MLB power rankings: Dodgers, Braves and Brewers make up all-NL top 3, followed by Yankees and Rays

· Yahoo Sports

The 96th edition of the MLB All-Star Game is right around the corner, and the league’s biggest stars as well as some surprise candidates are making their final pushes toward earning invitations to Philadelphia next month. Not only do we have nearly three months of performance to inform which players warrant a roster spot, but we also have our first round of fan voting results showing which players are in the mix to start on July 14 at Citizens Bank Park. 

Our latest power rankings look at players on each team who could be first-time All-Stars this year. These are often some of the best stories during All-Star week, whether they are ascendent young talents appearing in their first of many Midsummer Classics or veterans finally getting their first invite later in their careers. There won’t be room for all of them on the leagues’ stacked rosters, but here are some names to look for as potential first-timers.

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If you were told before the season that a Dodger would be the leading vote-getter among all National League outfielders in the first round of All-Star fan voting, that wouldn’t be a surprise. But you’d probably assume it was marquee free-agent addition Kyle Tucker (an All-Star the past four seasons) or beloved slugger Teoscar Hernandez, right? Nope! It’s 25-year-old Andy Pages, and deservingly so. Even if the outsized vote totals are partially a product of his team’s enormous and enthusiastic fan base, Pages would be a worthy inclusion on the All-Star roster. He leads the NL with 56 RBI and ranks 13th among NL position players in fWAR. 

Even with some missed time due to injury, Drake Baldwin’s outstanding play should earn him his first All-Star invite, and surely not his last. But most intriguing for Atlanta will be whether this is the year Raisel Iglesias finally gets the nod, as the 36-year-old right-hander has never been named an All-Star, despite remarkable consistency in the closer role for multiple teams over the past decade. There are only so many reliever spots available, so Iglesias could fall short again, but his continued excellence (14 saves, 1.16 ERA, 30.4% strikeout rate) on one of baseball’s best teams should not go overlooked.

Brice Turang — a Platinum Glove winner and a member of Team USA but not yet an All-Star — is the best bet to join super-ace Jacob Misiorowski in Philadelphia, and that would be well-deserved considering his ongoing offensive breakout. Among surprise first-half stars, 30-year-old Jake Bauers (his 148 wRC+ ranks seventh among NL hitters) has mashed his way into serious All-Star consideration, thougha crowded NL first-base crop (Matt Olson, Freddie Freeman, Bryce Harper) makes his inclusion less certain.

With his rib injury likely preventing Aaron Judge from participating in his eighth All-Star Game, Ben Rice and Cam Schlittler should snag the spotlight as the Yankees’ representatives. Two tremendous, homegrown player-development stories, Rice and Schlittler have been co-headlining this Yankees campaign all season, and the All-Star Game might be a precursor to their respective pushes for some even more exclusive hardware: MVP and Cy Young.

The most likely first-timer on this Rays roster is 35-year-old right-hander Nick Martinez, whose 2.60 ERA ranks third-lowest among qualified AL starting pitchers. Martinez’s underwhelming underlying peripherals don’t reflect that of one of the league’s best arms, but Tampa Bay still has to be thrilled with what he has provided as a free-agent addition to the rotation. 

He hasn’t been an elite reliever for nearly as long as Iglesias, but it’s strange to think that Jhoan Duran also has yet to make an All-Star team, considering how dominant he has been since debuting in 2022. Whether that changes this year remains to be seen, but a near certain first-timer representing the All-Star hosts will be outfielder Brandon Marsh. In fact, Marsh’s terrific season at the plate (133 wRC+) plus the hometown bump in fan voting could make him a starter for the NL.

Chicago’s lone representative last season was right-hander Shane Smith, a Rule 5 pick who became a reliable rotation option. Smith is a great story, but his selection was reflective of the complete lack of other compelling options to choose from. How times have changed. This season’s upstart White Sox roster boasts several All-Star candidates, all of whom would be first-timers: rookie sensation Munetaka Murakami, breakout bat Miguel Vargas and emergent ace Davis Martin would be worthy inclusions.

A slow start and recent hamate injury will prevent face of the franchise José Ramírez from making his sixth consecutive All-Star appearance (and eighth overall), so look for a pitcher to represent the Guardians. Closer Cade Smith is MLB’s current saves leader with 23 and trails only Mason Miller among relievers in fWAR; he’s a virtual lock. Right-hander Gavin Williams is another first-time All-Star candidate, as his 28.7% strikeout rate ranks third among AL starting pitchers, behind only Reid Detmers (more on him later) and Jacob deGrom. 

Logan Gilbert, Bryan Woo, George Kirby and Luis Castillo have all been All-Stars before; could it be Emerson Hancock’s turn? Or even Bryce Miller’s? Hancock has tailed off a bit since a brilliant first month, but he ranks among the top 15 qualified AL starting pitchers in innings pitched (79 ⅔), ERA (3.28), WHIP (1.01) and K-minus-BB% (18.5%). Miller has pitched only 35 innings, but he has been dominant in that abbreviated sample: 1.54 ERA, 0.714 WHIP, 28.8% strikeout rate.

Of all the notable Dodgers, Andy Pages is the one leading all National League outfielders in All-Star voting.Bruno Rouby/Yahoo Sports

His impressive rookie year as a 21-year-old in 2023 suggested an eventual All-Star appearance was in the cards for Jordan Walker, but his immense struggles the past two seasons clouded that projection. But Walker has gotten back on track in a big way in his fourth major-league season, enjoying a slugging surge that has him at or near the top of the NL leaderboards in homers (18), RBI (56) and OPS (.903). His enormous raw power (99th-percentile average exit velocity, 100th-percentile bat speed) also makes him a strong candidate for this year’s Home Run Derby.

With Nico Hoernerfalling off hard after an excellent April, we might need to look elsewhere in the Cubs’ lineup for a possible first-time All-Star, and Michael Busch and Seiya Suzuki appear to be the strongest candidates. Suzuki was one of the biggest All-Star snubs last year, but his production has been more good than great this season, so he’d have to heat up over the next few weeks to warrant consideration. Busch’s production is also down from where it was a year ago, but his .381 OBP ranks seventh among NL hitters.

The Padres’ maddeningly meek offensive output does not offer many All-Star candidates of any genre, let alone first-timers, though Gavin Sheets would be a cool inclusion, considering his career trajectory. On the mound, Michael King has been rock-solid yet nothing special. Things are trending toward Mason Miller rolling solo in Philly.

Don’t count on Washington garnering All-Stars beyond the fantastic duo of James Wood and CJ Abrams. But the Nationals aren’t a two-man show. They’ve benefitted from promising steps forward from catcher Keibert Ruiz and instant impact from fresh faces Curtis Mead and Foster Griffin. Any of them being named an All-Star for the first time is unlikely as things stand, but their contributions have been crucial to Washington’s unexpected competitiveness. 

Eduardo Rodriguez has carried the momentum from his strong showing for World Baseball Classic champion Venezuela into an impressive first half with Arizona. There has been some good luck involved — he has one of the largest gaps between his ERA (2.55) and xERA (4.83) of any starting pitcher — but the results have been great, and the D-backs are 10-4 across Rodriguez’s 14 starts. Of note: Among active pitchers, only Carlos Carrasco has thrown more innings without making an All-Star Game than Rodriguez.

Not far behind ace Paul Skenes on the pitching fWAR leaderboard is 26-year-old right-hander Braxton Ashcraft, who is quietly enjoying one of the bigger breakouts of 2026. At the same time, this is a continuation of what Ashcraft did in a swingman role as a rookie last season: Among 126 pitchers who have thrown at least 150 innings since the start of 2025, Ashcraft’s 3.03 ERA ranks 15th, tied with Jacob deGrom. Pretty good!

Two no-brainers here. Shea Langeliers is miles ahead among American League catchers in the fan voting and has been arguably the best-hitting backstop in MLB this season. And Nick Kurtz picked up right where he left off after a historic rookie season and just enjoyed a superboost to his statistics by playing six games in Las Vegas — not that he needed help. He might not get the starting nod like Langeliers, but Kurtz will absolutely be on the All-Star roster for the first time in Philadelphia, where he grew up going to games.

No active major leaguer has accumulated more baseball-reference WAR in his career without making an All-Star appearance than Brandon Nimmo, who has been solid in his first year as a Ranger, though probably not quite good enough to remove that distinction from his résumé. Instead, keep an eye on lefty closer Jacob Latz, whose .115 batting average against and 0.60 WHIP are both the lowest marks among MLB relievers.

Dylan Cease exemplifies the flukey nature of All-Star selections, as the right-hander has two top-four Cy Young finishes and a seven-year free agent contract but no Midsummer Classic on his résumé just yet. That should change in the coming weeks, as Cease has made a wonderful first impression in Toronto, with a 2.91 ERA across 68 innings and an AL-leading 103 strikeouts. On track to join Cease in Philadelphia as a first-time All-Star: Ernie Clement, the leading vote-getter among AL second basemen.

Take your pick: Otto Lopez, leading MLB in hits (97) and batting average (.339) while providing steady defense at shortstop, or right-hander Max Meyer, who has yet to take a loss through 15 starts and is floating on the periphery of the spectacularly loaded NL Cy Young race. Both are huge reasons this young Fish team has surged in June, and both deserve to be in Philadelphia.

In the category of uber-talented youngsters who could make their first of many All-Star appearances, right-hander Chase Burns — currently fourth among NL starters in fWAR, behind Misiorowski, Cristopher Sánchez and Skenes — fits the bill. But how about JJ Bleday? The former fourth overall pick didn’t crack the Reds’ Opening Day roster but has been an impact bat since being recalled from Triple-A. Since April 26, Bleday’s 155 wRC+ ranks ninth among qualified NL hitters.

It has been a bizarre first year in Baltimore for outfielder Taylor Ward, but it might be good enough to earn him his first All-Star invite. Ward has started all 73 games while batting first or second for the Orioles and has hit only three home runs, yet his 16 doubles rank fourth in the AL and his .404 OBP ranks third behind only Kurtz and Yordan Alvarez.

It’s slim pickings here. Rookie Nolan McLean came out of the gate hot and could still pitch his way into the All-Star mix, but his ERA has ballooned to a pedestrian 4.01, and the competition among NL starters is stiff. Mets fans can at least look forward to Juan Soto making his first All-Star Game as a Met (and fifth overall) after being snubbed a year ago. 

A hamate injury has sidelined him since mid-May, but Ryan Jeffers was raking to a ridiculous degree (163 wRC+) over the first six weeks and could have been well on his way to his first All-Star Game. Depending on when he returns, he could be an interesting name to monitor at the trade deadline before he hits the free-agent market as the top catcher available.

Among active position players, only Randal Grichuk has hit more career home runs (218) than Christian Walker (192) without ever being named to the All-Star Game. The Astros might not get any additional All-Stars beyond MVP candidate Yordan Alvarez, but Walker’s resurgence (121 wRC+) after a lackluster first season (99 wRC+) in Houston warrants consideration. His 52 RBI are third in the AL behind Kurtz and Alvarez.

He doesn’t have the same support in the fan vote, but catcher Dillon Dingler nearly matches Langeliers in most offensive categories and is much better on defense, hence his sizable lead atop the fWAR leaderboard (3.2 to Langeliers’ 2.4). Amid a difficult season for Detroit, Dingler’s breakout from stellar starting catcher to all-around star has been a welcome silver lining. 

By far the most likely Red Sox All-Stars are veterans who have been there before: Willson Contreras and Aroldis Chapman. But Ceddanne Rafaela has taken a big step forward with the bat (116 wRC+), a notable development in tandem with his exquisite glovework, which remains elite (+10 Outs Above Average, second among center fielders behind only Pete Crow-Armstrong).

Count Willy Adamesas another one of the most accomplished active position players who has never made an All-Star Game, and his middling production won’t be altering that status this summer. Jung-Hoo Lee is the potential first-timer to watch, as his advanced hit tool has finally started to translate to the highest level in his third major-league season. Lee’s five three-hit games are the most in MLB, with only three other hitters (Crow-Armstrong, Dingler, Ward) having three such performances. 

Does this dismal Royals club deserve any additional All-Stars beyond expected AL starting shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.? No. But sophomore slugger Jac Caglianone has made some encouraging progress (118 wRC+) after a difficult rookie season (46 wRC+) and would be welcome as a dark-horse invite to the Home Run Derby. 

The All-Star headline in Anaheim is that Mike Trout is in good position to make his 12th All-Star Game, joining the 38 others in MLB history who were invited to a dozen or more Midsummer Classics. The leading first-time All-Star candidates are a pair of pitchers. José Soriano was unbelievable through six starts (0.24 ERA across 37 ⅔ innings) but has been more inconsistent in the nine outings since (4.74 ERA across 49 ⅓ innings), while Reid Detmers has gotten better as the season as progressed and currently ranks third in fWAR among AL starting pitchers, behind Schlittler and Martin. 

In all likelihood, catcher Hunter Goodman (20 HR, 122 wRC+) will head to the All-Star Game as the lone Rockies representative for the second year in a row. But how cool would it be if Mickey Moniak — 10 years removed from being selected first overall by the Phillies — returned to Philadelphia as a first-time All-Star? His .607 slugging percentage (third among hitters with at least 150 plate appearances, behind Alvarez and Rice) is eye-catching, but an ankle injury has limited him to just 43 games, and he remains on the injured list, so this scenario might be a bit too fanciful.

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