Voting for the 2026 All-Star Game commenced Thursday, so for this edition of our power rankings, we’re highlighting a player who’s yet to experience the Midsummer Classic but deserves a look this year as Philadelphia prepares to host the festivities. As you’ll see, there are many teams with several deserving potential debutants, and others where we had to suspend disbelief to suggest a first-time candidate could crack an All-Star roster. Fortunately, there's still a few weeks before the first round of fan voting closes.1. Atlanta Braves (Last: 1)First-time All-Star candidate: C Drake BaldwinBaldwin has been sidelined since mid-May with an oblique strain, yet he still enjoys a healthy lead on the WAR leaderboard over his fellow National League catchers. Baldwin has racked up 2.2 fWAR in 48 games, with Milwaukee's Willson Contreras and Miami's Liam Hicks (1.4 fWAR each) providing the closest competition. When he's been on the field, Baldwin has been even better than he was in his NL Rookie of the Year campaign, slashing .303/.389/.543 with 13 home runs in 48 games. If he can return to the field in the next couple of weeks, as is expected, he'll merit a trip to Philadelphia, perhaps as a starter.2. Los Angeles Dodgers (Last: 3)First-time All-Star candidate: OF Andy PagesPages earned his place in Dodgers lore with his World Series-saving catch in Game 7 of last year’s Fall Classic, but after struggling at the plate throughout the postseason, he’s cemented his place in Los Angeles’s core this year by leading the majors in bWAR (3.8) and RBIs (51). He’s been excellent with his bat (.291/.339/.530, 13 home runs) and glove (NL-best 13 defensive runs saved) to make himself a shoo-in for the National League squad.3. New York Yankees (Last: 4)First-time All-Star candidate: SP Cam SchlittlerSchlittler is at the forefront of the Cy Young conversation in just his second season in MLB, and he seems like a lock to represent the Yankees at Citizens Bank Park. He’s racked up 2.8 fWAR in 13 starts and has a 28.5% strikeout rate versus a 4.4% walk rate. His 1.53 BB/9 is the best among all qualified pitchers, and only Cristopher Sánchez and Jacob Misiorowski have a higher fWAR. 4. Milwaukee Brewers (Last: 5)First-time All-Star candidate: SP Kyle HarrisonHarrison, who was traded twice in eight months prior to this season, has broken out in a big way in 2026 as yet another success story from the Brewers’ pitching factory. The lefthander ranks third in the majors with a 1.57 ERA among pitchers with at least 50 innings, and he ranks fourth in K-BB% (24.9%). The NL Cy Young Award race is shaping up to be one for the ages, and so far, Harrison has earned a spot at the table.Nick Martinez is the latest beneficiary of the Rays' renowned pitching development department. | Philip G. Pavely-Imagn Images5. Tampa Bay Rays (Last: 2)First-time All-Star candidate: SP Nick MartinezMartinez, at the age of 35 and on his fourth MLB team, is having the best season of his career in 2026. The veteran righthander boasts a 2.29 ERA across 70 ⅔ innings and has MLB’s second-lowest walk rate at 4.5%. Martinez isn’t a strikeout pitcher, evidenced by his 5.35 K/9, which ranks 70th among 71 qualified pitchers, but he’s minimized hard contact, ranking in the 86th percentile for opponents’ average exit velocity, thanks to his elite changeup. Having never made an All-Star Game in his previous eight seasons, Martinez could be headed to Philadelphia this summer. 6. Cleveland Guardians (Last: 8)First-time All-Star candidate: SP Parker MessickThe 6' 0", 225-pound Messick doesn’t have overpowering stuff, averaging under 94 mph on his fastball. But his pinpoint command has made him incredibly effective, as he ranks sixth among qualified starters in ERA (2.21). Messick has had metronome-like consistency, pitching into the sixth inning in seven of his 12 starts and allowing no more than two earned runs in 10 of them. Rotation mate Gavin Williams has a strong case for inclusion as well, and it’s splitting hairs choosing between the two. 7. Philadelphia Phillies (Last: 9)First-time All-Star candidate: OF Brandon MarshAs the Phillies continue to put their poor start to the season behind them, Marsh has been one of the team’s most consistent offensive weapons. He currently leads MLB with a .335 batting average, despite never hitting above .300 in any of his previous five seasons. Marsh is striking out less (22.3% K rate) despite swinging more freely at the plate, and the results are plain to see. He has the second-highest fWAR among Phillies hitters (1.2) and his 134 wRC+ is the best mark of his career. If he keeps this up, he could have the incredible opportunity to represent the Phillies at the All-Star Game in front of the team’s adoring home crowd. 8. Seattle Mariners (Last: 18)First-time All-Star candidate: Luke RaleyWith apologies to Emerson Hancock, who is 4–2 with a 2.80 ERA in 12 starts, Raley is the choice here. His .547 slugging percentage is tops among AL outfielders with at least 150 plate appearances, and his 146 wRC+ ranks fifth. He’s tied for third among that group with 13 home runs. At 31 years old, Raley making the All-Star team would qualify as a feel-good story, and he’s done well to earn consideration to this point.9. St. Louis Cardinals (Last: 10)First-time All-Star candidate: OF Jordan WalkerWalker seemed destined for multiple All-Star appearances by now after hitting 16 homers with a 116 wRC+ as a 21-year-old rookie in 2023. But he endured plenty of growing pains in the years that followed, and it wasn’t until making the proper adjustments this year that he’s fully tapped into his immense potential. Walker’s 151 wRC+ ranks 11th among qualified hitters, his 15 home runs are tied for fourth in the NL and his eight stolen bases lead the team. Still just 24, here’s betting this year won’t be the last time Walker puts up All-Star caliber numbers.10. Pittsburgh Pirates (Last: 11)First-time All-Star candidate: OF Oneil CruzIt’s a tough call between Cruz and Braxton Ashcraft, but we’ll lean slightly toward the tooled-up 27-year-old outfielder who’s rebounded very nicely from what was a trying 2025 season. Cruz still strikes out plenty (34.7%, second-highest among qualified hitters), but his elite bat speed has him hammering the ball, propping up a career-best 126 wRC+. He leads all NL outfielders with 20 stolen bases and ranks third with 14 home runs. Cruz’s talents jump off the charts, making him the perfect kind of player to include in an exhibition game meant to highlight the game’s brightest stars.11. San Diego Padres (Last: 6)First-time All-Star candidate: SP Michael KingIt’s somewhat surprising to find out the 31-year-old King, who finished seventh in NL All-Star voting two seasons ago, has yet to be named an All-Star. He may need to pick it up a bit to change that, as he currently ranks 13th among NL starters with a 3.18 ERA. Then again, he leads the Padres in bWAR (1.7), and it’s not like they have any stellar candidates. Gavin Sheets, Miguel Andujar and Ty France are the only Padres regulars with above league-average offensive production. Not how you draw it up, and we're not entirely sure how San Diego is above .500. Their five-game losing streak indicates they’re falling back to earth.Nico Hoerner leads all NL second basemen with 14 doubles. | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images12. Chicago Cubs (Last: 7)First-time All-Star candidate: 2B Nico HoernerA prolonged slump that started around the beginning of May has dampened what looked like a surefire All-Star résumé for Hoerner, but the 29-year-old’s body of work still has him firmly in contention. Hoerner leads all NL second basemen in doubles (14) and ranks third in hits (62). His defense remains among the game’s best, and he has the second-lowest strikeout rate (7.1%) among qualified hitters.13. Chicago White Sox (Last: 14)First-time All-Star candidate: SS Colson MontgomeryThere is no shortage of deserving candidates from the South Siders. Miguel Vargas, Davis Martin, Munetaka Murakami (currently on the injured list) and even Grant Taylor are all enjoying strong starts. But we’ll tab Montgomery, who has followed up a strong rookie season (21 homers in 71 games) with a stellar sophomore campaign. Montgomery’s 15 homers are tops among all shortstops, and he ranks second behind only Bobby Witt Jr. in outs above average. For his young career, he’s totaled 36 homers with 91 RBIs in 132 games—it looks like the White Sox have themselves a good one here.14. Arizona Diamondbacks (Last: 12)First-time All-Star candidate: Eduardo RodríguezJourneyman first baseman Ildemaro Vargas has faded hard and fast after a scorching opening month, but Rodríguez has a decent shot to earn his first All-Star bid over a decade after his 2015 debut with the Red Sox. The soft-tossing lefty had really struggled in his first two years with the Diamondbacks, posting an ERA over 5.00 in both campaigns, but he’s befuddling hitters in 2026 despite a career-low 17.6% strikeout rate. His 2.24 ERA ranks fifth in the NL, putting him in a good position to make the trip to Philadelphia.15. Cincinnati Reds (Last: 13)First-time All-Star candidate: SP Chase BurnsBurns showed all kinds of potential in his 2025 debut, but he’s taken a flamethrower to opposing hitters this season. His average fastball velocity (98.0 mph) would qualify as head-turning if not for the existence of Jacob Misiorowski, and it’s plenty effective. Burns ranks fifth among qualified starters with a 2.05 ERA and fifth in strikeout rate (29.7%). He’s allowed two runs or fewer in 11 of his 12 starts, and pitched into the sixth inning in all but one outing. The No. 2 pick in the ‘24 draft looks like a safe bet to be a multi-time All-Star in short order.16. Athletics (Last: 15)First-time All-Star candidate: 1B Nick KurtzThere are several good options here with Kurtz, catcher Shea Langeliers (14 home runs, 143 wRC+ and 2.3 fWAR, all second among MLB catchers) and even breakout pitcher J.T. Ginn (2.56 ERA in 10 starts). But we’ll go with the reigning AL Rookie of the Year who’s leading the majors with a .440 on-base percentage. Kurtz will have a hard time beating out Yankees first baseman Ben Rice for the starting gig, but now that Munetaka Murakami will likely miss the All-Star Game with a hamstring injury, Kurtz should be able to beat out Boston’s Willson Contreras if there’s only room for two first basemen on the AL roster.17. Washington Nationals (Last: 17)First-time All-Star candidate: SP Cade CavalliThe Nationals have one of the worst pitching staffs in MLB, though Cavalli has been one of the few bright spots of the group. He’s off to a strong start, boasting a 3.62 ERA and a 2.99 FIP which indicates he’s been rather unlucky. The righthander doesn’t have much experience under his belt, as his 13 starts this season are the most he’s made in the majors, but his 1.5 fWAR is the highest among Washington’s pitchers. An All-Star nod is a bit unlikely for Cavalli this year, but he’s got the best chance among Nationals players who have not yet been to the Midsummer Classic.18. Texas Rangers (Last: 16)First-time All-Star candidate: 2B Ezequiel DuranEvery team needs a good utility man—even an All-Star team. Duran has spent time at five different positions this season, doing so while posting a career-best 122 wRC+ in 192 plate appearances. Statcast grades him out as a strong defender at each spot, and he’s been vital for a team that’s seen plenty of underperformances across their position player group. Players like Duran aren’t often recognized with All-Star bids, but the Rangers would be lost without him, and this would be a fitting reward for an impressive start.Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo had a lot to smile about in May. | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images19. Baltimore Orioles (Last: 24)First-time All-Star candidate: C Samuel BasalloBasallo, who was Baltimore’s top prospect after Jackson Holliday reached the majors, is starting to break out in a big way. The Orioles have started to heat up after a rocky start to the year, and much of that is due to Basallo’s bat. In May, Basallo logged a .974 OPS with four home runs and 16 RBIs across 25 games. His 133 wRC+ and .363 wOBA both rank first among all of Baltimore’s position players, and if he continues to dominate at the plate he could earn his first All-Star appearance at just 21 years of age. 20. Toronto Blue Jays (Last: 20)First-time All-Star candidate: RP Louis VarlandDylan Cease, who has never been to an All-Star Game and is one of MLB’s best starting pitchers this season, has a strong case to be the choice here, but Varland’s dominance out of the bullpen is approaching historic levels. Varland has made 28 relief appearances and has only surrendered one earned run. His 0.29 ERA is the best among all relievers in MLB (even Mason Miller), and he’s already racked up 1.5 fWAR out of the bullpen. Varland has 42 strikeouts in 31 innings, and his 12.2 K/9 is by far the best of his career. 21. Minnesota Twins (Last: 19)First-time All-Star candidate: SP Taj BradleyMinnesota’s two leading All-Star candidates (Byron Buxton and Joe Ryan) have both been there before, so it’s Bradley who has the best case as a first-timer. The former Ray has cooled off a bit since his hot start, posting a 5.18 ERA over his last six outings. But Bradley remains a top-end talent, with a 26.8% strikeout rate that ranks 10th among AL pitchers with at least 60 innings. If Bradley can avoid walks like he did at the start of the season, he’ll get back on track to pitching deep into games.22. Houston Astros (Last: 28)First-time All-Star candidate: SP Spencer ArrighettiArrighetti impressed as a rookie in 2024, but saw his ‘25 campaign limited to just seven starts due to injuries. Now healthy, the 26-year-old is a silver lining for an Astros pitching staff that’s largely struggled. In nine games, Arrighetti is 7–1 with a 1.94 ERA, getting by more with funk than velocity—his fastball sits at 92.5 mph, but he stays effective with a wide arsenal and over seven feet of extension that ranks in the 99th percentile league-wide. 23. Miami Marlins (Last: 21)First-time All-Star candidate: 2B Xavier EdwardsEdwards has quietly emerged as one of MLB's best second basemen. The 26-year-old leads the Marlins with 2.6 fWAR and a .864 OPS. He rarely strikes out (11.5% K rate) and has improved his walk rate to 12.3% after taking a free pass in just 7.9% of his plate appearances last season. Edwards doesn’t hit the ball particularly hard, ranking in just the 16th percentile in hard-hit rate and 20th percentile in average exit velocity. But he’s a patient hitter who can make good contact with ease, resulting in his .311 batting average and 36.2% squared-up rate (96th percentile). 24. Boston Red Sox (Last: 22)First-time All-Star candidate: SP Payton TolleThe Red Sox should consider themselves fortunate that all 30 MLB teams automatically get an All-Star representative. Boston has struggled all year long, though Payton Tolle has been their best pitcher in his first full season. Tolle owns a 2.28 ERA with 51 strikeouts and 13 walks in 47 ⅓ innings. He leads all Red Sox pitchers with 1.6 fWAR, leaning heavily upon his four-seam fastball and his sinker, two pitches he throws over 70% of the time. During a season in which not much has gone right for Boston, Tolle has given fans a reason to be excited for the future. 25. New York Mets (Last: 23)First-time All-Star candidate: SP Nolan McLeanThe wheels have fallen off a bit for McLean, who had a rough month of May including back-to-back starts in which he surrendered 13 total earned runs. Still, he’s been one of the few solid players for the Mets this season, with 1.0 fWAR in his first 12 starts. McLean has a 4.21 ERA with 77 strikeouts in 66 ⅓ innings, but walks have been an issue of late. He’s walked 24 batters this season, half of which have come over his last four starts. If he can get things back on track and pitch to the level he displayed in March and April, McLean could be considered for an All-Star nod, though at this point that seems unlikely. Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler has an argument as being the majors' best catcher this season. | Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images26. Detroit Tigers (Last: 27)First-time All-Star candidate: C Dillon DinglerThe 27-year-old Dingler, now in his second season as a full-time starter, has developed into a two-way star. He leads all catchers in fWAR (2.5), is tied for the AL lead among backstops with 14 home runs and is tops among all catchers in FanGraphs’ defensive rating. It’s a crowded group in the AL, with Langeliers and Baltimore’s Adley Rutschman as the leading contenders, but Dingler deserves a spot on the roster.27. Kansas City Royals (Last: 25)First-time All-Star candidate: SP Stephen KolekBoy, it’s been a rough season in Kansas City. That's made it a tough task to choose a potential first-time All-Star, especially considering Bobby Witt Jr., Maikel Garcia, Seth Lugo, Kris Bubic and Michael Wacha have all been there before. We’ll opt for Kolek, the 29-year-old with under 200 career innings who’s off to a strong (albeit brief) start to the season. Kolek made his season debut on May 5, and he’s taken advantage of his opportunity in the rotation. He has a 3.32 ERA in six outings, and tossed a shutout against the Mariners on May 23 that was of the throwback variety, as he tallied only two strikeouts. Kolek is not a conventional All-Star pick, but in a thin group of first-time candidates, he stands out.28. Los Angeles Angels (Last: 30)First-time All-Star candidate: SP Jose SorianoSoriano has cooled off a bit since his historic start to the season, but still boasts a solid All-Star resume. He has the fifth-lowest ERA among qualified AL starters (2.72) and the third-lowest batting average against (.198). Lefthander Reid Detmers has also performed well in his return to the rotation, ranking fifth among qualified AL starters in fWAR (2.0) and sixth in strikeout rate (28.5%). But his traditional numbers (2–5 record, a 4.63 ERA) might hurt his chances.29. San Francisco Giants (Last: 26)First-time All-Star candidate: DH Casey SchmittSchmitt doesn’t have much of a chance to make the All-Star roster considering Shohei Ohtani and Kyle Schwarber will vacuum the vast majority of votes for the NL designated hitter slot. His best shot is to qualify as San Francisco’s lone selection, though Luis Arraez will likely be the pick as he contends for his fourth batting title. Schmitt nevertheless deserves a callout here as he leads the Giants with 12 home runs, providing the only consistent power for a dreadfully disappointing lineup. 30. Colorado Rockies (Last: 29)First-time All-Star candidate: RP Antonio SenzatelaIt’s too bad Mickey Moniak went down with an ankle injury last month, because the former No. 1 pick was on pace to earn a deserved All-Star debut in the outfield. Instead, the Rockies’ representative will probably be catcher Hunter Goodman, a Silver Slugger winner and All-Star debutant last year. The only remote possibilities among potential first-timers are 26-year-old rookie TJ Rumfield, who currently ranks 13th among NL first basemen with a 117 wRC+, and Senzatela, a former starter who’s found second life in the Rockies bullpen while racking up 2.2 bWAR with a 1.30 ERA. More MLB from Sports IllustratedAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow