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<\/p>\nThe first MLB All-Star fan voting phase began last Wednesday and will close on June 25. Phase 2, which is when fans vote from the list of finalists, will commence on June 30 and conclude on July 2, with the All-Star Game being held this year on July 14 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.<\/p>\n
With fans already filling out their ballots, it\u2019s a good time to weigh in on who should be representing the American and National Leagues in this year\u2019s Midsummer Classic. Below you\u2019ll find my picks for the AL and NL All-Star rosters.<\/p>\n
This year, the NL All-Star team will be loaded with aces galore and choosing a starting pitcher will be difficult. Hometown star Cristopher S\u00e1nchez would be a strong choice, and it\u2019s easy to make an argument for Jacob Misiorowski and Shohei Ohtani, as well. All three are early-season Cy Young Award candidates.<\/p>\n
In the AL, the dynamic left-handed hitting power duo of first baseman Ben Rice and designated hitter Yordan Alvarez will lead the lineup. The roster might only have room for one member of the strong Mariners starting rotation, which is hard to stomach but also a result of all teams needing to have at least one representative.<\/p>\n
One thing you\u2019ll be sure to notice on my teams is that some of the best overall players in the sport, like Ronald Acu\u00f1a Jr., Fernando Tatis Jr. and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., aren\u2019t on the rosters. Maybe one or two will find a way into the game, but with Tatis struggling to hit for power, Acu\u00f1a spending time on the IL and Guerrero not performing at the level of the other top AL first basemen, they are currently on the outside of my All-Star rosters looking in.<\/p>\n
When the actual All-Star rosters are announced, there will be deserving names left off the lists due to roster constraints \u2014 each team has 32 spots, 12 for pitchers and 20 for position players \u2014 and that is the case with the rosters I have put together here, which are built under the same rules. Several of the players whom I have snubbed will still end up voted in or make it as injury replacements. But because of the roster rules and voting process, some worthy players inevitably don\u2019t make it.<\/p>\n
Here is my early look at the AL and NL All-Star teams, with starters and backups for each position, if I had to pick them today. Let me know which ones I got wrong \u2014 and right \u2014 in the comments section below.<\/p>\n
All stats are through Sat., June 6 unless noted.<\/p>\n
National LeagueFirst base (2)Matt Olson, Atlanta Braves (starter)<\/p>\n
Olson plays every day and leads NL first basemen in homers, hits and slugging percentage. He\u2019s also a plus defender and is having a strong bounce-back season after a down year.<\/p>\n
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\n This would be Bryce Harper\u2019s ninth All-Star selection. (Thearon W. Henderson \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Bryce Harper, Philadelphia Phillies<\/p>\n
A Philadelphia hometown favorite, Harper edges out Reds rookie Sal Stewart and the Dodgers\u2019 Freddie Freeman for the backup role.<\/p>\n
Second base (2)Brice Turang, Milwaukee Brewers (starter)<\/p>\n
Turang is the best overall second baseman in baseball. He\u2019s a Platinum Glove-level defender with elite range to both sides. At the plate, his power-and-speed combination makes him one of the most productive hitting infielders in the NL.<\/p>\n
Xavier Edwards, Miami Marlins<\/p>\n
I chose Edwards due to his .306\/.389\/.459 slash line, along with his plus defense and 10 steals. This was one of my most difficult decisions because I had to leave off three other deserving second basemen in the Pirates\u2019 Brandon Lowe, the Cardinals\u2019 JJ Wetherholt and the Diamondbacks\u2019 Ketel Marte.<\/p>\n
Shortstop (2)CJ Abrams, Washington Nationals (starter)<\/p>\n
Abrams is having a tremendous season, leading all shortstops in OPS (.908) to go along with 13 homers and nine steals.<\/p>\n
Elly De La Cruz, Cincinnati Reds<\/p>\n
It\u2019s extremely close between Abrams and De La Cruz on who should start, as De La Cruz also has 12 homers with 10 steals, but his slash line is slightly below Abrams\u2019 and he\u2019s currently on the IL with a hamstring strain.<\/p>\n
Third base (2)Max Muncy, Los Angeles Dodgers (starter)<\/p>\n
Muncy leads all NL third basemen in OPS and homers. Third base is the weakest position in the NL this year, with players like Manny Machado, Alex Bregman, Austin Riley and Matt Chapman all having down years.<\/p>\n
Casey Schmitt, San Francisco Giants<\/p>\n
Nolan Arenado is probably having the second-best season among all NL third basemen, but it\u2019s not the type of year that deserves an All-Star nod. Since the Giants need a representative on the team, Schmitt is the most deserving. He\u2019s been the Giants\u2019 most consistent offensive player all year and has an .869 OPS with 15 homers.<\/p>\n
He doesn\u2019t play third base regularly for the Giants with Chapman ahead of him, but he\u2019s played all of the infield positions and even some outfield, so he fits the roster well. He\u2019s the 32nd player on this roster.<\/p>\n
Right field (3)James Wood, Washington Nationals (starter)<\/p>\n
Wood plays every day, leads all right fielders in OPS and has belted 17 homers with 10 steals while playing a solid right field.<\/p>\n
Corbin Carroll, Arizona Diamondbacks<\/p>\n
Carroll fills up the stat sheet and is on pace to have double-digits in doubles, triples, home runs and steals. He\u2019s a complete player.<\/p>\n
Jordan Walker, St. Louis Cardinals<\/p>\n
In a breakout season, Walker has been the MVP of the Cardinals, with 16 homers to go along with a .362 on-base percentage.<\/p>\n
Center field (3)Andy Pages, Los Angeles Dodgers (starter)<\/p>\n
Pages has been the Dodgers\u2019 best offensive player all season while playing elite defense in center field and has a higher bWAR than every position player on the NL team not named Shohei Ohtani.<\/p>\n
Michael Harris II, Atlanta Braves<\/p>\n
Harris, like Walker, is having his breakout season, hitting over .308, with 13 homers and plus range in center field. He edges out the Pirates\u2019 Oneil Cruz, who is having an outstanding season offensively but has struggled on defense.<\/p>\n
Pete Crow-Armstrong, Chicago Cubs<\/p>\n
I had a difficult time choosing a Cubs representative. It was between Crow-Armstrong and Ian Happ, but I elected to go with Crow-Armstrong because of his plus-plus defense in center and his special power-speed combination offensively.<\/p>\n
Left field (1)Juan Soto, New York Mets<\/p>\n
Soto has been the only real bright spot on the Mets this year and even with time missed due to a calf injury, he\u2019s still slashing an impressive .280\/.365\/.537 with 13 homers.<\/p>\n
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\n Mets fans have had little to cheer about this season, but Juan Soto is a legitimate All-Star choice and a reason for them to smile. (Steph Chambers \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Catcher (3)Drake Baldwin, Atlanta Braves<\/p>\n
Baldwin is the best all-around catcher in the league, leading all catchers in OPS. He has a 1.93-second pop time and is above average in both framing and blocks above average. He\u2019s currently on the IL with an oblique injury but is expected to return<\/a> before the end of the month.<\/p>\n Hunter Goodman, Colorado Rockies<\/p>\n Goodman was the Rockies\u2019 only All-Star last year and deserves to be their sole representative again this year. He\u2019s a well-above-average offensive catcher and is considered above average at blocking balls in the dirt.<\/p>\n Liam Hicks, Miami Marlins<\/p>\n Hicks has been a pleasant surprise for the Marlins, hitting 12 homers while posting an .815 OPS.<\/p>\n Designated hitter (2)Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers<\/p>\n Ohtani makes the All-Star team as a two-way player, counting as one of the NL\u2019s 20 position players but not counting against their 12-pitcher limit, just like he doesn\u2019t count as a pitcher on the Dodgers\u2019 roster. Still, expect to see him in both roles in the All-Star Game. Ohtani has posted a .941 OPS with 11 homers but has been even better on the mound, with only five earned runs allowed in 61 innings pitched.<\/p>\n Kyle Schwarber, Philadelphia Phillies<\/p>\n He has 23 Schwarbombs already, with a .944 OPS and 155 OPS+ and is the face of the franchise for the host city.<\/p>\n Pitchers (12)Cristopher S\u00e1nchez, LHP, Philadelphia Phillies\u00a0(starter)<\/p>\n S\u00e1nchez recently ended a historic streak of 50 2\/3 consecutive scoreless innings<\/a> and has developed into the ace of the Phillies staff. If he continues to pitch as he has so far this season, he\u2019ll be the popular pick to throw the first All-Star pitch at his home park. Jacob Misiorowski and Ohtani will also be under strong consideration for the honor.<\/p>\n \n Jacob Misiorowski may get edged out of the starter spot for the NL, but he\u2019s a lock to make it two-for-two in All-Star selections in his young career. (John Fisher \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n Jacob Misiorowski, RHP, Milwaukee Brewers<\/p>\n Misiorowski has arguably the best fastball in MLB history and has thrown more pitches over 100 mph than anyone since the stat started being documented. He has 116 strikeouts, 22 walks and a 1.50 ERA over 13 starts. If the game weren\u2019t in Philadelphia, he\u2019d get the edge for me as the starter.<\/p>\n Chris Sale, LHP, Atlanta Braves<\/p>\n Whenever Sale is healthy, he\u2019s a Cy Young candidate and this year is no different. His strong start has helped lead the Braves to the best record in baseball.<\/p>\n Chase Burns, RHP, Cincinnati Reds<\/p>\n Burns is 7-1 with a 2.05 ERA, with opponents hitting just .183 against him. His 98-mph fastball is as devastating as his wipeout slider, which is one of the best in the game.<\/p>\n Paul Skenes, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates<\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t look like Skenes will win another Cy Young Award this season, but he certainly will be in the All-Star Game, as he\u2019s been solid after a bad first start of the season. His 2.60 FIP is nearly half a run lower than his ERA and his expected ERA (xERA) is 2.29.<\/p>\n Yoshinobu Yamamoto, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers<\/p>\n The reigning World Series MVP has been solid all year, posting a 2.68 ERA with 73 strikeouts and 15 walks over 77 1\/3 innings.<\/p>\n Kyle Harrison, LHP, Milwaukee Brewers<\/p>\n Acquired in an offseason trade with the Red Sox, Harrison is having a breakout season in his first year in Milwaukee<\/a>, putting up the lowest ERA through his first 10 starts with the team in franchise history, surpassing C.C. Sabathia in 2008.<\/p>\n Braxton Ashcraft, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates<\/p>\n Ashcraft is the most underrated pitcher in the NL, with a 3.28 ERA and 86 strikeouts in 79 2\/3 innings. Bryce Elder of the Braves is another strong choice, but in my book, Ashcraft is just ahead of him for a spot.<\/p>\n Eduardo Rodr\u00edguez, LHP, Arizona Diamondbacks<\/p>\n Rodr\u00edguez is fifth in the league in ERA (2.52) and is a candidate for Comeback Player of the Year. Nice to finally see him healthy and dealing.<\/p>\n Mason Miller, RHP, San Diego Padres<\/p>\n Miller is putting together one of the most dominating seasons from a reliever in the modern era. He\u2019s converted all 18 of his save opportunities and has struck out nearly two batters an inning while allowing only 12 hits in 26 2\/3 innings and just three earned runs. He\u2019s also a Cy Young Award candidate.<\/p>\n Jhoan Duran, RHP, Philadelphia Phillies<\/p>\n Duran has converted all 15 of his save opportunities with an impressive 1.31 ERA with 33 strikeouts and five walks over 20 2\/3 innings. He\u2019s pitching as well as he ever<\/a> has in his impressive career.<\/p>\n Raisel Iglesias, RHP, Atlanta Braves<\/p>\n He\u2019s converted all 13 of his save opportunities with a 0.87 ERA over 20 appearances. Dominant best describes him right now.<\/p>\n American LeagueFirst base (3)Ben Rice, New York Yankees (starter)<\/p>\n It\u2019s hard to believe that Rice is having a better year than his teammate and the reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge, but that\u2019s the case. He\u2019s turned into a bona fide star this season.<\/p>\n \n Nick Kurtz is an on-base machine, and when he\u2019s not walking, he\u2019s hitting for power. (Scott Marshall \/ Imagn Images)<\/p>\n Nick Kurtz, Athletics<\/p>\n![\"Jacob](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/GettyImages-2278162694-scaled.jpg\")
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