My Mac mini is standing vertically on one edge but the connectors are still a PITA. 🥺 I suspect you are going to be very unhappy with future generations of MacBooks because like laptops, in general, they are only going to get thinner and lighter. Think in terms of the iPad form factor, but with a permanently attached keyboard. That will mean the options for physical connections to external devices will be even more limited than they are in today's models.
I don't know how you use your MBP but have you considered one of those stands that raise the back of the laptop up to create a comfortable keyboard angle and incidentally get the connectors a bit above the surface? I had one that worked brilliantly, but it was definitely not cheap (>$120). if you use your MBP with an external monitor you could run it case closed standing on edge with a Magic Keyboard and Mouse or Trackpad and you would have good access to the USB C/TB 3 ports.
