NL East4 of 6

Atlanta Braves: Bryce Elder

Bryce Elder was an All-Star in 2023, posting a 2.97 ERA across 18 first-half starts. But after the Midsummer Classic, Elder came crashing back down to Earth, with a 5.11 ERA in 13 outings.

Between 2024 and 2025, Elder pitched to a 5.59 ERA in 38 starts, looking very much like someone who might have just been a one-half wonder for the Braves.

Instead, he’s returned with a vengeance in 2026, as he has a 2.66 ERA and 3.46 FIP across 84.2 innings pitched. Still only 27, it’s entirely possible that Elder is an All-Star for the second time this summer, which would be quite the turn of events.

Philadelphia Phillies: Brandon Marsh

Brandon Marsh has always been able to mash right-handed pitching, a trend that’s continued in 2026, as he is hitting .348 with a .914 OPS against righties.

What’s changed for Marsh and has him in the All-Star Game discussion this year is that he’s been playable against left-handed pitching. A year ago, Marsh hit .197 with 32 strikeouts and a .577 OPS in 88 plate appearances against southpaws. This year, Marsh is hitting .288 with a .776 OPS against lefties. He’s still struck out 19 times in 57 plate appearances against left-handers, but is making contact enough to be in the lineup against most lefties.

The result is that Marsh is currently in the top five in the majors with a .332 batting average, quite the jump for a .269 career hitter.

Washington Nationals: Curtis Mead

Curtis Mead holds the unfortunate distinction of being the player that the Phillies traded to the Tampa Bay Rays for Cristopher Sánchez in November of 2019, which now appears to be one of the most lopsided trades in modern MLB history.

Still, Mead—now on his third MLB team after prior stints with the Rays and White Sox—is putting together a breakout season for the Nationals. In 52 games this season, Mead has homered nine times, driven in 28 runs and posted an .831 OPS. He’s also shown defensive flexibility, spending time at first base, second base and third base.

There’s nothing Mead can do about the fact that he was once traded for Sánchez, but he’s still only 25 years old and under team control through the 2030 season. So the Nationals might have stumbled onto something with Mead.

The No. 3 overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, Max Meyer appears to be a strong candidate to represent the Marlins at the All-Star Game this summer.

Meyer posted a 5.18 ERA between 2024 and 2025 after returning from Tommy John surgery, hardly looking like the star the Fish hoped he would be. But he’s 6-0 with a 2.81 ERA across 13 starts this season, having recorded 81 strikeouts over that period.

Because Meyer has already had Tommy John surgery once and he’s not big by the standards of a power pitcher—he’s listed at 6-foot tall, 196 pounds–it’s fair to wonder about his long-term durability. This season, though, has made clear why the Marlins liked him so much coming out of the University of Minnesota.

New York Mets: Christian Scott

It’s been a woeful season for the Mets to this point, but Christian Scott has been a positive development.

After missing the entire 2025 season recovering from Tommy John surgery/an internal brace procedure, Scott has been tremendous for the Mets since being recalled on April 28. In eight starts, Scott is 2-0 with a 2.50 ERA, 3.11 FIP and 10.3 K/9.

Considering this is his first season back from major elbow surgery, the Mets will likely have to manage Scott’s workload down the stretch of the season. Still, the 26-year-old has pitched his way into the long-term conversation with his first eight starts of 2026.