Simulating Major League Baseball 50 Years Into The Future

27 min readMay 26, 2022

Major League Baseball is fascinating. It’s the definition of “a game of chance.” Their 162-game season creates a highly volatile environment in terms of team performance. A team can be amazing after 100 games but fall apart and miss the playoffs. And a team can be absolutely awful to begin the season and turn things around to either make the playoffs or vastly succeed expectation. That’s not to say that other sports don’t have their own volatility, but the length of the baseball schedule heightens the volatility because it’s harder to remain consistent over 162 games.

Baseball is a game that I love, and I am excited to see the future of the sport. However, the future is a long ways away. So, I’ve decided to take a peek for myself. Using Out of the Park Baseball 23 (OOTP 23), a baseball simulation strategy game available on PC, I simulated 50 years into the future. What changes will be made? Which teams will dominate? Will any of the top prospects we see today become megastars? Let’s find out together.

Before we begin, I want to go over a few housekeeping items. For those unfamiliar with OOTP 23, there’s a setting in the game called Automatic Evolution. This setting will cause all the changes that occur in this save, whether it be schedule length, relocation, rebrandings, rule changes, etc. I started the game unemployed and will not manage a team throughout this experiment. All the settings are set to their default setting. The only thing I did before starting to sim was generate FaceGen pictures for all the players and staff.

And before anyone sticks up and starts screeching about realism, this isn’t a predictions piece. This is simply a fun exercise. I am not claiming that these things will happen, and 98% of the events that occur in this simulation likely won’t happen. Just wanted to clear that up. With that out of the way, here’s how the next 50 years of Major League Baseball unfolded.

2022–2029: Relatively Normal

We’ve just concluded the 2029 season and are on the verge of 2030 Spring Training. The first major change I noticed was a rebranding. The Miami Marlins rebranded the ball club before the 2024 season and are now the Miami Sailfish. That was the last obvious change you could see while simulating. Once simulating was done, I found two other changes: the National League got rid of the designated hitter, and the mound height was lowered. Both of those changes occurred following the 2022 season.

The 2022 World Series was contested between the New York Yankees and Milwaukee Brewers, with the Brew Crew winning it all in five games. Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout would make the World Series the following season, but the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Los Angeles Angels, denying them the championship. The Cleveland Guardians would make two consecutive World Series appearances but lost both, first to the Atlanta Braves and then to the Cardinals. The Brewers won a second ring in 2026 before the New York Mets defeated the Yankees in a Subway Series match-up for their first ring since 1986. The Bronx Bombers would finally end their 19-year World Series drought in 2028. 2029 saw the Detroit Tigers win it all for the first time since 1984.

Strikeouts for batters were a problem. Mark Reynolds, who struck out 223 times during the 2009 season, holds the current record for most strikeouts in a season. Batters broke this record five times during our simulation, starting with Kansas City Royals outfielder Khalil Lee striking out 224 times in 2023. St. Louis’ Tyler O’Neill holds the second and fourth most strikeouts in a season, recording 226 (2025) and 228 (2026) punchouts in single campaigns. Anthony Alford, who is currently a free agent in the game, was set down on strikes 227 times in 2024 with the Pittsburgh Pirates. And the current record holder is Mario Zabala, a real-life MLB draft prospect who was selected fifth overall by the Tigers in 2022 (the game set its own 2022 draft order). He struck out 229 times in 2027.

The pictures below show the awards for both the AL and NL. From left to right you have the MVP, Cy Young, Rookie of the Year, and Reliever of the Year.

You may have noticed that both Juan Soto and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. are at different clubs by the time they win their MVPs. Soto, despite real-life rumors about a trade, left via free agency to sign an eight-year, $328.5 million contract with the Mets in 2024. As for Vlad Jr., he joined the Chicago Cubs on a seven-year $220.5M deal in 2027. The Cubs also have Bo Bichette, who signed a five-year, $161.6M deal in 2026. Here are a few more tidbits about other notable players:

Carlos Correa exercised his opt-out clause and left the Twins for the Los Angeles Dodgers of all teams, signing an eight-year, $276M contract.
Ohtani, now 35, is a free agent currently. He spent a tiny amount of time in Triple-A in 2025, 2028, and 2029, playing no more than 11 games in those spans. 2028 and 2029 may have been rehab assignments, as he did deal with injuries during that time. However, he suffered an injury in 2025 that I believe took him out for the rest of the season given the length of time he was out, so I’m not sure why he went to AAA there.
Manny Machado is no longer on the Padres. He was traded to the Tigers in 2028 for 2B Trey Snyder and SP Danny Munoz, both generated players. After the Tigers lost in the ALCS to the Yankees, the now 37-year-old Machado signed with the Milwaukee Brewers.
Jose Ramirez left the Cleveland Guardians in 2028 in favor of a two-year deal with the New York Mets.
Matt Olson now calls Fenway Park home. The Braves voided their team option for the 2029 season, and he signed with the Boston Red Sox on a three-year contract.
Bobby Witt Jr. has become one of the better players in baseball, and he cashed in. He’s joined the Houston Astros on a seven-year, $218.8M contract.
The Tigers had the fifth pick in the 2022 draft, but they also ended up with the player selected second in that draft, albeit weirdly. The Rangers selected OF Elijah Green third overall in 2022 but he didn’t sign. The Tigers selected him in 2025 second overall, and he signed, eventually becoming one of the best bats in baseball.
Eric Cerantola, a 2021 draft pick of the Kansas City Royals, became the second pitcher in American League history to strike out 20 batters in a game on September 21, 2026.

I simmed into March 2030 so I could get the 2030 Hall of Fame class. Here is the HoF voting history from 2022 to 2030, with names in red showing players inducted into the Hall:

And finally, a few tidbits I found interesting regarding staff (coaches, managers, GMs, etc.):

A list of managers who are still with the team they began the simulation with: Brandon Hyde (BAL), Alex Cora (BOS), Rocco Baldelli (MIN), Oliver Marmol (STL), and Chris Woodward (TEX).
A list of GMs who remained with their original team: Alex Anthopoulos (ATL), Matt Arnold (MIL), and Thad Levine (MIN).
The New York Yankees currently have Theo Epstein as their GM and Carlos Beltran as their manager.
Robin Ventura returned as Chicago White Sox manager in 2027 following three years away from baseball.
MLB Hall of Famer Frank Thomas is the first base coach of the Cleveland Guardians.
I’m pointing this one out because I’m a Tigers fan. Detroit still has Chris Fetter as pitching coach and Ramon Santiago as third-base coach.
Jose Valentin is the first base coach of the Houston Astros.
Former Tiger Quintin Berry is the Milwaukee Brewers' first base coach.
Chaim Bloom returned to the Tampa Bay Rays as their general manager in 2027.
Former Phillies outfielder Pat Burrell is the hitting coach of the Washington Nationals.

2030–2039: Strikeouts Galore

We have now simmed up to 2040 Spring Training. While simulating, I noticed the first relocation of the experiment. The Pittsburgh Pirates moved to Austin, Texas, to become the Austin Jammers. I found after simulating that also in 2032, the active roster size was changed to 27. And in 2034, the minimum required service time to reach free agency was lowered to five years.

Here are the World Series matchups from 2030 to 2039, with the team highlighted in blue showing the World Series champion. Also shown are the league batting averages and ERA for the AL and NL.

The amount of times hitters struck out continued to climb, as there are now thirty hitters with more strikeouts in one season than Reynolds had in 2009. Here are the top 15:

I checked to see if there were any pitchers who cracked the list for most strikeouts in a season, and while no one broke Old Hoss Radbourn’s 441 strikeouts a season, there was one pitcher who stood out. Chicago White Sox starter Layndon Carter only made his major league debut in the 2038 season, but he has a combined 687 strikeouts in two seasons. He struck out 347 batters in 2039, the most any pitcher in this sim as recorded to date.

As a quick aside, Carter was the first overall pick on three separate occasions. The Tampa Bay Rays (2033) and Seattle Mariners (2036) picked him, but he declined to sign both times. The Sox took him in 2037, and he finally put pen to paper. He has won back-to-back Cy Young awards. Speaking of awards, here are the award winners from 2030 to 2039:

It looks like a good amount of the players that we are familiar with have retired. There are still real players kicking about, such as Cleveland’s Angel Martinez and Zabala, who’s 37 and with the Cardinals now. Here are a few tidbits about the players that we’re familiar with that are no longer in the game:

Mike Trout did not spend his entire career with the Angels. He left in 2031 for the Washington Nationals. That lasted two years, and he spent his final season with the Boston Red Sox.
In contrast, Clayton Kershaw spent his entire career with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He retired in 2024.
Bryce Harper left the Phillies in 2032 and spent time with the Angels and Arizona Diamondbacks.
Jacob deGrom left the Mets in 2022 and returned in 2027 after three seasons in Colorado and one in Milwaukee. He ended his career with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Here is the Hall of Fame voting history:

And now for some tidbits about coaching and front office staffs:

All teams have hired a new manager or GM at least once now
Current San Francisco Giants reliever Derek Law was hired as pitching coach of the Boston Red Sox in 2039.
Former St. Louis Cardinals infielder Skip Schumaker is the bench coach of the Chicago White Sox.
Additionally, former Detroit Tigers outfielder Andy Dirks is the White Sox hitting coach.
Former Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp is the first base coach of the Chicago Cubs
Former Kansas City Royals pitcher Kyle Davies is the pitching coach of the Colorado Rockies
Current Seattle Mariners pitcher Marco Gonzales is the bench coach of the Kansas City Royals.
Former Houston Astros outfielder Jason Lane is the third base coach of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and had been the bench coach of the Philadelphia Phillies
Former Colorado Rockies pitcher Jamey Wright is the third base coach of the Miami Sailfish.
Former San Francisco Giants outfielder Hunter Pence is the bench coach of the Milwaukee Brewers.
Former Detroit Tigers outfielder Don Kelly is the bench coach of the New York Mets
Former Oakland Athletics shortstop Bobby Crosby was hired by the A’s as manager before the 2040 season.
Current Red Sox pitching coach Dave Bush left the team in 2033 and joined the Phillies in 2036.
Ramon Santiago leaves the Tigers in 2035 and joins the Giants as their first base coach

2040–49: An Era of Change

We are now in March 2050. The 2040s were an era of change. Here is a list of the changes made in Major League Baseball during this time:

Following the 2040 season, the MLB expanded by two teams, adding the Jacksonville Walruses and the Oklahoma City Fighting Falcons. The Fighting Falcons joined the American League Central while Jacksonville is in the National League East.
In 2045, the active roster size was lowered back to 26 from 27.
The American League did away with the designated hitter following the 2048 season, meaning that there is no designated hitter in baseball at all.
Before the 2049 season, the Austin Jammers rebranded themselves and are now the Austin Blackhawks.
After the 2049 season, the mound height was lowered once again, paving the way for more offense.

Here are the World Series matchups:

Batters continued to strike out in the 2040s. The IRL record holder for most strikeouts in a season is now tied for 71st all-time. It wasn’t until 2046 that a player surpassed 270 strikeouts. Here are the top 15:

However, there was a bit of a power surge as well. Barry Bonds’ 73 home runs in a season are no longer the record. In fact, that record was broken twice. First, Franck Fontaine took the crown after smashing 74 homers in 2040. A second-round pick in 2039, the now-retired first baseman also drove in 179 runs for the Mets but lost out on the NL MVP to Cubs outfielder Luis Moralez. Speaking of the awards, here are the major award winners:

The second hitter to break the single-season homers record is Astros outfielder German Gutierrez. He hit 76 homers, drove in 166 runs, and slashed .329/.405/.792 in 2046. He also broke the single-season record for total bases with 458. That ended Babe Ruth’s 125-year run as the single-season total bases record holder. Gutierrez, now 32, could retire tomorrow and own the record for career slugging percentage.

Possibly the most impressive pitcher of the 2040s is Carter. As you can tell in the pictures above, he moved from the White Sox to the Dodgers in 2047, signing a six-year $207M contract. Carter won 10 straight Cy Young awards from 2038 to 2048, only to be stopped by Milwaukee’s Jesus Banuelos. His 2043 season may be his best. He went 21–3 with a sparkling 1.75 ERA. The most impressive stat, in my opinion, was his 410 strikeouts. He’s just the third pitcher in major league baseball history to strike out 400+ batters in a single season.

Here are your Hall of Fame inductees:

There are a few players here a lot of you may not be familiar with, and there are players here that I’m not entirely familiar with either. So I’ll go over them briefly in another list.

Randy Rodriguez is a real-life player. The Giants signed him as an international free agent in 2017, and he made his debut in 2023. He recorded 398 saves, a 2.70 ERA, 1393 strikeouts, and a 27.3 WAR over a 15-year career with the Giants, Brewers, Dodgers, and Rangers. He was a nine-time All-Star and a four-time Reliever of the Year winner.
Elly De La Cruz was an international free agent signing by the Cincinnati Reds in 2018. He debuted in 2024, hitting 620 home runs, driving in 1474 runs, and recording a career WAR of 63.1 in a 15-year career spent entirely with the Reds. He was a nine-time All-Star.
I mentioned earlier that Angel Martinez is an actual player. He was an international signing of the Guardians in 2018. A four-time MVP, Martinez played 17 years in the majors, all of them except for one with Cleveland. He played in one game in 2036 after suffering an elbow injury. He hit 455 homers, 1298 RBI, and posted an 83.8 WAR.
Jaden Key is the first OOTP-generated player inducted into the Hall of Fame. A three-time Cy Young award winner, the Kansas City Royals drafted Key in the second round of the 2027 MLB Draft. He posted a lifetime 200–120 record, a 3.25 ERA, 3360 strikeouts, and a 71.9 WAR in a 15-year career spent with the Royals, Mets, Nationals, and Red Sox. He was a nine-time All-Star and won a World Series in 2035 in Kansas City.
Hector Olivo is the second OOTP-generated player inducted into the Hall. The Royals signed him in 2025, and he debuted in 2029. He was a 10-time All-Star, a four-time MVP, a World Series champion in 2035, and the 2035 World Series MVP. Olivo spent his entire career with the Royals and hit 563 homers, 1493 RBI, and posted an 83.9 WAR.

I have little to say about player movement, but I noticed something interesting about player salaries. They seem to be going down. At the end of the 2020s, Juan Soto was the highest-paid player in baseball, making $44.5M. At the end of the 2040s, only one player makes more than $40M — San Diego Padres left fielder Nate Fields, who makes $41.5M.

And finally, some notes about coaching and front office staff:

Current New York Yankees outfielder Joey Gallo is the hitting coach of the Cleveland Guardians.
Current Detroit Tigers reliever Joe Jimenez is the general manager of the Colorado Rockies
Former Kansas City Royals DH Billy Butler is the manager of the Detroit Tigers.
Free agent reliever Brandon Workman is the bench coach of the Jacksonville Walruses.
Former Los Angeles Angels outfielder Peter Bourjos is the GM of the Los Angeles Dodgers
Current Miami Marlins pitcher Sandy Alcantara is the pitching coach of the Philadelphia Phillies
Former Braves infielder Emilio Bonifacio is the manager of the St. Louis Cardinals
Jakson Reetz, a catcher in the Milwaukee Brewers organization, is the GM of the St. Louis Cardinals.
Jacob Amaya, a 2017 draft pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers, is the first base coach of the St. Louis Cardinals.
Current Los Angeles Angels reliever Ryan Tepera is the GM of the Toronto Blue Jays, the team he began his career with.

2050–59: The Expansion Era

We are now in 2060. Quick note, the next section will span from 2060 to 2072 instead of 2060 to 2069. The 2050s brought more change, notably more expansion. Here’s what happened:

Following the 2051 season, MLB expanded by two teams, adding the Memphis Golden Eagles (NL Central) and the Las Vegas Invaders (NL West).
In January 2053, the Oakland Athletics relocated to Indianapolis and became the Indianapolis Night Train.
Following the 2056 season, the league again expanded by two teams, adding the Charlotte Bolts (AL East) and the Tuscan Otters (AL West).
In January 2056, the amount of minimum required service time to reach free agency was decreased to four years.
In January 2059, the Detroit Tigers rebranded themselves and are now the Detroit Ravens.

Here are your World Series matchups:

Hitters seemed to strikeout a bit less in this decade. Reynolds’ 223 strikeouts is now tied for 89th in league history at this point, but only this decade only saw two players crack the top 15 most strikeouts in a single season all time. This did include the first player to ever strike out 300+ times in a single season, however. Here is the top 15:

The 2050s saw two players record 70+ homers in a season, and they did it in four seasons combined. Padres first baseman Dylan Jorgensen hit 71 home runs in 2051 and 74 in 2053. Fighting Falcons first baseman Jorge Alvarez hit a single-season record 77 homers in 2052, then went on to hit 71 homers in 2054.

Let’s get into the awards for both teams:

Layndon Carter retired in 2058, and I think he retired as the greatest pitcher of all time. He had a record of 311–134 record with 5980 strikeouts, a 2.53 ERA, and a 81.5 WAR across a 20-year career spent with the White Sox, Dodgers, Yankees, and Nationals. He was a 15-time Cy Young award winner, a 19-time All Star, and he won two World Series rings with the Dodgers. I would be shocked if the game doesn’t induct him into the Hall first ballot unanimously when he’s eligible.

German Gutierrez, now 42, is still active but he undoubtedly will be a unanimous selection to the Hall when he retires. He is the all-time Home Run King, and the first (and only) player in MLB history to hit 1000+ home runs in his career. At this point, he has 1137 home runs, 2817 RBI, a .310/.389/.672 slash line, and a 182.9 WAR. He is a 12-time MVP, 17-time All-Star, and three-time World Series champion. He has not left the Astros.

Speaking of the Hall of Fame, here is the voting history for the decade:

The Colorado Rockies signed Alex Salazar in 2024 and he debuted in 2031. He had 2646 hits, 154 homers, 945 RBI, and an 80.5 WAR over a 14-year career with the Rockies, Giants, and Cardinals. He is a four-time Gold Glover and a seven-time All Star.
Mike Robledo joined the Detroit Ravens in 2025, and debuted in 2030. He went 197–99 with 2827 strikeouts, a 3.02 ERA, and an 81.3 WAR over a 17-year career spent with the Ravens, Red Sox, Phillies, Walruses, and Mariners. He was a 12-time All Star, a three-time World Series champion with the Ravens and Red Sox, and a Cy Young winner in 2034.
David Cantera was the third unanimous Hall of Fame selection in MLB history, and the first since Alex Rodriguez in 2023. Cantera hit 657 homers, 1679 RBI, and a 95.9 WAR in a 14-year career spent entirely with the Brewers. He was an 11-time All Star and three-time MVP.
The Minnesota Twins signed Jorge Bustamante in 2028. He debuted in 2033, and went 223–145 with 5067 strikeouts, a 3.23 ERA, and a 94.2 WAR over the span of a 16-year career spent with the Twins, Mets, and Giants. He was a 11-time All Star, three-time Cy Young winner and a two-time World Series champion with the Twins and Mets.
The San Diego Padres signed Tokinari Oishi in 2026 and he debuted in 2032. He was the first hitter to break Barry Bonds’ career home run record, hitting 791 homers, 1705 RBI, and a 93.2 WAR across a 17-year career spent with the Padres and Sailfish. He was an eight-time All-Star, seven-time Gold Glover, and the 2036 NL MVP.
Jose Santini joined the Seattle Mariners in 2029 and debuted for them in 2035. He hit 697 homers, 1513 RBI, and a 66.9 WAR in a 15-year career spent with the Mariners, Dodgers, and Brewers. He was a nine-time All Star, four-time World Series champion with the Mariners and Dodgers, and the 2043 NL MVP.
Brad Hatstat was the third overall pick in the 2031 MLB Draft by the Washington Nationals. He debuted in 2033 and hit 659 homers, 1889 RBI, and a 102.5 WAR across his 17-year career spent with the Nationals, Blue Jays, and Walruses. He was a 14-time All Star, the 2034 NL MVP, and a World Series champion in 2034 with the Nationals.
Luis Moralez joined the Cubs in 2027 and debuted in 2034. He hit 647 HRs, 1746 RBI, and had a 100.0 WAR over the span of his 17-year career spent with the Cubs and Walruses. He was a 12-time All Star, three-time MVP, and a Gold Glover in 2034.
Marco Castro was a 13th round pick of the San Francisco Giants in 2030, and debuted in 2033. He went 221–125 with 3447 strikeouts, a 2.96 ERA, and a 97.3 WAR over the span of his 18-year career spent with the Giants, Braves, Yankees, and Astros. He was a nine-time All Star, three-time Cy Young, and a World Series champion in 2051 with the Astros.
Frank Brooks Jr. was the 10th overall pick in the 2028 MLB Draft by the Philadelphia Phillies, and he debuted in 2028. He went 201–115 with a 3052 strikeouts, a 3.46 ERA, and a 74.5 WAR over the course of his 19-year career with the Phillies, Padres, Cardinals, and Fighting Falcons. He was an eight-time All Star and the 2039 NL Cy Young with the Phillies.
Jeremy Baker was the first overall selection of the 2034 MLB Draft by the Boston Red Sox, and he debuted a year later. He had 549 HRs, 1563 RBI, and a 90.4 WAR over the course of his 16-year career with the Red Sox, Yankees, and Nationals. He was a 10-time All Star, 10-time Silver Slugger award winner, and a three-time World Series champion with the Red Sox.
Bobby Steen was the fifth overall selection of the 2030 MLB Draft by the Philadelphia Phillies, and he debuted in 2033. He had 626 homers, 1620 RBI, and 65.6 WAR during his 17-year career with the Phillies, Blackhawks, and Sailfish. He was a seven-time All Star, one-time Gold Glover, and the 2044 NL MVP with the Phillies.
Victor Gallegos, a closer, was drafted 65th overall in the 2037 MLB Draft by the Kansas City Royals. He debuted in 2039 and went 82–77 with 447 saves, a 3.14 ERA, 1235 strikeouts, and a 18.1 WAR across his 14-year career with the Royals, Astros, and Golden Eagles. He was a three-time All Star, a two-time Reliever of the Year award winner, and a three-time World Series champion with the Astros.
Kevin Alives was the fifth overall pick of the Milwaukee Brewers in 2035 and debuted a year later. He had 821 HRs, 1928 RBI, and a 114.6 WAR across his 18-year career spent with the Brewers, Rays, and White Sox. He was an 11-time All Star, four-time Silver Slugger, and four-time Gold Glover.
Roger Arriaga joined the New York Yankees in 2031 and debuted in 2036. He had 949 HRs, 2090 RBI, and a 115.5 WAR across his 18-year career spent entirely with the Yankees. He was a 14-time All Star, 15-time Gold Glover, and a 10-time Silver Slugger.

There were a few staff related things I wanted to mention, so I’ll quickly get to that before moving on to the final simulation of this experiment.

Sandy Alcantara left the Phillies to join the Baltimore Orioles as their pitching coach in 2051, a position he still holds.
Luis Castillo, a now retired catcher who debuted in 2043, is the third base coach of the Indianapolis Night Train.
Jacob Amaya left the Cardinals in 2051, and was hired as the third base coach of the Memphis Golden Eagles in 2059.
Riley Pint, a first-round pick of the Colorado Rockies in 2016, is the pitching coach of the Seattle Mariners.

2060–72: The Final Stretch

We are in March 2073 and at the end of this trip to the future. There wasn’t a ton of change in this stretch, but there were still a few things of note:

Before the 2065 season, the Austin Blackhawks rebranded themselves as the Austin Americans
Following the 2068 season, the league expanded a last time and added the Portland Mountain Cats (NL Central) and the El Paso Longhorns (NL West). This brings the league total to 38 teams.
Before the 2072 season, the Baltimore Orioles relocated to Fresno and became the Fresno Black Wolves.

The final World Series matchups:

While Mike Giroux’s 338 strike outs at the plate wasn’t broken in these 12 years, hitters continued to strike out. So much so that Reynolds has gone from the IRL record holder of strikeouts in a season to not being on the leaderboard at all. For consistency's sake, here’s the top 15:

I’m just going to quickly get into the Hall of Fame inductions because there’s a lot to go over there.

I wrote about Carter and Gutierrez earlier, so I won’t mention them in the list. I will say that Gutierrez played all but 54 of his career games with the Astros and had a 21-year-career. He finished with 1169 homers, 2888 RBI, and an all-time best 184.7 career WAR. Here’s what you need to know about the rest of the inductees:

Andy McPherson was the 65th overall selection by the Baltimore Orioles in the 2035 MLB Draft. He debuted for Baltimore in 2040 but was traded that offseason to the Cincinnati Reds. He had 592 HRs, 1588 RBI, and a 70.0 WAR over his 15-year career with the Orioles, Reds, Dodgers, Walruses, and Cubs. He was a six-time All Star, a two-time World Series champion, and the 2045 World Series MVP with the Dodgers.
Victor Mandujano was an international free agent signing of the Texas Rangers who debuted in 2042. He had 581 HRs, 1476 RBI, and a 68.9 WAR over a 14-year career with the Rangers, Walruses, Yankees, Red Sox, and Astros. He was a six-time All Star and a Silver Slugger award winner in 2043.
Tim Bridges was the 27th overall selection of the Washington Nationals in 2035 and he debuted in 2040. He had 770 HRs, 1935 RBI, and a 83.1 WAR over the course of his 17-year career with the Nationals, Dodgers, Phillies, Cardinals, and Cubs. He was a nine-time All Star, four-time World Series champion with the Dodgers, and he was the 2052 World Series MVP.
Ted Robinson was the 100th overall pick of the Chicago White Sox in the 2037 MLB Draft and he debuted in 2043. He went 204–123 with a 3.59 ERA, 4261 strikeouts, and a 62.5 WAR over the course of his 15-year career with the White Sox, Cubs, Diamondbacks, and Guardians. He was a five-time All Star and a World Series champion with the Cubs.
Bruce Caron was the third overall selection in the 2034 MLB Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks. He debuted in 2038 and had 808 HRs, 2095 RBI, and a 106.3 WAR across his 20-year career with the Diamondbacks, Giants, Yankees, Astros, Blue Jays, and Orioles. He was a 10-time All Star and three-time Gold Glover.
Jim Lasky was the third overall pick of the Jacksonville Walruses in the 2042 MLB Draft. He debuted in 2043 and had 677 HRs, 1867 RBI, and a 90.7 WAR over the span of his 16-year career with the Walruses and Twins. He was a nine-time All Star and seven-time Silver Slugger.
Nate Fields was the 140th pick of the 2039 MLB Draft by the San Diego Padres. He debuted in 2043 and 756 HRs, 1773 RBI, and a 106.3 WAR over the span of his 16-year career spent entirely with the Padres. He was a 12-time All Star, two-time World Series champion and the NL MVP in 2045.
Dylan Jorgensen was the 125th pick of the San Diego Padres in the 2040 MLB Draft. He debuted in 2046 and had 698 HRs, 1625 RBI, and a 90.3 WAR in his 14-year career spent entirely with the Padres. He was an eight-time All Star, a two-time World Series champion, and a two-time World Series MVP.
Vinny de Hoyos was the 47th pick of the Seattle Mariners in 2041 and debuted a year later. He went 97–94 with 472 saves, a 2.90 ERA, 2142 strikeouts, and a 27.5 WAR in his 18-year career spent with the Mariners, Mets, Dodgers, Phillies, and Braves. He was a seven-time All Star, and was a five-time World Series champion with the Mariners, Dodgers, Phillies, and Braves.
Jesus Banuelos was an international free agent signing by the Texas Rangers in 2038, but never played for them. He debuted in 2046 and went 172–148 with a 2.86 ERA, 3679 strikeouts, and 89.6 WAR in his 15-year career with the Brewers, Mets, Yankees, and Guardians. He was a 13-time All Star and two-time Cy Young winner.
Katsuharu Nakahara was an international free agent signing by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2050 and debuted that season. He went 56–57 with 420 saves, a 2.57 ERA, 1471 strikeouts, and a 40.0 WAR over his 11-year career with the Dodgers, Cubs, Angels, Phillies, Sailfish, Braves, Mets, Nationals, and Otters. He was an 11-time All Star and a five-time World Series champion with the Dodgers, Braves, and Phillies.
Josh Jarvais was the first overall selection of the 2043 MLB Draft by the Jacksonville Walruses and debuted a year later. He had 726 HRs, 1927 RBI, and a 130.6 WAR across his 17-year career spent entirely with the Walruses. He was a 12-time All Star, seven-time Gold Glover, and four-time MVP.
Danny Wallen was the 16th overall pick by the New York Yankees in the 2040 MLB Draft. He debuted in 2046 and went 197–131 with a 3.52 ERA, 3223 strikeouts, and a 57.9 WAR across his 15-year career with the Yankees, Mets, and Phillies. He was five-time All Star, three-time Cy Young, and a World Series champion in 2060 with the Phillies.
Evandro Chavarria joined the Baltimore Orioles in 2043 and debuted in 2049. He had 596 HRs, 1564 RBI, and a 70.0 WAR over his 13-year career with the Orioles, Cubs, and Mariners. He an eight-time All Star and four-time Silver Slugger.
Angel Lugo was an international FA signing of the Boston Red Sox in 2040, and debuted in 2046. He had 668 HRs, 1743 RBI, and a 85.9 WAR across his 17-year career spent with the Red Sox and Braves. He was a nine-time All Star, five-time Silver Slugger, and the 2052 AL MVP.
Estevan Canales was an international FA signing of the Atlanta Braves in 2041. He debuted in 2047 and had 643 HRs, 1591 RBI, and a 97.6 WAR across his 16-year career spent entirely with the Braves. He was a nine-time All Star, a World Series champion in 2059, and the 2054 NL MVP.
Chris Hanna was the third overall selection by the Miami Sailfish in the 2041 MLB Draft. He had 532 HRs, 1633 RBI, and a 95.3 WAR across his 19-year career with the Sailfish, White Sox, Dodgers, and Giants. He was an 11-time All Star, 11-time Gold Glover, and four-time Silver Slugger.
Kevin Mintz was the 19th overall pick of the Chicago Cubs in 2045, and debuted a year later. He had 604 HRs, 1395 RBI, and a 80.2 WAR across his 17-year career with the Cubs, Mets, Astros, and Fighting Falcons. He was a seven-time All Star and World Series champion in 2053 with the Cubs.
Mario Fernandez was the 46th overall pick by the Oklahoma City Fighting Falcons in the 2045 MLB Draft, but was traded to the Colorado Rockies a year later. He debuted in 2050 and had 699 HRs, 1874 RBI, and a 80.5 WAR across his 14-year career with the Rockies, Twins, Phillies, and Night Train. In 2053, Fernandez broke the record for most total bases in a single season with 468, a record he still holds. He was an eight-time All Star and the NL MVP in 2059.
Tony Chatham was the first overall selection by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2041 and debuted in 2045. He went 262–174 with a 3.30 ERA, 5512 strikeouts, and a 106.4 WAR across his 19-year career with the Rays, Diamondbacks, Padres, Twins, and Walruses. He was a 10-time All Star, three-time Cy Young, and a World Series champion in 2058 with the Padres.
Jordan Alvarez was an international FA signing of the Oklahoma City Fighting Falcons in 2041, and debuted in 2048. He had 860 HRs, 1915 RBI, and a 97.6 WAR over the course of his 16-year career with the Fighting Falcons, Mets, Dodgers, Astros, and Yankees. He was an 11-time All Star and a World Series champion in 2056 with the Fighting Falcons.
Gianlugi Seneca was an international FA signing of the New York Yankees in 2045 and he debuted in 2053. He went 187–128 with 3.13 ERA with 3354 strikeouts, and a 75.2 WAR over the course of his 13-year career spent entirely with the Yankees. He was an eight-time All Star and the 2056 AL Cy Young.
Gilberto Robles was an international FA signing of the San Diego Padres in 2045, but was traded to the Red Sox in 2046. After being traded to the Royals, he debuted in 2053 and had 509 HRs, 1331 RBI, and a 85.3 WAR across his 14-year career with the Royals and Padres. He was a six-time All Star, six-time Silver Slugger, and the 2060 AL MVP.
Josh Glass was the 195th pick by the Minnesota Twins in the 2047 MLB Draft and debuted in 2049. He went 231–167 with a 3.55 ERA, 4331 strikeouts, and a 89.9 WAR across his 17-year career with the Twins, Cardinals, Blue Jays, and Cubs. He was a seven-time All Star and the 2061 NL MVP.
Jerry Farajdo was an international free agent of the Chicago White Sox in 2042 and debuted in 2048. He had 819 HRs, 1813 RBI, and a 123.3 WAR across his 18-year career with the White Sox, Angels, Twins, Red Sox, and Cubs. He was an 11-time All Star and two-time MVP.

Should mention that in March of 2073, no player is making more than $40M. Only one player makes north of $39M and the next highest-paid player makes $37M. Also, the record for most home runs in a season was broken one final time in 2061 by now-retired outfielder Jorge Flores, who hit 78 that year. One final note: excluding the expansion teams, only two real-life MLB teams are without a World Series at this point. The Tampa Bay Rays and Colorado Rockies are still ringless.

And that’s about it. By 2072, the designated hitter will be abolished, the MLB will expand to 38 teams, and a player will hit more than 1000 home runs in their career. What did you think about this experiment? Is there anything I didn’t cover that you’d like to know? Feel free to ask me either in the comments here or on Twitter @LovelyDegree160.

Featured Photo Credit: AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast

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