Predicting Each MLB Team's Face of the Franchise in 2029
Which player will be the face of every MLB franchise three years from now?
Except for the NL West, all the division races are within five games, and the seven-car pile-up that is the battle for the last wild-card spot in the American League all but guarantees to come right down to the wire.
But we've still got at least another few weeks before those postseason races become daily must-watch theatre. That's why mid-August has always been a prime window for gazing into cloudy crystal balls with topics like this one.
Ahead, we've identified the player we expect to be "the guy" for each team in 2029, based on a combination of age, contract status, prospect potential and more. On the off-chance we're wrong, we're also including a "Don't Sleep On" player for each team who could become the face of the franchise.
Of note, there are a few big-time impending free agents worth considering here.
Tarik Skubal hits the open market for the first time this winter. Munetaka Murakami, Adley Rutschman and Jeremy Peรฑa headline a solid class of guys who could become very rich next offseason. And then you've got Gunnar Henderson, Ronald Acuรฑa Jr., CJ Abrams and plenty more slated for free agency after 2028.
We won't be projecting landing spots for any of those players here, but we know they could become the singular star of wherever they land.
AL Central | AL East | AL West | NL Central | NL East | NL West
AL East
1 of 6
Baltimore Orioles: 1B Pete Alonso (signed through 2030)
With any luck, the O's will be able to re-up with Gunnar Henderson before he hits free agency for the first time in 2028. But, if not, at least we know the Polar Bear isn't going anywhere any time soon. He'll be 34 by the time the 2029 season begins, but there's a decent chance he'll cross the "400 career home runs" threshold during that campaign.
Don't Sleep On: C Samuel Basallo
Boston Red Sox: OF Roman Anthony (signed through at least 2033)
It has been a disappointing 2026 campaign for Anthony, who has been out since early May with a torn tendon in his ring finger. (He did finally start a rehab assignment on Tuesday, though.) But the Red Sox surely still have grand plans for the star outfielder who signed an eight-year, $130M extension shortly after his arrival in the bigs last summer.
Don't Sleep On: SS Franklin Arias
New York Yankees: OF Aaron Judge (signed through 2031)
The Yankees also have Max Fried signed through 2032, Cam Schlittler under team control through 2031 and George Lombard Jr. just a few weeks into what could be a marvelous career. But, come on. "All Rise" is going to be the face of this franchise until he retires, much like Derek Jeter before him. He'll turn 37 early on in the 2029 season and, injuries permitting, should reach 500 career home runs not long after.
Don't Sleep On: SS George Lombard Jr.
Tampa Bay Rays: 3B Junior Caminero (under team control through 2030)
Caminero hit 45 home runs last year in his age-21 campaign, and he's on pace for an identical total this year. Even if he 'only' gets to 41, he would be the first player in MLB history with two seasons of 41 or more home runs before his age-23 year. Do you suppose Cleveland regrets trading him for Tobias Myers yet?
Don't Sleep On: OF Theo Gillen
Toronto Blue Jays: 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (signed through 2039)
He darn well better be the face of the franchise in 2029, right? The latter years of Guerrero's 14-year, $500M megadeal might be a bit painful for the Blue Jays, but he will have just turned 30 at the start of 2029 and should still be in his prime, ideally leaving this disappointing 2026 season well behind him in the rearview mirror.
Don't Sleep On: RHP Dylan Cease
AL Central
2 of 6
Chicago White Sox: SS Colson Montgomery (under team control through 2031)
Munetaka Murakami only signed a two-year deal with the White Sox this past winter, so he isn't a candidate here. It's really a tossup between the other two sluggers in this lineup: Colson Montgomery and Miguel Vargas. And though there's a chance that 2026 No. 1 overall pick Roch Cholowsky will be making a real impact by 2029, we'll take the current shortstop who also clubbed 21 home runs in just 71 games played last season.
Don't Sleep On: SS Roch Cholowsky
Cleveland Guardians: 3B Josรฉ Ramรญrez (signed through 2032)
If it ain't broke, don't fix it. And with Ramรญrez re-upping on a seven-year extension this past winter, he's pretty well locked in as the face of this franchise through at least the end of the decade. He's arguably already one of the players on Cleveland's Mount Rushmore, and he's probably going to go down as the greatest player in this franchise's history when all is said and done.
Don't Sleep On: OF Chase DeLauter
Detroit Tigers: SS Kevin McGonigle (signed through 2034)
When the Tigers signed McGonigle to an eight-year, $150M extension a whole three weeks into his MLB career, it was a calculated risk. Already, though, it's looking like it could be a preposterously team-friendly contract. He's going to win AL Rookie of the Year and may well finish in the top five of AL MVP voting. He and Max Clark are going to be quite the infield/outfield tandem for years to come.
Don't Sleep On: OF Max Clark
Kansas City Royals: SS Bobby Witt Jr. (signed through at least 2030)
Since his arrival in 2022, Witt has amassed 120 home runs, 181 stolen bases, an .841 OPS, a pair of Gold Gloves and a batting crown. Save for three-time MVP Aaron Judge and four-time MVP Shohei Ohtani, he has been the most valuable player of the past half-decade. Even if he opts out of the remainder of his contract after 2030, it's likely he would do so as the second-greatest Royal ever, behind only George Brett.
Don't Sleep On: RF Jac Caglianone
Minnesota Twins: OF Walker Jenkins (has not yet made MLB debut)
Joe Ryan has one year left before he hits free agency. Both Byron Buxton and Royce Lewis will also be hitting the open market after 2028. So unless you're all-in on Brooks Lee or Luke Keaschall becoming stars, it's tough to identify an active Twin who is destined for greatness. They do have a highly touted prospect in Walker Jenkins, though, who has been raking at Triple-A thus far in August. He could be a crucial September call-up and a key piece of this core as early as next season.
Don't Sleep On: SS Kaelen Culpepper
AL West
3 of 6
Athletics: 1B Nick Kurtz (under team control through 2031)
Kurtz is not one of the four hitters that the A's have managed to sign to an early contract extension, but he also isn't going to reach free agency any time soon. Through his first 204 games in the majors, he clubbed 56 home runs with 152 RBI. And if he can even remotely replicate that for the foreseeable future, the only question is who becomes the other half of Bash Brothers 2.0?
Don't Sleep On: IF Leo De Vries
Houston Astros: OF Cam Smith (under team control through 2030)
Of the 17 Astros who have recorded either 230 plate appearances or 55 innings pitched this season, only four are controllable through 2029. Of that quartet, only Cam Smith can reasonably be considered a long-term building blockโand even that is questionable. On top of that, the Astros have arguably the least promising farm system among the 30 teams. The outlook could change, but Houston could also be in a bleak position three years from now.
Don't Sleep On: UTIL Brice Matthews
Los Angeles Angels: OF Mike Trout (signed through 2030)
Trout will turn 38 during the 2029 campaign, but can you come up with a better candidate here? Even if they keep both Zach Neto and Nolan Schanuel for as long as they can, both of those former first-round picks will be hitting free agency after 2029 (if they don't sign extensions first). And Trout has been more valuable than both of them this season anyway. He's also currently at 424 home runs and reasonably could get to 500 in 2029.
Don't Sleep On: RHP Walbert Ureรฑa
Seattle Mariners: CF Julio Rodrรญguez (signed through at least 2029)
After the 2028 season, the Mariners have to decide if they're going to exercise an eight-year club option of at least $240M for 2030-37. If they decline it, he can exercise a five-year, $90M player option for 2030-34. But 2029 would be really awkward if the M's go that route. If they pick up the option, thoughโwhich, if they had to decide today, they probably wouldโthey're locking him in as their main man for well into the 2030s.
Don't Sleep On: IF Cole Young
Texas Rangers: SS Corey Seager (signed through 2031)
Seager will turn 35 early in the 2029 campaign, which is a tough ask for a shortstop who has already endured more than his fair share of injuries over the past nine years. But if not Seager, then whom? An even older Brandon Nimmo? Evan Carter or Wyatt Langford in what presently would be his final year before free agency? Maybe their 20-year-old top prospect will be ready to shine by then, but we'll go with the $325M Seager for now.
Don't Sleep On: IF Sebastian Walcott
NL East
4 of 6
Atlanta Braves: CF Michael Harris II (signed through at least 2030)
In addition to our official "Don't Sleep On" pick of Drake Baldwin, don't sleep on Matt Olson becoming an inescapable narrative in 2029. If he continues to play in every gameโand if there actually are 162 games played in 2027โhe's on track to reach third place behind only Cal Ripken Jr. and Lou Gehrig on MLB's consecutive games played list in early May 2029. But Harris' eight-year, $72M contract (with club options for 2031 and 2032) is the gift that keeps on giving to Atlanta.
Don't Sleep On: C Drake Baldwin
Miami Marlins: OF Owen Caissie (under team control through 2031)
The year 2029 could be a make-or-break one for the Marlins, with Otto Lopez, Xavier Edwards, Kyle Stowers, Max Meyer and Eury Pรฉrez all slated to hit free agency that winter. But considering they gave up three years of team control of Edward Cabrera to get Owen Caissie (and two other prospects) this past offseason, they've got to be hoping he'll become a major piece of the puzzle.
Don't Sleep On: OF Griffin Conine
New York Mets: OF Juan Soto (signed through at least 2029)
Soto could opt out of the 10 years and $460M left on his contract after 2029, but the Mets could also void the opt out by turning it into a 10-year, $500M deal from that point forward. So, he's probably a Met for life at this point, and they didn't give him $765M in December 2024 for him to not be the face of this franchise in 2029.
Don't Sleep On: OF Carson Benge
Philadelphia Phillies: LHP Cristopher Sรกnchez (signed through 2031)
The Phillies have six players signed through at least 2030, but four of themโBryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner and Aaron Nolaโwill be in their age-36 season in 2029. Maybe Harper or Schwarber will still be the star of the show at this point, but let's finally get a pitcher onto the list, yeah? And outside of maybe Tarik Skubal, Cristopher Sรกnchez has been the best pitcher in baseball since the beginning of last season. His six-year, $104M contract sure is looking like a steal these days.
Don't Sleep On: DH Kyle Schwarber
Washington Nationals: OF James Wood (under team control through 2030)
Had he not landed on the IL with an oblique strain in early August, there was a real chance Wood was going to get to 45 home runs, 100 RBI and 25 stolen bases. That's a line that has been achieved just six times in MLB history, and only by Shohei Othani (twice) in the past 25 years. Not too shabby for a 23-year-old who has also drawn 90 walks this season.
Don't Sleep On: SS Eli Willits
NL Central
5 of 6
Chicago Cubs: CF Pete Crow-Armstrong (signed through 2032)
Pete Crow-Armstrong vs. Shohei Ohtani for NL MVP has become quite the heated debate, but there's no debating who the face of the Cubs is. They locked in PCA on a six-year, $115M extension just a few days before this season began, meaning he'll cost them, on average, less than $20M per year through 2032. What a steal for a guy who might mess around and join the 40/40 club while winning a Platinum Glove.ย
Don't Sleep On: OF Kevin Alcantara
Cincinnati Reds: 1B/3B Sal Stewart (under team control through 2031)
2029 is going to be Cincinnati's last year of control on Elly De La Cruz. And given Scott Boras' history of not letting his guys sign extensions before hitting free agency, that isn't likely to change. So there's a good chance Stewart will be the guy for the Reds by three years from nowโif he isn't already. With 27 home runs and an MLB-best 96 RBI, he's in a two-horse race with JJ Wetherholt for NL Rookie of the Year.
Don't Sleep On: RHP Chase Burns
Milwaukee Brewers: RHP Jacob Misiorowski (under team control through 2031)
Jackson Chourio, Cooper Pratt and No. 1 overall prospectย Jesรบs Made could all be the correct answer here, as position players naturally have a leg up on pitchers in face of the franchise conversations. But Misiorowski isn't just another pitcher. He is a weekly spectacle, 80 percent of the way through arguably the most dominant pitching season in at least a quarter century. If he can stay healthy, he's going to have multiple Cy Youngs by 2029 and will be "theย Brewer" much like Clayton Kershaw was "theย Dodger" for a while.
Don't Sleep On: SS Jesรบs Made
Pittsburgh Pirates: SS Konnor Griffin (signed through 2034)
Like De La Cruz in Cincinnati, Paul Skenes is the current face of the franchise in Pittsburgh. However, it feels like a sure thing that 2029 will also be his final season with the Piratesโif they even keep him that long. But Griffin entered 2026 as arguably the top prospect in all of baseball, and his legacy in the Steel City is just getting started. It's a shame that injuries have limited him to just eight games played since the end of May, but he is already a star in the making.
Don't Sleep On: OF Esmerlyn Valdรฉz
St. Louis Cardinals: IF JJ Wetherholt (signed through 2034)
Joshuaย Bรกez made a historic one-game first impression with three home runs in his MLB debut last week, but Wetherholt has made the best full-season first impression in St. Louis since Albert Pujols won Rookie of the Year in 2001. He is the biggest reason the Cardinals have a tangible postseason pulse right now, and they've already locked him in for the next eight years for barely $14M a pop.
Don't Sleep On: OF Joshua Bรกez
NL West
6 of 6
Arizona Diamondbacks: OF Corbin Carroll (signed through at least 2030)
Carroll just turned 26 on Friday, yet he is already MLB's active leader in career triples with 58. There's a chance he'll end up with 20 triples, 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases this season, which hasn't been done since 2007. And he's still just getting started. Wherever the Snakes go from here, he is the foundation.
Don't Sleep On: OF Ryan Waldschmidt
Colorado Rockies: 1B T.J. Rumfield (under team control through 2031)
The only player for the Rockies with a known salary in 2029 is Ezequiel Tovar, and he simply has not been the same player since they inked him to a seven-year, $63.5M extension in 2024. But maybe Rumfield becomes the building block this franchise has been looking for since running off Nolan Arenado and Trevor Story. They got Rumfield from the Yankees in January for the low price of Angel Chivilli, and he has quickly become their co-MVP alongside Hunter Goodman, whose last year of arbitration eligibility will be in 2029.
Don't Sleep On: SS Ethan Holliday
Los Angeles Dodgers: DH/RHP Shohei Ohtani (signed through 2033)
Whether he'll still be pitching in 2029 remains to be seen, but the four-time MVP is the face of Major League Baseball right now. It's hard to imagine he will not still be the face of the Dodgers in 2029, when he will be in his age-34 season with four years remaining on his $700M contract. Heck, 2029 could even be when he passes Barry Bonds for most MVP trophies in a career. (Though, we shall see if he can edge out PCA for No. 5 this year.)ย
Don't Sleep On: OF Josue De Paula
San Diego Padres: RF Fernando Tatis Jr. (signed through 2034)
Two months into this season, Tatis' 14-year contract was starting to look like more of a curse than a gift. But after posting a .595 OPS through his first 50 games, he has been north of .900 over the past 76 contests, mashing his own home runs when not busy robbing others' grand slams. He might already be the greatest Padre not named Tony Gwynn or Trevor Hoffman, and it probably won't be long before he leaves Hoffman in the dust.
Don't Sleep On: CF Jackson Merrill
San Francisco Giants: 1B/DH Bryce Eldridge (under team control through 2031)
The Giants will still be paying Rafael Devers, Matt Chapman and Willy Adames a ton of money through 2029 and beyond, but it rather feels like "Bryce Eldridge or bust" as far as a face of the franchise is concerned. Maybe Devers flips that script and wins back over the fans, but this rookie already looks the part in his age-21 campaign.
Don't Sleep On: IF Marcelo Mayer
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