We are less than a week away from the National League and the American League facing off in the 96th annual MLB All-Star Game. Now that the replacement players have been announced for both squads, let's take a look at the NL roster and give a grade to each position group.
Catcher
Drake Baldwin, Braves
William Contreras, Brewers
Hunter Goodman, Rockies
This is a good unit highlighted by Hunter Goodman, who has the third most home runs in the MLB this season (27). However, Drake Baldwin and William Contreras do not have great batting numbers. Out of the eight catchers who have a registered OPS on MLB.com, Baldwin is fifth in that category, while Contreras is sixth. Defensively, Contreras has a 0.1 WAR, and Baldwin has a 0.0 WAR. It feels like the Marlins' Liam Hicks or the Diamondbacks' Gabriel Moreno were more deserving of roster spots, since they are first and second in WAR by NL catchers.
Grade: B-
First Base
Freddie Freeman, Dodgers
Bryce Harper, Phillies
Statistically speaking, one could argue that this position group should feature the Braves' Matt Olson and the Rockies' T.J. Rumfield, but we shouldn’t lose sleep over Freddie Freeman and Bryce Harper getting the nod instead. Freeman is fourth amongst all first basemen in WAR (2.6), while Harper is seventh (2.2). Freeman has the most hits this season by a first baseman (100). Simultaneously, Harper is tied for third in homers by a first baseman with 20. Similar to the catcher spot, this group is good but flawed.
Grade: B
Second Base
Ozzie Albies, Braves
Luis Arraez, Giants
Considering the Brewers' Brice Turang was the biggest snub of the 2026 MLB All-Star Game, the second base spot leaves a little something to be desired since Albies is ninth in WAR by a second baseman (1.8), and Arraez is sixth (2.6). Plus, neither one of these guys has a really good defensive WAR. However, Arraez has the second-best batting average of all players in the MLB (.327). He also has the highest OPS amongst all second basemen (.826). At the same time, Albies is fifth in second baseman slugging percentage (.448) and sixth in OPS (.770). Even though Turang was snubbed, this is a solid duo.
Grade: B
Third Base
Max Muncy, Dodgers
Sal Stewart, Reds
Now, we start to see some guys who are truly deserving of All-Star nods. Max Muncy is second amongst third basemen in WAR (3.3) and OPS (.853) behind only Junior Caminero, so statistically speaking, he is the second-best third baseman in the MLB and the best the National League has to offer. At the same time, Sal Stewart has emerged as a bona fide star, with 87 hits this season, which is good for fifth amongst all third basemen. He also has the same number of homers as Max Muncy (17). To top it all off, Muncy has the fourth-best defensive WAR amongst third basemen (1.0), so he is a positive at the plate and in the field. Stewart is nice, but Muncy makes this unit great.
Grade: A-
Shortstop
CJ Abrams, Nationals
Otto Lopez, Marlins
By comparison, the NL's shortstops are just a little bit behind the AL's. Regardless, this tandem has been fantastic during the 2026 season. Otto Lopez has the highest batting average in the MLB this year (.343). He is also 13th in the league in OPS (.889), which is the best mark of all shortstops in the Majors. Meanwhile, CJ Abrams is tied for the second-most homers this season by a shortstop with 19. He’s also second in total bases by a shortstop (168) and OPS (.864) behind only Otto Lopez. Though the AL shortstops are slightly better, the NL still boasts a phenomenal duo.
Grade: A
Outfield
Brandon Marsh, Phillies
Juan Soto, Mets
Andy Pages, Dodgers
Corbin Carroll, Diamondbacks
Pete Crow-Armstrong, Cubs
Jordan Walker, Cardinals
James Wood, Nationals
With the recently announced replacements to the NL's pitching staff, the outfield is now the strength of the National League. Pete Crow-Armstrong is arguably the best player in baseball, with the highest WAR in the league (5.4). He will actually give Shohei Ohtani a run for his money in the NL MVP race. We also have to mention Andy Pages and James Wood, who are fifth and 11th in WAR (4.2 and 3.6, respectively) amongst all players this year. Jordan Walker has the most RBIs in baseball (69). Juan Soto is second in the league in on-base percentage (.410) and OPS (.985). Plus, Brandon Marsh has the ninth-best batting average in the Majors (.305). The only "weak link" is Corbin Caroll, who is eighth amongst all outfielders in WAR (3.2). This is probably the best positional group in the 2026 MLB All-Star Game.
Grade: A+
Designated Hitter
Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers
Kyle Schwarber, Phillies
The National League boasts a DH group made up of two future Hall of Famers. Kyle Schwarber leads the MLB in home runs with 31 this season and is projected to finish the year with 55, which would be just one shy of the career-best 56 he hit last season. Shohei Ohtani is having a "down year" with only 20 homers so far this season, but he is still a top-three designated hitter when it comes to hits (94, third), batting average (.294, third), on-base percentage (.409, third), and OPS (.950, second). It doesn't matter who gets the start for the National League; you can do no wrong when picking between these two guys.
Grade: A+
Pitching
Chase Burns, Reds
Jhoan Duran, Phillies
Raisel Iglesias, Braves
Max Meyer, Marlins (replaced by Riley O'Brien, Cardinals)
Mason Miller, Padres
Jacob Misiorowski, Brewers (replaced by Jesus Luzardo, Phillies)
Eduardo Rodriguez, Diamonbacks
Chris Sale, Braves
Cristopher Sánchez, Phillies
Paul Skenes, Pirates (replaced by Braxton Ashcraft, Pirates)
Logan Webb, Giants
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Dodgers
Amazingly, the National League goes into the Midsummer Classic with nine starting pitchers (Braxton Ashcraft, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Chris Sale, Jesus Luzardo, Chase Burns, Max Meyer, Cristopher Sanchez, Eduardo Rodriguez, and Logan Webb) compared to just three relievers (Jhoan Duran, Raisel Iglesias, and Mason Miller). Then again, it makes sense since Mason Miller is the best relief pitcher in the sport right now, with a 0.96 ERA and a 0.80 WHIP. Still, it sucks that we won't get to see Misiorowski and Skenes pitch. With those two out of the lineup, the NL's starting pitcher ERA jumps from 2.50 to 2.69. Because the NL's relievers have a better combined ERA and WHIP, the National League gets a higher grade than the American League.
Grade: A-
Complete Roster
As you go down the lineup, the National League roster just gets better and better. The catchers, first basemen, and second basemen are solid, but the shortstops, outfielders, and DHs are exceptional. As we said earlier, it would've been more fun to watch Misiorowski and Skenes throw in the MLB All-Star Game, but that shouldn't take away from the fact that this is a really good squad top to bottom.
