Perfect All-Star Ballot: Who Should Start in the AL?

On June 15, Major League Baseball released the first voting update from the 2026 All-Star ballot. The Blue Jays dominated in the American League, despite their sub-.500 record. Clearly, the fans in Canada are taking advantage of their five votes per day.

There’s still plenty of time for things to change. Phase one of voting runs until June 25, and after that, the finalists at each position go head-to-head in a second round of voting (with a clean slate).

Still, if the first update is any indication, some of the AL’s most deserving All-Stars might not make the starting lineup. That’s just the way it goes.

I’m not here to complain about fan balloting. I think the fan vote is fun and important. However, I do wish more fans tried to support the players with the best numbers instead of just all the guys from their favorite team.

With that in mind, the other Just Baseball editors and I came up with a perfect AL All-Star ballot. (We picked a starting pitcher, too – otherwise, Brad’s sick graphic would have looked incomplete!) So, if you’d like to cast your ballot for the most deserving players, these are the ones we think you should choose.

Who Should Start for the AL All-Stars?

Catcher: Dillon Dingler (DET)

A hot start by Shea Langeliers has helped him earn a huge lead in the voting, but Dillon Dingler has been red-hot lately, while Langeliers has slowed down. They now have almost identical numbers at the plate, and Dingler is the much stronger defender.

Defense is often overlooked when it comes to All-Star voting, but if there’s any position where you should care about the whole package, it’s catcher. And if you are looking at more than just the offensive numbers, it’s hard to make a case for anyone but Dingler.

First Base: Nick Kurtz (ATH)

This should be the closest race of all. You could vote for either Nick Kurtz or Ben Rice, and no one could accuse you of making the wrong choice. Kurtz and Rice have been the second and third-best hitters in the Junior Circuit this season, trailing only the AL’s leading vote-getting, DH Yordan Alvarez.

Ultimately, we went with Kurtz here because he had a slight edge in playing, and he’s been swinging a hotter bat lately. But I can’t overemphasize how hard this decision was to make.

Second Base: Jazz Chisholm Jr. (NYY)

The truth is, there isn’t really a deserving All-Star at second base in the AL this year. You could make a case that the commissioner’s office should just let Kevin McGonigle slide over to second for the Midsummer Classic. But of course, that’s not going to happen, and we have to pick someone who actually plays the keystone.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. doesn’t have great numbers right now, but he’s the AL’s most famous and most talented option. He has also been hitting much better since he bounced back from a slow start to the season, so I’m confident his numbers will look more All-Star-worthy in a couple of weeks.

Shortstop: Bobby Witt Jr. (KCR)

Bobby Witt Jr. hasn’t looked his strongest at the plate this season, but he still might be the best player in the American League. Kevin McGonigle is having such an excellent rookie year that I really wasn’t kidding when I said he should be able to start at second base, but this is Witt’s year. Somehow, he has not yet started an All-Star Game in his career. That should change next month.

Third Base: Miguel Vargas (CHW)

Miguel Vargas is a huge reason why the White Sox are leading the AL Central. His 16 home runs, 51 runs scored, and 44 RBI are all tops among AL third basemen. He also has 10 stolen bases, and he’s holding his own on defense. Vargas has some tough competition from Josh Jung, Junior Caminero, and, of course, José Ramírez, but no one deserves this more than the Chicago third baseman who’s been tearing the cover off the ball.

Outfield: Byron Buxton (MIN), Mike Trout (LAA), Cody Bellinger (NYY)

Byron Buxton was an easy choice. The speedy center fielder leads AL outfielders with 23 home runs and a 153 wRC+. He also leads in fWAR, and that lead would be bigger if a handful of games at DH weren’t dragging down his defensive numbers.

After Buxton, our decision came down to Mike Trout, Cody Bellinger, and Randy Arozarena, all of whom have a matching 139 wRC+ right now. While Arozarena has the best baserunning numbers (and Ceddanne Rafaela’s defense made me consider him as well), we ultimately settled on Trout and Bellinger. Trout gets a bump for his star power. Bellinger earned the final spot because he’s a better defender than Arozarena (and a better hitter than Rafaela).

DH: Yordan Alvarez (HOU)

Who else? Yordan Alvarez has been, far and away, the best hitter in baseball this season. In another year, Yandy Díaz or Dominican Canzone would be worthy choices, but Alvarez will make every other hitter in the All-Star Game look pedestrian by comparison.

Starting Pitcher: Cam Schlittler (NYY)

I know that fans don’t get to vote for pitchers, but while we’re on the subject of All-Star starters, let’s acknowledge the clear front-runner to start the game for the AL squad. Schlitter is the only qualified AL pitcher with a sub-2.00 ERA. He also ranks third in strikeouts and first in fWAR. He has dominated all year long, and he only has to dominate for a few more starts to secure this honor.