2026 MLB All-Star Game rosters were revealed Saturday evening, and the squads might appear unusual given the number of prominent players sidelined by injuries or off years. Consider these factors:

Aaron Judge, selected as a starter, will sit out because of a rib issue.
Mike Trout, also chosen as a starter, remains on the injured list with a hamstring strain, though he aims to return for his first All-Star appearance since 2019.
Regular All-Star Jose Ramirez is posting his weakest campaign and sits on the IL with a hand injury.
Francisco Lindor has appeared in only 31 contests due to a left calf problem.
Mookie Betts has heated up recently yet missed time with an oblique strain and began slowly.
Cal Raleigh, the prior American League MVP runner-up, continues to battle a batting average below .200.
Future Hall of Famer Manny Machado likewise struggles with an average under .200.

Additional stars performing beneath expectations include Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Trea Turner, Julio Rodriguez, Fernando Tatis Jr., Kyle Tucker, Bo Bichette, Alex Bregman, Gunnar Henderson and Jose Altuve, among others. Guerrero earned a starting nod, but the rest did not.

We will skip detailed pitcher injury notes (such as those for Tarik Skubal, Max Fried and Hunter Brown), though the National League has enjoyed several dominant starters in the first half, including Jacob Misiorowski, Cristopher Sanchez, Shohei Ohtani, Chase Burns and Chris Sale.

Those five all earned NL spots, with Ohtani capturing the fan vote as the starting DH. Here are the snubs and additional observations.

National League

Top snub: Brice Turang, 2B, Milwaukee Brewers

Turang stands out clearly. He ranks seventh in bWAR among NL position players and eighth in fWAR, making him the leading omission by WAR on both measures. The initial error came when fans selected Ozzie Albies as the starter at second base. Albies has not had a poor year, yet Turang outperformed him in 2024, 2025 and again in 2026. In combined WAR, Turang sits at 3.2 compared to Albies at 2.0. The gap is noticeable. Turang also posts a higher OPS and stronger defense.

The next error occurred when players chose San Francisco's Luis Arraez as the reserve, though this decision is tighter given Arraez's combined WAR of 3.1. Arraez is batting .326, but Turang has produced 61 runs and 51 RBIs versus 44 and 32 for Arraez. Singles help, yet Turang has created more overall impact. Turang should have started with Arraez as the backup. Arraez was not the sole Giants representative, as Logan Webb was also picked.

Next top snub: Justin Wrobleski, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers

If first-half results matter most, Wrobleski emerges as the leading pitching omission. He stands at 10-2 with a 2.80 ERA, tied for second among NL pitchers in wins (behind only Brewers reliever Aaron Ashby at 12-1) and eighth in ERA. Players selected Misiorowski, Sanchez, Burns, Sale and Paul Skenes. Skenes' ERA has climbed to 3.62, and he has not recorded a win in his past nine outings (with the Pirates dropping all nine). Of course no one would choose Wrobleski over Skenes for the full season, but Wrobleski delivered the stronger first half.

The league picked Max Meyer, Eduardo Rodriguez, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Webb, whose selection raised questions given his 5-6 record and 3.66 ERA. If Webb had been the only Giants pick, it might make sense, but Arraez was already included. Webb carries a longer history, which likely influenced the choice, yet the league applied that standard unevenly.

Brief observations:

The league wisely added Bryce Harper as a legend selection after fans chose Freddie Freeman and players picked Matt Olson. The game is in Philadelphia, and Harper is enjoying an All-Star caliber season, so he belongs on the roster.
Bryan Reynolds of the Pirates might represent another omission, but the NL outfield was deep. Pete Crow-Armstrong, Corbin Carroll and James Wood were properly voted in as reserves behind Juan Soto, Andy Pages and Brandon Marsh. Jordan Walker received the nod as a fourth outfielder, which was appropriate. Perhaps some NL outfielders could move to the AL?
The NL added those starting pitchers and avoided extra relievers beyond the three required by player votes: Mason Miller, Jhoan Duran and Raisel Iglesias. Extra relievers are unnecessary in an All-Star Game. We will address the AL situation shortly.
Who should start on the mound? Misiorowski has delivered one of the best first-half stories, which fits the All-Star spirit. Yet the game is in Philadelphia and Sanchez leads in bWAR while tying in fWAR. Given ticket costs, Sanchez should get the start to please the home crowd.

American League

Top snub: Willson Contreras, 1B, Boston Red Sox

Contreras holds the highest fWAR among AL position players left out at 2.8, placing ninth. He sits just behind teammate Ceddanne Rafaela in bWAR at 3.6 to 3.5 (ranking sixth and seventh among non-selectees). Guerrero remains one of the sport's biggest names, but he is not having an All-Star year, batting .265 with only four home runs. Blue Jays first basemen rank 28th in OPS. Some leeway for big names is fine, yet a case for Guerrero is difficult to support.

Players selected Nick Kurtz, who should start, while the league added a second backup first baseman in Ben Rice, who shows better power than Contreras but trails in WAR (his defensive numbers are poor, while Contreras fields well at first). As for Rafaela, his value lies mainly in defense, though he could join as a replacement for the injured Judge or Trout.

Next top snub: Davis Martin, SP, Chicago White Sox

The AL pitching staff is disorganized, partly because the league itself is uneven. This produced one of the least notable All-Star staffs in recent memory. One issue was ensuring every team had representation, so the league chose Jacob Latz for the Rangers (a reliever enjoying a strong year) and Ranger Suarez for the Red Sox, who also had Aroldis Chapman selected. Both selections are reasonable. Yet the league also picked Michael Wacha, even though the Royals already had Bobby Witt Jr. on the roster:

Martin: 9-3, 3.08 ERA, 96 IP, 90 SO, 2.9 combined WAR

Wacha: 5-5, 3.31 ERA, 108 IP, 84 SO, 2.4 combined WAR

Martin should have been chosen over Wacha or a fifth reliever such as Tampa Bay's Bryan Baker, but again, five All-Star relievers are not needed. The positive note is that several pitchers often drop out due to availability rules, so Martin will likely join later.

Brief observations:

With Ramirez injured, it is good to see fans select the hot Junior Caminero as the starting third baseman. He is 22, already on his second All-Star team, and may have claimed this spot from Ramirez permanently. Caminero's home run total has reached 25 and placed him near the top of the AL MVP discussion.
It is notable that players voted in two rookies, Kevin McGonigle and Travis Bazzana, as backups at shortstop and second base. McGonigle is the correct choice, and Bazzana was likely the best option at the weakest position in either league (Ernie Clement starts at second base).
Overall, knowing Judge will miss the game and the pitching staff lacks many established names, this appears among the weaker All-Star rosters in memory. It may also signal a stronger future with Witt, Caminero, Kurtz, McGonigle, Bazzana, Shea Langeliers, Parker Messick and Cam Schlittler emerging as new AL faces.