Future All*Star Hosts

We know the location of the next two Major League Baseball All*Star Games, but nothing beyond 2020.  Next year's game in Cleveland will feel weird for a couple reasons.  First, it'll be strange to actually have the All*Star Game in an AL city for a change.  The last time an American League team hosted was 2014, when it was at the Twins' Target Field.  It's also not in a new stadium.  In fact (and this is hard to believe), Progressive Field is almost 30 years old!

Then in 2020 the All*Star Game heads to Dodger Stadium, which is the third-oldest stadium in baseball.  Seeing as the All*Star Game hasn't been there since 1980, I think this is a long overdue return to one of baseball's venerable venues (which finally saw the return of the World Series last year).  And anything to have Vin Scully doing the pregame player introductions!

Of course, one of the reasons they had four straight All*Star Games in National League stadiums was because the number of new parks was disproportionate.  And now that the new parks in Cincinnati, San Diego, Miami and Washington have all hosted, there are only three left that are yet to host an All*Star Game--Atlanta, Philadelphia and Yankee Stadium.  The Rangers are scheduled to open a new stadium in 2020, at which point they'll be added to the list, while Tampa Bay and Oakland won't be added to the list of potential hosts until their stadium situations are straightened out.

So, that trend is pretty much over.  Teams that open new parks will still work their way into the All*Star Game cycle at some point, but that's no longer the only criterion necessary to host the game.  And it's going to result in some of the older stadiums, some of which haven't hosted in a while, getting the opportunity.  It'll also give MLB to opportunity to honor various anniversaries by holding the All*Star Game in that city.

Atlanta was the other city that bid for 2020, but also put in for 2021 at the same time.  I don't know if MLB will go back-to-back National League after the four straight (putting six out of seven in NL parks), especially since I've heard rumblings about Baltimore, so I think SunTrust Park may end up having to wait until 2022.

In fact, I think there are logical choices for each of the next seven All*Star Games that are yet-to-be awarded:

• 2021: Baltimore-Believe it or not, 2021 will be the Orioles' 30th season at Camden Yards!  It was the first of the retro parks that have since become commonplace, and it's just as beautiful now as it was the day it opened.  Honoring that anniversary would be a nice touch.
• 2022: Atlanta-If they don't want to do back-to-back National League, this would be the next available year for Atlanta.  SunTrust Park opened last season, so 2022 will be the Braves' sixth year at the stadium.  That's actually not too bad a wait for a new stadium.
• 2023: Yankee Stadium-The 2008 All*Star Game was held in the final season at the old Yankee Stadium, which was done intentionally.  But it also pushed back the new Yankee Stadium's opportunity to host.  By 2023, it will have been 15 years since that game, and 10 since the Mets hosted at Citi Field, so it wouldn't be "too soon" to go back to New York.  And, another symbolic reason to bring the 2023 All*Star Game to Yankee Stadium is the fact that it'll mark the 100th anniversary since the opening of the original.  They can't play it there, so playing it at the new place is the next-best thing.
• 2024: Wrigley Field-With all the renovations the Cubs have done to Wrigley Field, they're eager to host an All*Star Game again.  They could easily host in 2022 if Atlanta is indeed selected for 2021, but I think 2024 makes more sense.  Keep in mind, too, that the 100th Anniversary All*Star Game in 2033 will undoubtedly be on the South Side, so if the Cubs host in 2024, that's a reasonable nine-year gap between games in Chicago (as opposed to a 21-year gap since the White Sox hosted in 2003).
• 2025: Texas-By 2025, Globe Life Field will be five years old.  And, assuming Yankee Stadium hosts at some point before then, it'll be the only new American League park yet to host an All*Star Game.  You know they'll want to show it off, so I think this is the absolute latest the Rangers will host.
• 2026: Philadelphia-You can write this one in ink.  Because it's a virtual certainty.  Citizens Bank Park opened in 2004 and still hasn't hosted an All*Star Game.  There's a reason for this.  They're holding out to host in 2026.  Philadelphia hosted all three All*Star Games (MLB, NBA, NHL) in 1976, and they'll do the same 50 years later for the Semiquincentennial.
• 2027: Toronto-Finally, I've got the 2027 All*Star Game headed North of the Border.  The Blue Jays are in the process of installing grass at SkyDome, and they'll finish doing that well before then.  That's only part of the reason I'd like to see the All*Star Game return to Toronto in 2027, though.  It'll also be the Blue Jays' 50th anniversary season, as well as the 160th anniversary of Canada's independence (not symbolic, but it's still a nice round number, and they already missed 150).

All of this is pure speculation on my part, of course.  And there are some other factors that could come in and change things.  If MLB does expand to Montreal and Mexico, or the A's and/or Rays relocate, they'll want to bring the All*Star Game to the new market.  Likewise, if a team builds a new ballpark between now and then, they'll likely want to showcase it.

Although, if anything does change, it'd be just as easy to insert those new stadiums into the hosting rotation starting in 2028.  Regardless, 2033 is off the table.  The White Sox are hosting that one.