We sit roughly one month from the unveiling of MLB All-Star Game rosters, prompting ESPN to release its latest early selections. As usual, the process delivers unexpected choices alongside lively yet family-appropriate discussions suitable for every generation. Grab a snack and get comfortable.

At its core, the argument over All-Star starters has settled on recent performance: strong results from the opening two months now outweigh long-term reputation. This shift has produced some unusual selections lately, including Jacob Wilson ahead of Bobby Witt Jr. at shortstop along with Javier Baez in center field ahead of Julio Rodriguez and Byron Buxton for the American League last season, or Jurickson Profar and Alec Bohm leading the National League in 2024.

The era of household names repeating as starters year after year, such as Wade Boggs and Cal Ripken Jr. opening eleven straight All-Star Games, or even automatic reserve nods for established veterans, has faded. To measure the impact, I reviewed data back to 1970 when fan voting returned and tallied repeat starters from the prior game, excluding the starting pitcher. The averages by decade follow:

1970s NL: 4.3
1970s AL: 3.7
1980s NL: 4.3
1980s AL: 3.5
1990s NL: 3.6
1990s AL: 5.0
2000s NL: 2.9
2000s AL: 3.3
2010s NL: 2.2
2010s AL: 3.8
2020s NL: 1.2
2020s AL: 1.6

Recent starting lineups appear lighter on star power than earlier decades, and the numbers confirm it. The AL, for instance, has seen no repeat starter at shortstop since Derek Jeter in 2010. Shohei Ohtani stands alone as the only player to start the past three games, having opened all five this decade. Aaron Judge would share that mark except for an injury in 2023 after earning a starting vote.

Here are the picks, centered first on top performers through the early going while still weighing career accomplishments when margins are tight. Standard guidelines remain in place: 32 players per league, split into 20 position players and 12 pitchers with a minimum of three relievers, plus one player from every club. Selections align with positions listed on the official ballot.

National League

Starters

C: Drake Baldwin, Atlanta Braves

1B: Matt Olson, Atlanta Braves

2B: Brice Turang, Milwaukee Brewers

3B: Max Muncy, Los Angeles Dodgers

SS: Elly De La Cruz, Cincinnati Reds

OF: James Wood, Washington Nationals

OF: Corbin Carroll, Arizona Diamondbacks

OF: Andy Pages, Los Angeles Dodgers

DH: Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers

SP: Jacob Misiorowski, Milwaukee Brewers

Baldwin and De La Cruz remain on the injured list yet should return soon, and both still top their positions in FanGraphs WAR. De La Cruz faces added pressure at shortstop even with Francisco Lindor sidelined, Trea Turner struggling, and Geraldo Perdomo failing to match his 2025 breakout. CJ Abrams and Otto Lopez post strong campaigns and could displace De La Cruz if his recovery drags.

NL second base offers exceptional depth, with eight candidates I would rank above any AL option at the position. Turang earns the nod as his steady gains continue to impress. Review his year-over-year OPS jumps across four big-league seasons: plus-80, plus-129, plus-87.

Muncy claims the lone viable spot at third base. NL third base once featured a crowded field of candidates, yet Muncy alone delivers All-Star-level production this year.

Jordan Walker misses out in the outfield behind Wood and Carroll, all three posting comparable value, though Wood and Carroll already carry star status, while Pages secures the third spot. He leads NL position players in bWAR, tops the league in RBIs, and excels defensively in center.

Cristopher Sanchez would suit a start in Philadelphia, and Ohtani remains in contention, but Misiorowski draws the most attention for his scoreless innings and triple-digit fastball. He sparked debate as a selection last year after only five career starts, yet few would object if he takes the mound this time, aside from Phillies supporters.

Finally, regrets to Kyle Schwarber.

Reserves

C: Hunter Goodman, Colorado Rockies

1B: Bryce Harper, Philadelphia Phillies

2B: Xavier Edwards, Miami Marlins

2B: Luis Arraez, San Francisco Giants

3B: Nolan Arenado, Arizona Diamondbacks

SS: CJ Abrams, Washington Nationals

SS: Otto Lopez, Miami Marlins

OF: Jordan Walker, St. Louis Cardinals

OF: Juan Soto, New York Mets

OF: Pete Crow-Armstrong, Chicago Cubs

DH: Kyle Schwarber, Philadelphia Phillies

An All-Star Game in Philadelphia requires Harper. The choice sits between him and Freddie Freeman, who has appeared in the past seven games and last missed a roster in 2017, yet the hometown preference goes to Harper.

Two Marlins! Neither Edwards nor especially Lopez projected as All-Star candidates entering the year, yet both hit above .300, with Lopez second in the NL at .336. Arraez serves as the Giants sole representative and merits inclusion with a .300-plus average and sharper defense at second. Cardinals rookie JJ Wetherholt falls short at the position.

Soto and Crow-Armstrong become the lone reps for their clubs, underscoring why those teams have lagged despite star presence. The last time both Mets and Cubs sent just one player each occurred recently with Pete Alonso and Shota Imanaga in 2024. Crow-Armstrong recent offensive uptick paired with elite defense positions him as a potential starter, and Soto track record supports a similar argument.

Further details appear with the AL roster, yet several NL standouts endure down years: five-time All-Star Ronald Acuna Jr. and three-time All-Star Fernando Tatis Jr. fall short at the plate amid a deep NL outfield group. Manny Machado hits .166 with negative WAR. Mookie Betts missed time and hits just .183. Ketel Marte numbers have dipped though he remains serviceable. Alex Bregman has struggled with the Cubs. Turner and Lindor were noted earlier. Jackson Merrill, an All-Star rookie in 2024, has hit poorly. New Mets Marcus Semien and Bo Bichette produce like Tim Foli and Doug Flynn.

The situation looks poor here, yet the AL proves worse.

Pitchers

SP: Cristopher Sanchez, Philadelphia Phillies

SP: Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh Pirates

SP: Chris Sale, Atlanta Braves

SP: Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Los Angeles Dodgers

SP: Chase Burns, Cincinnati Reds

SP: Kyle Harrison, Milwaukee Brewers

SP: Max Meyer, Miami Marlins

SP: Zack Wheeler, Philadelphia Phillies

RP: Mason Miller, San Diego Padres

RP: Jhoan Duran, Philadelphia Phillies

RP: Dylan Lee, Atlanta Braves

The NL pitching staff stands deep. The opening six selections follow directly from current results. Harrison emerges as the notable surprise after joining the Brewers and posting a 7-1 mark with a 1.57 ERA across 11 starts. He continues improving, striking out 12 in his latest outing while allowing one run over his past four appearances.

Meyer also surprises as the former third overall pick from the 2020 draft finally stays healthy and delivers at 6-0 with a 2.81 ERA and 81 strikeouts in 73 2/3 innings. He already owns a career-high 13 starts, so continued health remains key.

Miller represents a lock. Duran heads toward his first selection. Lee has performed at a high level as a Braves setup man: 31 appearances, 1.17 ERA, .133 opponent average, and a 38-to-5 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

With Ohtani placed among position players, one final spot remains. It goes to hometown favorite Zack Wheeler, who opened on the IL after thoracic outlet surgery last year and has excelled in eight starts since returning. While not a classic comeback tale, his strong results after that uncertain procedure rank among the season highlights.

American League

Starters

C: Shea Langeliers, Athletics

1B: Ben Rice, New York Yankees

2B: Ernie Clement, Toronto Blue Jays

3B: Jose Ramirez, Cleveland Guardians

SS: Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals

OF: Cody Bellinger, New York Yankees

OF: Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels

OF: Byron Buxton, Minnesota Twins

DH: Yordan Alvarez, Houston Astros

SP: Cam Schlittler, New York Yankees

Building these rosters highlights why the NL holds a 172-133 edge in interleague play this season. The talent disparity between leagues stands clear, worsened by injuries and poor form among AL headliners that could produce one of the least impressive starting lineups in recent memory. Ramirez inclusion stretches the criteria given his own reduced output.

Consider the list: Aaron Judge injured; Cal Raleigh injured and batting .161; Gunnar Henderson OPS below .700; Vladimir Guerrero Jr. with three home runs; Roman Anthony failed to break out and suffered an injury; Munetaka Murakami excited early then hurt his right hamstring and may miss time past the break; Wyatt Langford missed 40 games; Corey Seager has not hit; Jose Altuve missed time with reduced numbers. Injured pitchers include Tarik Skubal, Garrett Crochet, Hunter Brown, and Max Fried, the top four Cy Young finishers from last year.

With Guerrero struggling, Rice edges Nick Kurtz at first base in the closest call among starters. Rice ranks second behind Alvarez in major-league slugging and OPS, earning the nod, though Kurtz could surpass him by year end after the Athletics first baseman recovered from a slow start.

Second base lacks quality. Clement owns a career OPS+ under 100 yet has performed steadily, building on his strong postseason showing last October. He takes the spot, though this may rank among the weakest position groups in years. Guardians rookie Travis Bazzana, not yet qualified for consideration, could eventually claim the role.

In the outfield, Bellinger well-rounded contributions place him second in AL bWAR behind Witt despite ranking outside the top 10 in OPS. Trout earns a merit-based nod even if his numbers fall short of peak levels. Buxton prevails over Julio Rodriguez for the third spot with Judge out, though the decision remains close given Rodriguez defensive metrics.

Reserves

C: Dillon Dingler, Detroit Tigers

C: Adley Rutschman, Baltimore Orioles

1B: Nick Kurtz, Athletics

2B: Ezequiel Duran, Texas Rangers

3B: Junior Caminero, Tampa Bay Rays

SS: Kevin McGonigle, Detroit Tigers

SS: Colson Montgomery, Chicago White Sox

OF: Julio Rodriguez, Seattle Mariners

OF: Wilyer Abreu, Boston Red Sox

OF: Riley Greene, Detroit Tigers

DH: Yandy Diaz, Tampa Bay Rays

Three Tigers appear despite a weak offense that ranks near the bottom in runs scored alongside the Royals and Padres. Dingler combines strong power with solid defense. McGonigle should enjoy many future selections. Greene slips in ahead of Ceddanne Rafaela and Randy Arozarena in the outfield.

Duran becomes the lone Rangers representative due to the need for another second baseman. Among other Texas options, Jacob deGrom stands next or perhaps relievers Jacob Latz or Jakob Junis.

Murakami would have claimed the final spot if healthy. Instead the choice narrowed to two other White Sox, Montgomery and Miguel Vargas, with nearly identical WAR totals. Montgomery receives the nod.