.4% in 2024. For a player without serious power, on-base percentage is key, and Crawford is swinging less and making the same amount of contact as prior seasons, a positive development.

Again, just like Simpson, Crawford faces two big questions:

1. Can the OBP remain high, even as MLB pitchers fail to respect their power?

2. Can he be a plus outfielder?

The second point is perhaps the biggest key for Crawford; he’s a freaky athlete and base-stealing extraordinaire, but can he translate those skills into elite outfield play? He’s still a work in progress in center field, and if he can figure things out, he has plus glove, slightly above average bat, and elite baserunning potential. If he struggles to remain a center fielder, his bat will need to step up for Crawford to remain a productive player.

All-Star Crawford is a more refined outfielder, and his speed wows fans. He’s a gritty hitter and a defense pressurizer who is a valuable player, even if he isn’t a pitcher terrorizer.

DH Moisés Ballesteros (CHC)

Ballesteros is a beast of a hitter, a contact menace with very few weaknesses. He’s rocking it in Triple-A this season, upping his league-average wRC+ in 2024 to 129 thus far in 2025. He’s got elite contact skills, and he’s hitting .336 in Triple-A. His power is no slouch either; he’s a doubles machine and has eight jacks so far this season. You can’t groove strikes to Ballesteros!

His stellar bat was enough to get him a cup of coffee in the bigs earlier this year, but he needs time in Triple-A to develop his catching skills. His stocky frame and somewhat limited athleticism spark concerns about his ability to stay behind the dish, and his below-average arm is also a negative. Ballesteros hasn’t improved in his caught stealing skills in 2025; he’s still nabbing a paltry 15% of base runners. Despite this, Craig Counsell and Jed Hoyer are still optimistic on Ballesteros’ catching future, with Hoyer stating upon Ballesteros’ demotion: “The offense is ahead of the catching, but that’s natural. There’s a reason that catchers get better with age.” To us, that’s a real positive for his future, and the breakouts of Carson Kelly and Reese McGuire have allowed the Cubs to slow-play Ballesteros’ catching development.

Even if he’s not bona fide starting catcher material, his bat will more than play as a DH, and that’s where he would play in our NL lineup. Mature Moisés is a fan favorite with elite contact skills and a hitting style that gets a certain Twitter demographic to anoint him as the best hitter in baseball. We don’t think his ceiling is that high, but make no mistake, Ballesteros has the goods to be an MLB regular with legit All-Star potential.

A Challenge!

A post-article challenge for our readers: name one current player and one draft pick/future international FA who will be a 2030 NL All-Star. My pick? Future All-Star and Rookie of the Year Do-Yeong Kim, a South Korean 21-year-old who is obliterating the KBO. How about you? We’ll highlight some of our favorite responses!