Over the weekend, Major League Baseball announced the AL and NL rosters for the 2026 All-Star Game. 41 fielders and 24 pitchers are scheduled to participate in the 96th Midsummer Classic on July 14th in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. However, several players missed the cut that should've probably earned a spot in the game.
Catcher: Liam Hicks, Miami Marlins
In just his second season, Liam Hicks has taken a huge leap forward. He has already surpassed his home run and RBI totals from last year in 40 fewer games. He's tied for sixth in home runs amongst catchers (13). He also has the fifth-most hits by a catcher (80) and the second-most RBIs (56). To top it all off, he leads all catchers in on-base percentage (.365) while ranking second in batting average (.290). The problem is he plays for Miami, and nobody is really tuning in to watch the Marlins on a daily basis.
First Baseman: Willson Contreras, Boston Red Sox
It's pretty shocking that a guy with 20 home runs - the same number as Bryce Harper, Munetaka Murakami, and Pete Crow-Armstrong - didn't get named to the MLB All-Star Game, but it's a really good year for first basemen. In fact, seven first basemen have hit at least 20 homers this season. Unlike those other guys, though, Willson Contreras ranks fifth in on-base percentage (.378) and third in batting average (.284) amongst first basemen. As a result, he has a higher OPS (.920) than Bryce Harper, Matt Olson, Freddie Freeman, Pete Alonso, and Christian Walker.
Second Baseman: Brice Turang, Milwaukee Brewers
This might be the biggest snub of the 2026 MLB All-Star Game. Brice Turang is the best hitter and fielder on the Milwaukee Brewers, who have the second-best record in the Majors. Yet, he was passed over for Ozzie Albies and Luis Arraez. Turang has the highest WAR (wins above replacement) of any second baseman in the Majors (3.5), which is good for 11th in the MLB amongst all position players. On top of that, he has the fourth-highest defensive WAR of anybody who has played second base this season (1.2). For a guy who is so valuable both offensively and defensively, it's surprising Turang didn't get the All-Star nod.
Shortstop: Colson Montgomery, Chicago White Sox
This is another pretty significant snub, considering only eight players in Major League Baseball have hit more home runs this season than Colson Montgomery (23), and all of them were named All-Stars. Montgomery might only hit for power, but he does it effectively. He has the third-best slugging percentage amongst all shortstops (.492). Perhaps he was hurt by his high strikeout numbers. After all, he has the ninth-most strikeouts in the league this season (112). But when you're trying to go yard every at bat, your strikeout numbers are going to be high.
Third Baseman: Nick Gonzales, Pittsburgh Pirates
This isn't the biggest snub on our list, but it does feel like there could've been a spot for Gonzales on the NL roster. He has the sixth-highest batting average of any player in baseball (.312). Hell, he's the only third baseman this season who has a batting average above .300! Not to mention, Gonzales has the second-best on-base percentage of all third basemen (.369) behind only Junor Caminero, who has been on fire as of late. In the last 30 days, his remarkable .354 batting average is the third-best mark in all of baseball behind All-Stars Pete Crow-Armstong and Otto Lopez.
Left Field: Bryan Reynolds, Pittsburgh Pirates
Bryan Reynolds might not be a household name, but he has quietly been one of the best outfielders in the Majors this season with a 3.2 WAR, which would be the second-best mark amongst left fielders. He has 94 hits, more than Randy Arozarena, Cody Bellinger, and Juan Soto. He also leads all left fielders in RBIs this season with 56. Only three other outfielders have hit more RBIs than Reynolds during the 2026 campaign. Amongst outfielders, he ranks fourth in on-base percentage (.393), tied for 10th in slugging (.474), and sixth in OPS (.867). He was most likely snubbed because he's not a big name and plays for a smaller-market team in the Pirates.
Center Field: Michael Harris II, Atlanta Braves
There were two notable snubs at the centerfield spot: Michael Harris II and the Red Sox's Ceddanne Rafaela. Though Rafaela has a higher WAR, Michael Harris feels like a bigger snub because he has better averages at the plate. Amongst outfielders, Harris is tied for seventh in hits (94) and has 16 home runs, which is tied for 10th. He has more RBIs than Pete Crow-Armstrong and Byron Buxton, who are both All-Stars. Amongst outfilders, he ranks in the top 10 in batting average (third, .306), slugging percentage (sixth, .508), and OPS (10th, .846). However, his numbers have taken a slight dip over the last month, so that might have hurt his All-Star Game candidacy. It also doesn't help that the MLB is stacked with elite centerfielders.
Right Field: Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego Padres
Amongst all outfielders in baseball this season, Fernando Tatis Jr. ranks in the top 25 in hits, batting average, and on-base percentage. In fact, Tatis' 98 hits put him in a five-way tie for the most by an outfielder this season. Amongst right fielders, he ranks tied for first in hits (98), tied for sixth in doubles (18), 16th in RBIs (34), fifth in batting average (.282), ninth in on-base percentage (.343), and 13th in OPS (.725). Unfortunately, he doesn't have the home run numbers that fans want to see. He has only hit five balls out of the park this season, so it makes some sense that he wasn't invited to the All-Star game.
Designated Hitter: Dominic Canzone, Seattle Mariners
Whenever fans vote for a designated hitter, the first statistic they’re going to look at is home runs. Therefore, it makes sense that Kyle Schwarber, Shohei Ohtani, and Yordan Alvarez were named All-Stars. However, it feels like a mistake for Yandy Alvarez to make it to the All-Star Game instead of Canzone, who is tied for the fourth-most homers this season by a designated hitter (14). His .551 slugging percentage would be the third-highest mark amongst DHs. In fact, that number is higher than Shohei Ohtani's! He also has a higher OPS (.900) than Yandy Diaz. Considering his numbers are better than Diaz's, it's pretty fascinating to see him miss out on the 2026 All-Star Game.
Starting Pitcher: Sonny Gray, Boston Red Sox
Sonny Gray is having the best season of his career, so it's odd that he was not named an All-Star. He has the highest winning percentage of any starting pitcher in the Majors at .909. Gray's ERA is 2.61, which is good for eighth in the MLB. He has a better ERA than Cristopher Sanchez, Drew Rasmussen, Parker Messick, Joe Ryan, and Ranger Suarez. Amongst starters, he has allowed the ninth-fewest hits in the Majors (76) and the fourth-fewest earned runs (26). The problem is he hasn't even pitched 90 innings yet this season and ranks 47th amongst starting pitchers in strikeouts (82). Plus, his 2.2 pitching WAR is tied for 32nd in the MLB.
Relief Pitcher: Robert Suarez, Atlanta Braves
This one was a true head-scratcher. Robert Suarez is one of the best relievers in baseball. Amongst players who have pitched at least 10 innings this season, he has the fourth-best ERA in the Majors (0.56). Out of every pitcher in the MLB, he is tied for 15th in walks and hits per inning pitched (0.84). He has four saves in five save opportunities. If he had more saves, then he would obviously be an All-Star, but due to limited opportunities, he was passed over for other relievers who have upwards of six times more than Suarez.
