Two weeks ago, millennial and Gen Z sports fans got a welcome wave of nostalgia when Playground Productions announced it was bringing back the beloved Backyard Sports video game series nearly 30 years after Backyard Baseball was first released as a CD-ROM game in 1997.
While many details of the upcoming game are still under wraps—it’s unclear if it will return as a console game, desktop game or phone app—it was a welcome piece of news for a baseball video game landscape that’s grown a bit stale. And while the new entry reportedly won’t feature MLB players, as the popular 2001 and 2003 versions of Backyard Baseball did, we can still dream that a future edition will bring professional players to the likes of Playground Commons and Dirt Yards.
While we’re still waiting with bated breath for more information about Backyard Baseball, it can’t hurt to imagine which MLB players a modern game would feature (and you can bet Bobby Witt Jr. would push to be included). Below are the players I’d select to represent their teams, as well as an estimation of their skill points in four categories (batting, running, pitching, fielding) on a scale of 1–10, as it was in the previous editions.
This isn’t simply naming each team’s face of the franchise—Backyard Baseball is a game that emphasizes singular skill sets and standout personalities. Keep that in mind as we move along and count down the days to when we can once again slug grand slams with Pablo Sanchez.
Arizona Diamondbacks: 2B Ketel Marte
Zac Gallen would be a fine choice here, especially with his glasses being a defining feature the game’s animators could have some fun with. But there are usually only a few pitchers who make the cut and there are some better choices around the league. Plus Marte would deserve the recognition as an NL MVP contender for most of this season and a multi-tool player whose skill set would translate well to Backyard Baseball.
Batting: 7/10, Running: 7/10, Pitching: 4/10, Fielding: 7/10
Atlanta Braves: RF Ronald Acuña Jr.
The first player in MLB history to achieve a 40/70 season, Acuña’s blend of power and speed would make him a popular pick on the schoolyard and Atlanta’s obvious pick as a representative despite the Braves boasting several solid options.
Batting: 9/10, Running: 10/10, Pitching: 2/10, Fielding: 7/10
Baltimore Orioles: C Adley Rutschman
Gunnar Henderson gets hosed here, but we need some catcher representation in a time when there aren’t a lot of star backstops in the sport. Baltimore’s former No. 1 pick, who started in this year’s All-Star Game, is perhaps the one catcher who would need to be in the game.
Batting: 7/10, Running: 4/10, Pitching: 5/10, Fielding: 7/10
Boston Red Sox: 3B Rafael Devers
Devers is clearly the face of the Red Sox at this point despite Jarren Duran’s emergence this season, so even though Devers is a bit one-dimensional, it’d be a shock if he wasn’t Boston’s representative (especially considering Duran’s use of an anti-LGBTQ slur toward a fan last month, which Backyard Sports would presumably want to avoid).
Batting: 9/10, Running: 4/10, Pitching: 3/10, Fielding: 5/10
Chicago Cubs: 1B Cody Bellinger
It’s been over five years since Bellinger made an All-Star team, but there aren’t really any standout candidates on the Cubs. Dansby Swanson has been good but not great in Chicago, and Ian Happ doesn’t have much starpower while Bellinger still boasts a lot of name recognition.
Batting: 8/10, Running: 8/10, Pitching: 2/10, Fielding: 8/10
Chicago White Sox: CF Luis Robert Jr.
Even though Robert has been abysmal this year, he has a longer track record of success than Garrett Crochet, the only other player on this historically bad squad worth considering.
Batting: 6/10, Running: 8/10, Pitching: 3/10, Fielding: 8/10
Cincinnati Reds: SS Elly De La Cruz Jr.
Cincinnati’s metronome would be an absolute joy to play with. De La Cruz boasts the fastest sprint speed in the league and would thus rival legendary Backyard kid Pete Wheeler as the quickest kid in the game, and his rocket arm would make him playable anywhere on the field.
Batting: 7/10, Running: 10/10, Pitching: 2/10, Fielding: 9/10
Cleveland Guardians: 3B Jose Ramirez
I very nearly put Steven Kwan in this spot to give us some skill set versatility—as well as a second pro player of Asian descent, as Backyard Sports has valued diversity in its games—but Ramirez has always been underrated and it’d feel like a slight to overlook him here.
Batting: 8/10, Running: 9/10, Pitching: 4/10, Fielding: 7/10
Colorado Rockies: 3B Ryan McMahon
Colorado’s lone 2024 All-Star gets the nod for MLB’s most anonymous team. If Kris Bryant had done anything of substance during his time in Denver, he’d be the pick. Alas…
Batting: 6/10, Running: 6/10, Pitching: 5/10, Fielding: 7/10
Detroit Tigers: SP Tarik Skubal
The AL Cy Young favorite gives us a great option for a lefty pro pitcher, even if he shouldn’t be quite as dominant as Randy Johnson was in the 2001 and ‘03 editions of the game.
Batting: 2/10, Running: 6/10, Pitching: 9/10, Fielding: 5/10
Houston Astros: 2B Jose Altuve
Altuve might be a controversial pick given his involvement in Houston’s sign-stealing scandal, but he was ultimately never punished by MLB and should be a viable pick here. Plus, pairing him with Pablo Sanchez as a diminutive middle infield duo would be a lot of fun.
Batting: 7/10, Running: 9/10, Pitching: 4/10, Fielding: 6/10
Kansas City Royals: SS Bobby Witt Jr.
Witt used a Pablo Sanchez bat—and hit a homer with it—in the buildup to the announcement of Backyard Baseball’s return, so the AL MVP candidate is the no-doubt choice here despite Salvador Perez being a good option. Witt’s five-tool skill set would also make him one of the game’s best players.
Batting: 8/10, Running: 10/10, Pitching: 3/10, Fielding: 9/10
Los Angeles Angels: CF Mike Trout
Trout may no longer be in his prime, but he’s still the clear-cut choice to represent the Angels and his attributes in the game would reflect his status as the best baseball player of the 2010s.
Batting: 10/10, Running: 9/10, Pitching: 2/10, Fielding: 8/10
Los Angeles Dodgers: DH/SP Shohei Ohtani
With all due respect to Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, there’s only one choice here. Ohtani will give Pablo Sanchez a run for his money as everyone’s top Backyard Baseball draft pick, even if his fielding score wouldn’t approach the Secret Weapon’s.
Batting: 10/10, Running: 9/10, Pitching: 10/10, Fielding: 3/10
Miami Marlins: 1B Jake Burger
It’s a good thing Burger’s size and likable demeanor would make him a fun Backyard Baseball character, because the Marlins are otherwise bereft of options. In this exercise, he gets a similarly inexplicable pitching boost as Frank Thomas did in the 2000s games to make him a more multi-dimensional player.
Batting: 7/10, Running: 4/10, Pitching: 8/10, Fielding: 5/10
Milwaukee Brewers: C William Contreras
Contreras is a two-time All-Star who started behind the plate for the National League at this year’s Midsummer Classic and won a Silver Slugger last season, so he’s the pick to join the Backyard crew as one of two pro catchers along with Adley Rutschman.
Batting: 7/10, Running: 3/10, Pitching: 5/10, Fielding: 7/10
Minnesota Twins: SS Carlos Correa
I wanted to put Byron Buxton here, but the guy hasn’t played 100 games in a season since 2017. (He may top that benchmark this year, but it’s no sure thing). Instead we’ll take the firebrand Correa, who like Altuve may be a polarizing pick but whose skill set and personality makes him a good fit.
Batting: 7/10, Running: 5/10, Pitching: 5/10, Fielding: 9/10
New York Mets: SS Francisco Lindor
It hurts to leave off Pete Alonso, whose pure power profile is something we’re sort of missing among this player pool. But leaving off Lindor and his giant smile amid an NL MVP-worthy campaign would be an even bigger snub—especially since it’s no sure thing Alonso will be in Queens past this season.
Batting: 8/10, Running: 7/10, Pitching: 3/10, Fielding: 10/10
New York Yankees: CF Aaron Judge, LF Juan Soto
That’s right, we’re going with two Yankees here. There’s precedent with two Reds (Ken Griffey Jr., Barry Larkin) in Backyard Baseball 2001 and two Yankees (Derek Jeter, Jason Giambi) in Backyard Baseball 2003. We don’t know where Soto will end up this offseason, so perhaps he wouldn’t even don a Yankees cap, but there’s no way we can have a modern version of Backyard Baseball without these two studs.
Judge: Batting: 10/10, Running: 7/10, Pitching: 4/10, Fielding: 8/10
Soto: Batting: 9/10, Running: 5/10, Pitching: 5/10, Fielding: 6/10
Oakland A’s: DH Brent Rooker
Thank goodness the A’s didn’t get rid of Rooker at this year’s trade deadline, or else I’d be struggling to select someone to represent Oakland. (Mason Miller, as impressive as he’s been in his rookie year, hasn’t done enough to claim one of the few pitching slots.)
Batting: 7/10, Running: 6/10, Pitching: 5/10, Fielding: 4/10
Philadelphia Phillies: 1B Bryce Harper
It’s a shame to pass up Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber and Zack Wheeler, but as a two-time MVP and former No. 1 pick, Harper belongs in the tier of players that’d absolutely have to be included and would even be in the running to grace the game’s cover.
Batting: 9/10, Running: 7/10, Pitching: 2/10, Fielding: 5/10
Pittsburgh Pirates: SP Paul Skenes
Even as a rookie, Skenes has established himself as the face of the Pirates and after starting the All-Star Game has the credentials to take up one of the few pitching slots. His intimidating stature and stuff would make him one of the nastiest hurlers to step in the box against, and his decent hitting stats for Air Force in college indicate he wouldn’t be a complete slouch at the plate, either.
Batting: 5/10, Running: 5/10, Pitching: 10/10, Fielding: 5/10
San Diego Padres: 3B Manny Machado
Even though Backyard Baseball had no issue putting steroid-era sluggers in its 2000s games, those were released before any of the players were actually confirmed to have used them. I think Fernando Tatis Jr.’s PED suspension likely disqualifies him from this kid’s game, meaning Machado is the pick for the Padres.
Batting: 9/10, Running: 5/10, Pitching: 4/10, Fielding: 9/10
San Francisco Giants: SP Blake Snell
The two-time Cy Young winner qualifies as a fine choice based on talent alone, but his distinctive look and defining qualities as a pitcher (fiery heater, belt-buckling left hook, low stamina) make him especially worthy. Snell is perhaps the easiest pro player to picture animated as a Backyard kid.
Batting: 3/10, Running: 5/10, Pitching: 9/10, Fielding: 7/10
Seattle Mariners: CF Julio Rodriguez
Catcher Cal Raleigh, AKA Big Dumper, is a tempting choice based on his nickname alone, but the Mariners’ $210 million man gets the nod here despite a down year at the plate in Seattle.
Batting: 7/10, Running: 9/10, Pitching: 4/10, Fielding: 9/10
St. Louis Cardinals: 3B Nolan Arenado
This is a tough choice between two potential Hall of Famers entering their decline phases in Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt, but Arenado’s status as the best fielding third basemen of his generation gives him the edge.
Batting: 9/10, Running: 4/10, Pitching: 6/10, Fielding: 10/10
Tampa Bay Rays: 2B Brandon Lowe
There aren’t a lot of great candidates here after the trade of Randy Arozarena, which makes sense given Tampa Bay’s aversion to paying star players. Lowe and Yandy Diaz have equal 126 OPS+ over their careers, but we’re under-represented at second base so Lowe makes the cut.
Batting: 6/10, Running: 6/10, Pitching: 6/10, Fielding: 6/10
Texas Rangers: SP Max Scherzer
We might be going overboard on arms here with our fourth full-time pitcher (not to mention Shohei Ohtani) considering there were at most three in the earlier editions of Backyard Baseball, but Scherzer’s Mad Max persona would be a delight to see personified as a Backyard kid and gives us a surefire future Hall of Fame hurler in the game.
Batting: 4/10, Running: 4/10, Pitching: 10/10, Fielding: 6/10
Toronto Blue Jays: 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
This would be a sweet bit of symmetry after Guerrero’s father was featured in both the 2001 and ‘03 editions of Backyard Baseball. Even if that wasn’t the case, Vladdy Jr.’s light-tower power and vibrant personality would make him the runaway candidate for the Blue Jays.
Batting: 9/10, Running: 5/10, Pitching: 5/10, Fielding: 4/10
Washington Nationals: SS CJ Abrams
Abrams gets the weakest batting grade of any pro hitter selected, but his elite speed separates him from the other Nationals under consideration and would make him a valuable player for the Humongous Fishes, Little Monsters or whichever Backyard team you prefer.
Batting: 5/10, Running: 9/10, Pitching: 4/10, Fielding: 7/10
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Picking Backyard Baseball Players for Every MLB Team.
