The 2019 MLB campaign is young. Yet, we can gaze ahead and wonder: How will the game's elite superstars stack up in 2020?

Injuries, regression and unexpected surges will change the calculus. Some will rise, others will fall. Subjective crystal-ball guesswork is required.

But based on age, potential, health, and past and present production, here's how baseball's top 20 players might rate next season.

Honorable Mentions

The following players didn't quite make the predictive top-20 cut but deserve mention because of their impressive potential or current status:

INF: Ozzie Albies (ATL), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (TOR), Rhys Hoskins (PHI), Jose Ramirez (CLE), Anthony Rendon (WAS), Anthony Rizzo (CHC), Corey Seager (LAD), Fernando Tatis Jr. (SDP)

OF/DH: Michael Brantley (HOU), Joey Gallo (TEX), Eloy Jimenez (CWS), J.D. Martinez (BOS), Juan Soto (WAS), Giancarlo Stanton (NYY)

C: Willson Contreras (CHC), J.T. Realmuto (PHI), Gary Sanchez (NYY)

RHP: Trevor Bauer (RHP), Gerrit Cole (HOU), Jacob deGrom (NYM), Stephen Strasburg (WAS), Noah Syndergaard (NYM), Justin Verlander (HOU)

LHP: Blake Snell (TBR), Josh Hader (MIL), Clayton Kershaw (LAD), Caleb Smith (MIA)

No. 20: Luis Castillo, RHP, Cincinnati Reds

After finishing eighth in National League Rookie of the Year voting in 2017 and posting a 4.30 ERA in his sophomore season with the Cincinnati Reds in 2018, Luis Castillo has arrived as an ace in 2019.

Through 10 starts, the 26-year-old boasts a 1.90 ERA and 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings. Those are legitimate Cy Young Award numbers.

As Reds executive Dick Williams put it, per USA Today's Bob Nightengale, "He's the kind of pitcher that you build your team around."

Next year, expect even grander things.

No. 19: Aaron Judge, OF, New York Yankees

Aaron Judge has played only 20 games this season because of an oblique injury and was limited to 112 games last season with a fractured wrist suffered on a hit by pitch.

When healthy, he's among the most fearsome sluggers in the game.

Lest we forget, Judge clubbed 52 home runs with 114 RBI in 2017 en route to American League Rookie of the Year honors—and he's still only 27 years old.

Assuming he gets back on the field and stays there, he'll be a massive fence-clearing force for a long time to come.

No. 18: Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, St. Louis Cardinals

Paul Goldschmidt is hitting .254 with a .796 OPS for the St. Louis Cardinals. That's well below the six-time All-Star standard he set during his years with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

He does have 10 home runs and the impressive track record to suggest he's due for a hot streak with his new club.

At age 31, it's likely Goldy will decline at some point relatively soon. For now and into next season, he's on the back end of his prime and holds the title of best all-around first baseman in the game until further notice.

No. 17: Ronald Acuna Jr., OF, Atlanta Braves

Ronald Acuna Jr. hit 26 home runs and posted a .917 OPS in 2018, good for an NL Rookie of the Year win and down-ballot MVP votes.

So far in 2019, the Atlanta Braves left fielder has nine homers and an .852 OPS and is eschewing notions of a sophomore slump.

Oh, did we mention he's only 21 years old?

By the end of next season, don't be surprised if Acuna is hoisting an MVP trophy.

No. 16: Kris Bryant, 3B, Chicago Cubs

Kris Bryant won an NL Rookie of the Year Award and snagged an MVP in his first two seasons in The Show in 2015 and 2016.

Last season, he posted career lows in average (.272) and OPS (.834). Not terrible totals, but under the high bar he'd set for himself.

Look out, doubters, because Bryant is heating up.

In May, the Chicago Cubs third baseman owns a .339 average and 1.264 OPS with eight home runs and 19 RBI. He's 27 years old. Something tells us he'll be back in the MVP conversation by 2020, if not sooner.

No. 15: Freddie Freeman, 1B, Atlanta Braves

Last season, Freddie Freeman led the Senior Circuit with 44 doubles, smacked 23 home runs, posted an .892 OPS and won a Gold Glove at first base.

So far in 2019, he's got 11 homers and a .989 OPS, and he won't turn 30 until September.

He gets overshadowed by some of the Braves' fast-risers, including Acuna. In April 2018, ESPN.com's Buster Olney called him the "most underrated player in baseball."  

That's still probably true.

No. 15: Alex Bregman, 3B, Houston Astros

Alex Bregman broke out in a deep Houston Astros lineup in 2018. He led MLB with 51 doubles, hit 31 home runs and finished fifth in AL MVP voting.

So far in 2019, the 25-year-old has 14 homers and a career-best .958 OPS. If anything, we're rating him too low for 2020, when he could easily be a top-shelf MVP contender.

"He's going to hit the ball hard and he loves the moment," Astros manager A.J. Hinch told reporters. "He loves the pressure that comes with the big moment."

No. 13: Bryce Harper, OF, Philadelphia Phillies

Bryce Harper's landing in Philadelphia was bumpy. After signing a 13-year, $330 million pact with the Phillies, Harper's hit a modest .235 and struck out an MLB-leading 62 times. He's heard it from the infamous Philly boo birds.

He's also a six-time All-Star and the 2015 NL MVP. He's swatted nine home runs and tallied 31 RBI. He turned 26 on October 16. Massive expectations aside, he'll be OK.

"He has the ability to transcend the game," Phillies manager Gabe Kapler told reporters. "When he's on, he's just so captivating and so charismatic."

No. 12: Carlos Correa, SS, Houston Astros

Don't look now, but Carlos Correa is back.

After hitting a ho-hum .239 with 15 homers in an injury-marred 2018, Correa sports a .935 OPS with 11 homers so far this season for the 'Stros.

The 2015 AL Rookie of the Year, Correa is part of a deep Houston attack that includes multiple current and emerging stars. 

He's decidedly among that group and on the precipice of sustained greatness.

No. 11: Francisco Lindor, SS, Cleveland Indians

Calf and ankle injuries have limited Francisco Lindor to 26 games this season. In that time he's hitting .294 with five home runs and looking every bit the two-way star the Cleveland Indians expect him to be, IL stints notwithstanding.

The 25-year-old three-time All-Star boasts exemplary power and plate discipline and the defensive acumen of a next-level shortstop. In 2018, he hit 38 home runs and stole 25 bases.

Great hitting, baserunning and stellar defense at a premium position? 

Yes, please.

No. 10: Manny Machado, SS/3B, San Diego Padres

After signing a 10-year, $300 million deal with the San Diego Padres, Manny Machado is slashing .262/.340/.453 with nine home runs.

Good, but...not great.

That said, he's a four-time All-Star adjusting to his third big league team in less than a calendar year. He's 26 years old.

There's no reason to assume Machado won't acclimate to his new long-term home and continue to be the dominant third baseman (or shortstop) he's been over the course of his already-storied career.

No. 9: Jose Altuve, 2B, Houston Astros

Jose Altuve, a three-time batting champion, is hitting .243. Time to panic? Nope.

The 29-year-old Astros second baseman has a .234 batting average on balls in play compared to a career mark of .316. At the same time, his 38.3 hard-contact rate is above his career average of 27.2.

Translation: It's small-sample statistical noise, not a concerning decline.

Plus, Altuve has cracked nine home runs. The diminutive middle infielder is and will remain (certainly through 2020) one of the best, easiest-to-root-for players in baseball.

No. 8: RHP Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals

Max Scherzer turns 35 in July. At some point, Father Time will collect his toll. We're betting that will be after 2020.

Scherzer leads MLB in innings pitched (65.1). He also paces the NL in strikeouts (87) and FIP (2.45).

With three Cy Young Award trophies in his case, the Washington Nationals right-hander is the best pitcher in baseball...and that isn't likely to change by next season.

No. 7: George Springer, OF, Houston Astros

With a .313 average, 1.050 OPS and 17 home runs, George Springer might be the best hitter in an impossibly stacked Houston lineup.

He was limited by various injuries in the past two seasons and is currently on the shelf with a back issue. That said, his hard-contact rate of 49.3 percent is a career-best, and he appears poised to make the jump to top-tier superstar.

Assuming he avoids extensive stints on the IL, he could be a perennial MVP candidate and the backbone of a historically potent offense going forward.

No. 6: Nolan Arenado, 3B, Colorado Rockies

Nolan Arenado led the NL with 38 homers last season, collected 110 RBI and posted a .935 OPS. He also won a sixth straight Gold Glove at third base, which is exactly how many years he's been in the big leagues.

The Rockies signed the 28-year-old to an eight-year, $260 million extension before the season, and so far he has a .931 OPS with 11 homers and typically stellar defense at the hot corner.

Talk about the Coors Field bump if you must, but Arenado is obviously one of the best all-around players in baseball regardless of venue.

No. 5: Javier Baez, INF, Chicago Cubs

Javier Baez hit .290 with an .881 OPS in 2018 and finished second in NL MVP voting. For an encore, the 26-year-old is hitting .316 with a .953 OPS in 2019.

Baez has also shifted full-time to shortstop, where he boasts eight defensive runs saved.

Cubbies president of baseball operations Theo Epstein called him "one of the most dynamic players in the league," per Patrick Mooney of The Athletic. 

No argument here.

No. 4: Mookie Betts, OF, Boston Red Sox

An American League MVP Award, an AL batting title (.346) and a third straight Gold Glove for his play in right field cemented Mookie Betts as a Superstar, capital "S" in 2018.

So far this year, he's hitting .298 with an .899 OPS. The Sox are hovering around .500 and in third place in the AL East.

Betts is great, make no mistake. He won't turn 27 until October 7. But (could you sense a "but" coming?) he needs to lead the defending champions out of the woods before he gets back into the tip-top tier. 

No. 3: Christian Yelich, OF, Milwaukee Brewers

Christian Yelich won a batting title (.326 average) and NL MVP honors in 2018 in his first season with the Milwaukee Brewers.

So far in 2019, he's clubbed an MLB-leading 19 homers in 44 games and is on a historic pace.

At age 27, Yelich is in the discussion for best player in baseball. By 2020, it may be a foregone conclusion.

"The guy's amazing," fellow Brewers outfielder Lorenzo Cain told reporters. "He's the real deal. I don't even know what else to say about him. It's ridiculous, the things he's doing out there."

No. 2: Cody Bellinger, OF Los Angeles Dodgers

Are we overreacting based on a scalding start? Maybe. Are we sorry? Nope.

Through 46 games, Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Cody Bellinger is hitting .405 with a 1.276 OPS. Both of those figures pace MLB.

The 23-year-old also has 17 homers and an MLB-leading 44 RBI. He's mashing by any measure.

Slumps and regressions will follow; they always do. But Bellinger should soon eclipse ace Clayton Kershaw as the Dodgers' top star and one of baseball's otherworldly sluggers...if he hasn't already.

No. 1: Mike Trout, OF, Los Angeles Angels

Bring on the challengers. For now and into 2020, Mike Trout wears the crown.

With a record-smashing contract extension in his pocket (12 years, $430 million), Trout has an AL-leading 1.056 OPS with 10 home runs, six stolen bases and yada yada yada.

You know the drill. The man is a seven-time All-Star and two-time MVP winner. He plays above-average defense in center field. He's still somehow only 27 years old.

Bellinger, Yelich and Betts, among others, can mount their challenges. For now and into next season, Trout reigns supreme.

All statistics current entering play Monday and courtesy of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs.