3 Reds players who could be All-Star starters in 2026

The race is on for the starting spots in the 2021 All-Star Game slated to be played at Coors Field on July 13th. While Jesse Winker and Nick Castellanos are making a play to be in the starting lineup this year, what might things look like five years from now? Who are the three most likely Cincinnati Reds players to start in the 2026 All-Star Game?

The Reds have several talented, young players, either in the major leagues or on the cusp of breaking through. But who among them has the talent to be considered, not just an All-Star, but have enough cache to be voted into the starting lineup by the fans?

MLB.com’s Will Leitch gave it the old college try, submitting his projected starting lineup for the 2026 All-Star Game. However, he completely omitted any potential starters that may be on the Cincinnati Reds roster. That’s a mistake. The Reds have plenty of talented players and prospects who could find their way into the starting lineup. Let’s look at the three most likely.

1. Tyler Stephenson, Reds catcher

Out of all the players currently on the Cincinnati Reds roster, I feel the most confident putting Tyler Stephenson in the conversation to start the 2026 All-Star Game. The right-handed hitting backstop is currently learning the trade from fellow catcher Tucker Barnhart.

Stephenson already has the offensive game to compete at the highest level. If the 24-year-old can gain a measure of success on the defensive side of the ball as well, Tyler Stephenson has the potential to be one of the best catchers in all of baseball.

It’s not often that you come across a catcher with Stephenson’s offensive prowess. I’m not kidding when I suggest that Stephenson could have the same offensive impact as players like Yasmani Grandal and Salvador Perez.

Stephenson has already shown his power, as evidenced by his .416 slugging percentage. However, the 6-foot-4 Stephenson has also learned how to take a pitch. He has a .373 on-base percentage and 12.4% walk-rate.

Stephenson will turn 25 this season, meaning that he’d be 30-years old in 2026. Cincinnati will still maintain team control over Stephenson at that time, and I feel confident that the Georgia native will be the Reds star player five years from now.

3. Jose Barrero, Reds shortstop

Jose Barrero, formerly Jose Garcia, is going to make a major impact. The only question is when. There was an outside chance that Barrero would’ve made this year’s squad out of spring training due to the lack of depth at shortstop. However, the Reds shifted gears midway through the spring and settled on Eugenio Suarez as the starting shortstop for the 2021 season.

Barrero is ranks as the team’s No. 4 prospect according to MLB Pipeline and No. 1 according to FanGraphs. The 22-year-old got his feet wet last season, and the front office is doing their due diligence in 2021 having kept the shortstop in the minors to begin the season.

Barrero is currently at Double-A Chattanooga, but a call-up to Triple-A Louisville in the coming weeks seems inevitable. In 29 games, Barrero is slashing .330/.391/.539 with five home runs and 25 RBIs. Barrero has a wRC+ of 156 and his 8.6% walk-rate is the best of his career.

Oh yeah, Barrero is also a phenomenal defensive shortstop. This young man will be in the Gold Glove conversation year-in and year-out. If Barrero were called up today, he’d immediately be the Reds best defensive infielder.

The only thing that may keep Jose Barrero from becoming an All-Star starter in 2026 is the competition. Fernando Tatis Jr. will undoubtedly be in the conversation, but few others are on the radar right now.

More than half the Top 10 shortstop prospects, according to MLB Pipeline, are currently in American League organizations. C.J. Abrams, who’s part of the Padres organization, is unlikely to remain with his current team and may join the AL ranks as well.