Predicting the 2026 AL All-Star Roster

With just over a month until the 2026 MLB All-Star Game, it’s a good time to take a look at the players who are on track to earn a trip to Philadelphia.

Today, we’ll focus on the American League, which could see massive turnover from recent years with established stars like Cal Raleigh, Aaron Judge and Garrett Crochet out with injuries.

A couple of clarifications before we start:

• The rules for this mock roster are the same as the actual roster: 20 position players, 12 pitchers, and at least one representative from each team.
• There may be some injured players who will earn an All-Star nod, even though they will not be healthy by the break. Since they would have to be replaced anyway, I decided not to include players who are currently injured and don’t have an imminent return scheduled.
• Speaking of replacements, I included a fairly lengthy list of notable omissions for both the position players and pitchers. As we saw last year, many players opt out of playing in the game for a variety of reasons, particularly on the pitching side, so some of the initial snubs will eventually make their way on the roster.
• While this roster is mostly determined by 2026 performance, a player’s pedigree and star power did play a part in determining some of the closer races. It is an All-Star game, after all.

Predicting the AL Starting Lineup

• SS Bobby Witt Jr. – Kansas City Royals
• DH Yordan Alvarez – Houston Astros
• 3B José Ramírez – Cleveland Guardians
• 1B Ben Rice – New York Yankees
• CF Byron Buxton – Minnesota Twins
• RF Mike Trout – Los Angeles Angels
• LF Cody Bellinger – New York Yankees
• C Shea Langeliers – Sacramento Athletics
• 2B Travis Bazzana – Cleveland Guardians
• ​SP Cam Schlittler – New York Yankees

​It’s only fitting that the American League lineup starts off with the league’s best all-around player. At age 26, Bobby Witt Jr. is at the height of his powers, leading all players with a mind-blowing +16 Outs Above Average to go along with a 127 OPS+ and 23 stolen bases in 27 attempts.

​The rejuvenation of Yordan Alvarez has been a rare bright spot in a tumultuous and injury-plagued Astros season. He leads MLB with a 1.074 OPS while trailing only Kyle Schwarber with 22 home runs, making him the easy choice to bat second in this lineup.

​After an ice-cold start to the season, José Ramírez has begun to look more like his old self recently, slashing .295/.358/.516 in his last 25 games. His MLB-leading stolen base total sits at 24. The 33-year-old may be in the twilight of his prime, but he is still the most complete third baseman in baseball and the clear class of the American League.

​In what might be the most stacked position in all of MLB, Ben Rice narrowly beats out Willson Contreras and Nick Kurtz for American League starting first base honors. He holds a substantial lead over both in OPS and batting average while leading the American League in runs (49).

​After spending much of his twenties hampered by injuries, Byron Buxton has finally stayed relatively healthy over the last two seasons, helping him re-establish his position as one of the most talented players in the game. His 19 home runs lead all AL outfielders, while his .870 OPS trails only Aaron Judge.

​Like Buxton, Mike Trout has finally put together a healthy season after spending much of the 2020s on the injured list, playing in 67 of the Angels’ 68 games and ranking in the top five among AL outfielders in both bWAR (2.2) and home runs (14) despite criminally bad batted ball luck. His .223/.389/.441 slash line isn’t quite prime Mike Trout, but it’s still good enough to earn a starting outfield spot.

While he may never repeat the power numbers that helped him capture the 2019 MVP award, Cody Bellinger has developed into one of the most complete outfielders in the game. His combination of elite plate discipline, superb bat-to-bat skills, and Gold Glove defense has powered him to a 3.6 bWAR, which trails only Bobby Witt Jr. among AL position players.

​Shea Langeliers has proven that his 2025 second-half surge wasn’t a fluke, taking over the mantle from Cal Raleigh as the best catcher in the American League. Not only does he lead all Junior Circuit backstops in all three slashline categories, but he has turned himself into an above-average defender after years of ranking near the bottom of most defensive metrics.

​In a weak class of American League second basemen, former first overall pick Travis Bazzana gets the starting nod due both to performance and pedigree. His .346 on-base percentage and would lead the position if he had enough plate appearances to qualify, and his status as one of the game’s most exciting young players is somewhat of a tiebreaker over slap-hitting utility men Ernie Clement and Chase Meidroth.

​With Garrett Crochet and Tarik Skubal missing significant time with injury, Cam Schlittler has been the undisputed class of the American League.  He leads all AL starters in bWAR (3.2), ERA (1.87), and WHIP (0.866), putting him in a prime position to earn the start in his first-ever All-Star Game.

Predicting the AL Reserves

• ​C Dillon Dingler – Detroit Tigers
• 1B Nick Kurtz – Sacramento Athletics
• 1B Willson Contreras – Boston Red Sox
• 2B Ernie Clement – Toronto Blue Jays
• SS Kevin McGonigle – Detroit Tigers
• 3B Miguel Vargas – Chicago White Sox
• OF Randy Arozarena – Seattle Mariners
• OF Riley Greene – Detroit Tigers
• OF Ceddanne Rafaela – Boston Red Sox
• OF Julio Rodríguez – Seattle Mariners
• DH Yandy Díaz – Tampa Bay Rays

​A pleasant surprise in a dismal Tigers season, Dillon Dingler has already set a new career high with 16 home runs, while trailing only Langeliers with a 2.5 bWAR. His two-way impact allows him to narrowly beat out the Orioles duo of Samuel Basallo and Adley Rutschman for the second American League catcher spot.

​In nearly any other season, Nick Kurtz would be squarely in the middle of the American League starting lineup, as it’s not often that the MLB leader in on-base percentage finds himself on the bench. This speaks to just how good Rice has been, as his edge in home runs (18 to 15) and slugging percentage (.626 to .532) gives him the narrow advantage.

​Veteran Willson Contreras has been everything the Red Sox could have hoped for after they acquired him from the Cardinals this winter. His .288 batting average, .383 on-base percentage, and .906 OPS are all new career-highs, putting him on track for his first All-Star appearance since 2022.

​Ernie Clement has picked up right where he left off from last October, when he set the MLB record with 30 hits in a single postseason. He leads the American League with 79 hits while placing fifth with a .304 batting average.

​In a battle between two emerging AL Central stars, Kevin McGonigle earned the slight edge over Colson Montgomery for the reserve shortstop role. The Tigers’ rookie trails only Witt and Bellinger in the AL with a 3.4 bWAR, a product of his elite on-base skills and premium defense at the six.

​Perhaps overshadowed by the brilliance of teammate Munetaka Murakami (who would be on this roster if not for a hamstring strain), Miguel Vargas has had a remarkable offensive season in his own right. His 16 home runs tie his 2025 total in nearly 300 fewer plate appearances, and he also ranks in the 96th percentile with a 19.2% chase rate.

​Randy Arozarena has been a model of consistency in an up-and-down Mariners season, slashing a robust .299/.385/.462 and converting on 18 of his 22 stolen base attempts. While his .370 BABIP may be unsustainable, his dramatic increase in launch angle sweet-spot percentage and a career-low 21.6% strikeout rate provide real evidence that he is in the midst of the best season of his career.

​Though he hasn’t yet matched the power of his 36-homer 2025 campaign, Riley Greene has been a far more complete hitter in his third MLB season. His .306 batting average leads all American League outfielders, and he has increased his walk rate from 7.0% to 12.5%

​It’s been another step forward for Ceddanne Rafaela, who has parlayed career-best plate discipline numbers (and admittedly some batted ball luck) into a 116 OPS+. His defense, meanwhile, continues to be Platinum-Glove worthy, which gives him the edge over Julio Rodríguez (-3 Outs Above Average) for the center field reserve spot.

​The final outfield spot came down to the defensive-minded Wilyer Abreu and the dynamic Julio Rodríguez. Even though Abreu has accumulated more WAR due to being one of the best right field defenders in all of baseball, offense is king in All-Star voting, and Rodriguez’s advantage in home runs (13 to 7) and stolen bases (9 to 4) gives him the very slight edge.

​One of the best pure hitters in the game, Yandy Díaz has continued to rake even as he enters his mid-30s. His .325 average easily paces the American League, while his .534 slugging percentage is the highest mark of his 10-year MLB career.

Toughest Hitter Omissions

• ​C Samuel Basallo – Baltimore Orioles
• C Adley Rutschman – Baltimore Orioles
• 1B Munetaka Murakami – Chicago White Sox (Injured)
• 1B Christian Walker – Houston Astros
• 1B Pete Alonso – Baltimore Orioles
• SS Colson Montgomery – Chicago White Sox
• 3B Junior Caminero – Tampa Bay Rays
• 3B Josh Jung – Texas Rangers
• RF Wilyer Abreu – Boston Red Sox

Predicting the AL Pitching Staff

• ​SP José Soriano – Los Angeles Angels
• SP Joe Ryan – Minnesota Twins
• SP Payton Tolle – Boston Red Sox
• SP, Parker Messick – Cleveland Guardians
• SP Tarik Skubal – Detroit Tigers
• SP Dylan Cease – Toronto Blue Jays
• SP Jacob deGrom – Texas Rangers
• RP Aroldis Chapman – Boston Red Sox
• RP Cade Smith – Cleveland Guardians
• RP Louis Varland – Toronto Blue Jays
• RP Rico Garcia – Baltimore Orioles

Though he has fallen off considerably from the 0.24 ERA he allowed in his first six games, it has still been a breakthrough season for Angels right-hander José Soriano, who has done a far better job at limiting hard contact while also increasing his strikeout rate from 21.0% to 25.5%.

​Joe Ryan has followed up his first All-Star appearance in 2025 with another tremendously steady campaign, posting a career-low 3.07 ERA and slicing his HR/9 from 1.37 to 0.83. It’s not the flashiest profile, but Ryan’s pinpoint control and elite extension have made him one of the most dependable starters in the game.

​ Because he spent the first four weeks of the season in Triple-A, you won’t see Payton Tolle on any of the American League pitching leaderboards, but he has been one of the best pitchers on a per-inning basis. His 2.70 ERA would rank fifth if he had enough innings to qualify, while his 2.47 xERA is the lowest mark among all AL starting pitchers.

​An unexpected X-factor of the Guardians’ AL Central chase-down of the Tigers in 2025, Parker Messick has been ever better in his second MLB season. His 2.40 ERA trails only Schlittler among American League starting pitchers, thanks in large part to a four-seam fastball that has added another tick in velocity and has held opposing hitters to a lowly .163 batting average.

​It would have seemed nearly impossible that Tarik Skubal would be on this list after undergoing elbow surgery at the beginning of May, but he looks shockingly close to a return after throwing five innings in a rehab start on Sunday. Given how dominant he was before his injury (2.70 ERA, 2.11 FIP), the two-time reigning Cy Young winner should have no trouble earning his third All-Star appearance if he looks anything like the old Skubal upon his return.

​Dylan Cease has been exactly what the Blue Jays hoped he would be after inking him to a seven-year, $210 million deal last winter, leading MLB with a 13.6 K/9 and posting his lowest ERA since his Cy Young runner-up campaign of 2022. Cease is in line for his first-ever All-Star appearance.

​In a crowded field of worthy American League starting pitchers, Jacob deGrom earns the tiebreaker as the Rangers’ lone representative. This isn’t to say DeGrom hasn’t earned it, however: His 5.60 strikeout-to-walk ratio ranks fifth among all qualified starting pitchers.

After posting a 1.17 ERA and winning his second Mariano Rivera Award, Aroldis Chapman has somehow been even better in his second season with the Red Sox, allowing just one run in his first 19.2 innings and converting on all 13 of his save opportunities. Though his velocity is understandably down a tick from his prime, the 38-year-old’s improved control and diversified arsenal have made him even more dominant than when he was touching 105.

​A key cog for the AL Central-leading Guardians, Cade Smith has been a force in his first full season as closer, converting an MLB-leading 21 of his 23 save opportunities. And while his 2.67 ERA may not be at the level of the game’s other premier closers, his 0.99 FIP and abnormally high .382 BABIP suggest he’s in line for some positive regression.

​Expected to set up the more established Tyler Rogers and Jeff Hoffman in the Blue Jays bullpen entering the season, Louis Varland has instead emerged as the AL’s most dominant closer. He has allowed just two earned runs in 35.2 innings, generating both ground balls (60.5%) and strikeouts (33.6%) at an elite rate.

​Like Varland, Orioles right-hander Rico Garcia has also forced his way into more high-leverage work after a dominant start to the season. The former journeyman has allowed just four earned runs in his first 28 innings of work and has converted four save opportunities since taking over the closer’s role from an injured Ryan Helsley.​

Toughest Pitcher Ommissions

• SP Ranger Suárez, Boston Red Sox
• SP Will Warren, New York Yankees
• SP Shane McClanahan, Tampa Bay Rays
• SP Nick Martinez, Tampa Bay Rays
• SP Drew Rasmussen, Tampa Bay Rays
• SP Kevin Gausman, Toronto Blue Jays
• SP Casey Mize, Detroit Tigers
• SP Davis Martin, Chicago White Sox
• SP Gavin Williams, Cleveland Guardians
• SP Emerson Hancock, Seattle Mariners
• SP Bryan Woo, Seattle Mariners
• RP Tyler Rogers, Toronto Blue Jays
• RP Eric Sabrowoski, Cleveland Guardians
• RP Grant Taylor, Chicago White Sox