The 10 MLB Players Primed to Be First-Time All-Stars in 2026
One of the most heated debates during any MLB season comes when All-Star rosters are announced and deserving players are inevitably snubbed. Those snubs are especially controversial when it's a player vying for his first All-Star selection.
There were 30 first-time selections at the 2024 All-Star Game, including Cal Raleigh (SEA), Yoshinobu Yamamoto (LAD), Pete Crow-Armstrong (CHC), Hunter Brown (HOU), Junior Caminero (TB) and James Wood (WAS).
Ahead, we've selected 10 players with the best chances of becoming first-time All-Stars in 2026, based on their previous track record, future outlook and competition at their position in their league.
First, a list of 20 honorable mentions who were part of the preliminary group of candidates.
20 Others With First-Time All-Star Potential
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These 20 players did not make our final list, but they are more than capable of earning a spot at the 2026 All-Star Game:
Hitters
C Drake Baldwin, ATL
DH Kerry Carpenter, DET
OF Michael Harris III, ATL
2B Nico Hoerner, CHC
C Shea Langeliers, ATH
1B Vinnie Pasquantino, KC
OF Tyler Soderstrom, ATH
OF/DH Seiya Suzuki, CHC
2B Brice Turang, MIL
OF Daulton Varsho, TOR
Pitchers
SP Cade Horton, CHC
RP Raisel Iglesias, ATL
SP Merrill Kelly, ARI
SP Michael King, SD
SP Jesús Luzardo, PHI
RP Emilio Pagán, CIN
SP Eury Pérez, MIA
SP Nick Pivetta, SD
SP Cam Schlittler, NYY
RP Cade Smith, CLE
OF Roman Anthony, Boston Red Sox
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Stats: 140 OPS+, .292/.396/.463, 27 XBH (8 HR), 32 RBI
WAR: 3.1
Roman Anthony made his MLB debut on June 9 and suffered a season-ending oblique injury on Sept. 2, but in between, the Red Sox went 44-27 in the 71 games he played.
Compare that to a 45-46 record when he did not take the field, and there is no denying his monumental impact during an impressive rookie campaign.
The 21-year-old has only scratched the surface of the vast potential that made him one of the top prospects in the sport entering the 2025 season, and with an offseason of rest and recovery, he should be ready to take the next step toward superstardom in 2026.
SP Kyle Bradish, Baltimore Orioles
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Stats: 6 GS, 1-1, 2.53 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 47 K, 32.0 IP
WAR: 1.2
Kyle Bradish was one of the best pitchers in baseball during a breakout 2023 season, finishing 12-7 with a 2.83 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 168 strikeouts in 168.2 innings to check in fourth in AL Cy Young voting.
It was more of the same to begin the 2024 campaign, as he logged a 2.75 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 39.1 innings through his first eight starts, but his season was abruptly cut short by an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery.
The 29-year-old finally returned to the mound on Aug. 26 with six innings of four-hit, two-run, 10-strikeout ball against the Red Sox, and after throwing the ball extremely well down the stretch, he is poised to anchor the Baltimore rotation alongside Trevor Rogers and Shane Baz.
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1B Michael Busch, Chicago Cubs
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Stats: 147 OPS+, .261/.343/.523, 64 XBH (34 HR), 90 RBI
WAR: 4.6
For all the attention given to Kyle Tucker and Pete Crow-Armstrong, it was Michael Busch who slugged a team-high 34 home runs for the Cubs last season while spending most of the year hitting leadoff.
The 28-year-old quietly ranked among the NL leaders in OPS+ (147, fourth) and home runs (34, sixth), and elite batted-ball metrics suggest his power production is easily sustainable.
With Freddie Freeman, Bryce Harper and Matt Olson headlining an impressive group of National League first basemen, he faces an uphill battle, but Pete Alonso moving to the American League helps a bit.
SP Dylan Cease, Toronto Blue Jays
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Stats: 32 GS, 8-12, 4.55 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 215 K, 168.0 IP
WAR: 1.1
That's right, the Blue Jays just paid $210 million for a guy who has never even made an All-Star team.
Despite lackluster surface-level numbers in 2025, Dylan Cease is still an ace-caliber starter. His 3.56 FIP painted a far more encouraging picture of his performance, while his 29.8 percent strikeout rate trailed only Tarik Skubal (32.2%) and Garrett Crochet (31.3%) among all qualified starters.
Now he'll be suiting up for a Toronto squad that made a surprise run to the World Series last year and has taken an all-in approach to the offseason as it chases its first title since 1993.
OF Jackson Chourio, Milwaukee Brewers
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Stats: 112 OPS+, .270/.308/.463, 60 XBH (21 HR), 78 RBI, 21 SB
WAR: 2.2
It's only a matter of time before Jackson Chourio is a perennial All-Star selection, and on the heels of his second straight 20/20 season, it's easy to forget he is still only 21 years old.
In fact, he was the third-youngest player to appear in the majors in 2025, behind Braves pitcher Didier Fuentes and Giants first baseman Bryce Eldridge, who both spent the bulk of the season in the minors.
A nagging hamstring injury slowed him during the second half of the season, and he was still one of the most productive players on a 97-win Brewers team, so there is still ample room for improvement across the board in 2026.
RP Jhoan Duran, Philadelphia Phillies
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Stats: 72 G, 32/37 SV, 2.06 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 80 K, 70.0 IP
WAR: 3.2
With a fastball that averages 100.6 mph and a pair of lethal breaking pitches in an upper-90s splitter and a slower knuckle curve, Jhoan Duran has one of the most electric arsenals in all of baseball.
The 27-year-old had a 2.18 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 11.8 K/9 with 16 saves in 23 games after the Phillies acquired him from the Twins at the trade deadline, and he should see no shortage of save opportunities over a full season in Philadelphia.
The 2026 All-Star Game will also be played at Citizens Bank Park, which opens the door to showcase arguably the coolest entrance of any closer in baseball on the national stage of the Midsummer Classic.
OF Wyatt Langford, Texas Rangers
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Stats: 127 OPS+, .241/.344/.431, 48 XBH (22 HR), 62 RBI, 22 SB
WAR: 5.6
Here is a full list of all the outfielders who had a higher WAR total than Wyatt Langford in 2025:
Aaron Judge (9.7)
Julio Rodríguez (6.8)
Juan Soto (6.2)
Pete Crow-Armstrong (6.0)
Fernando Tatis Jr. (5.9)
Corbin Carroll (5.8)
The 24-year-old does everything well, coming off a 20/20 season where he was also a Gold Glove finalist, and it's easy to forget he only played 44 games in the minors before earning a spot on the Opening Day roster in 2024.
In other words, he has been learning on the fly in the big leagues and has been one of the game's most productive outfielders in the process. There is still room for further growth as he looks to cement his status as a bona fide star.
1B Nick Kurtz, Athletics
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Stats: 173 OPS+, .290/.383/.619, 64 XBH (36 HR), 86 RBI
WAR: 5.4
Nick Kurtz, Tyler Soderstrom and Shea Langeliers were all viable candidates to be included on this list, as the Athletics have assembled an excellent young offensive core, but let's focus on the reigning AL Rookie of the Year.
Kurtz made his MLB debut on April 23 and did not hit his first home run until May 13, yet he still managed to crush 36 long balls while posting one of the best all-offensive stat lines of any player in baseball.
He will face competition from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Pete Alonso, among others, but if he can come close to matching last year's production he should pile up All-Star selections in the coming years.
SS Zach Neto, Los Angeles Angels
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Stats: 117 OPS+, .257/.319/.474, 56 XBH (26 HR), 62 RBI, 26 SB
WAR: 5.1
With back-to-back 5.1-WAR seasons, Zach Neto has established himself as the most valuable player on the Angels roster.
Recovery from shoulder surgery cost him the first 18 games of the 2025 season, and a left hand injury sidelined him for the final 15 games of the year, or he could have cruised to a 30/30 season.
With Bobby Witt Jr., Gunnar Henderson and Corey Seager headlining the AL shortstop contingent, he has his work cut out for him earning a spot, but he is more than capable of forcing his way onto the AL roster.
SP Gavin Williams, Cleveland Guardians
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Stats: 31 GS, 12-5, 3.06 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 173 K, 167.2 IP
WAR: 3.8
With a 6'6", 250-pound frame, five-pitch repertoire and a strong track record of production in college and across the minor league ranks, Gavin Williams has long checked all the boxes to develop into an ace.
The 26-year-old showed flashes early in his career, and everything finally seemed to click during the second half of the 2025 season when his 2.18 ERA over 70.1 innings trailed only Paul Skenes (1.89) among all qualified starters after the All-Star break.
If he picks up where he left off, he will join Tarik Skubal, Garrett Crochet, Hunter Brown, Max Fried and others as part of the top tier of starting pitching in the American League.
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