Here are the future All-Stars of the AL West

March 27th, 2020

Some of the game’s biggest names reside in the American League West.

It’s packed with All-Stars like the Angels' Mike Trout, the Astros' Michael Brantley, José Altuve and George Springer and countless others. There’s also a growing list of future All-Stars to come from this loaded division one day.

With that in mind, here’s a list of the next generation of players from the AL West that will someday represent the AL in the Midsummer Classic.

Angels:

The Halos' top prospect per MLB Pipeline, Adell hasn't quite reached the Majors yet, but he's right on the doorstep and has all the makings of a future star. Adell, the No. 6 overall prospect in baseball, is the club's best prospect since Trout, and he has the potential to make regular appearances in the All-Star Game. Adell will likely make his debut this season before taking over as the everyday right fielder in 2021. He has a rare blend of speed and power that should make him the perfect complement to Trout in the outfield.

Astros:

Tucker, ranked as the Astros’ top position-player prospect entering last season, should push for playing time in right field in 2020 after slashing .269/.319/.537 with four homers and 11 RBIs in 22 games last season with the Astros and landing on the playoff roster. That came on the heels of a disappointing debut in ’18, when he slashed .141/.236/.203 in 28 games. The Astros’ Minor League Player of the Year in ’18 and ’19, Tucker’s window for playing time figures to swing wide open in ’21 with all three of the Astros’ starting outfielders in ’19 -- Brantley, Springer and Josh Reddick -- facing free agency after this season. Tucker has the tools to be a star at the big league level, and at 23 years old, he has nothing left to prove in the Minor Leagues. His time is now.

Athletics:

Jesús Luzardo certainly seems destined to make his share of All-Star teams over his career, but in trying to stick to position players here, we’ll go with Murphy, a catcher. The A’s got a glimpse at what they have in their No. 2 prospect last September when the rookie was thrust into the middle of a playoff chase and blasted four home runs through his first six Major League starts. Murphy has also received high praise from A’s pitchers and coaches for his game-calling abilities and tools behind the plate at such a young age, so much that they entrusted him with starting behind the plate in the 2019 AL Wild Card Game. Add in his cannon of an arm that allows him to keep runners in check and the A’s just might have the complete package in Murphy.

Mariners:

Of the many Seattle prospects knocking on the door, the 24-year-old Lewis appears to have the best chance to land an All-Star berth in the near future. The 2016 first-round Draft choice features the kind of power that helps players land in the Midsummer Classic, as he showed in his September debut last season. Lewis’ first MLB hit was a home run off Trevor Bauer, and Lewis wound up becoming the first player in Major League history to homer in six of his first 10 career games. One of those blasts was the longest home run by a Mariner in 2019, a 457-foot shot against the Reds’ Lucas Sims.

Lewis wound up slashing .268/.293/.592 with six homers and 13 RBIs in 18 games and obviously will face some challenges now as he makes the jump from Double-A to full-time MLB starter when this season gets underway. But at 6-foot-4, 210 pounds, the Georgia native has the size and speed to be a standout corner outfielder, and his three homers in 29 at-bats in the abbreviated Cactus League this spring served as further reminder of the power potential.

Rangers:

Odor can be a frustrating player because he strikes out a lot and doesn't hit for a high batting average. But he is only 26 years old and was enjoying an excellent spring. He also finished strong last season. In his final 25 games, he hit .263 with nine home runs, 26 RBIs, a .340 on-base percentage and a .632 slugging percentage. If he can do that for a full season, he is easily an All-Star. The Rangers say Odor is starting to figure things out.