Back in March, we posed questions around way-too-early All-Star Game roster predictions, asking which Rockie (or, optimistically, Rockies) you thought would represent the club in Philadelphia, whether Hunter Goodman would be a repeat All-Star, and which surprise players from around the league would make or miss the Midsummer Classic.
Over the course of the season, Sam Bradfield made the case for Mickey Moniak, Antonio Senzatela, and Hunter Goodman to be All-Stars, as well.
Advertisement
The results from the various fan voting phases trickled in this week before the final rosters were announced yesterday. As expected, league-wide fan voting was not kind to the Rockies. As the early balloting results came in, only two Rockies finished in the top 10 at their positions: Goodman (5th among catchers) and Troy Johnston (9th among designated hitters). Even then, they were hundreds of thousands of votes behind the positional leaders.
By the time things progressed to Phase Two voting, the National League roster was almost exclusively full of Dodgers, Braves, and Phillies, with a National and a Met joining that group. Goodman wasn’t able to secure one of the top two slots, despite ranking first among all catchers in home runs, total bases, runs scored, slugging, and extra-base hits, and second among NL catchers in hits and RBI. However, after the dust settled and final rosters were announced, Goodman secured his second straight All-Star nod.
The Rockies are among 12 teams sending only their one required representative. The Braves, Dodgers, and Phillies lead the MLB with five representatives each. The Yankees, Rays, and Blue Jays are just behind, leading the American League with four All-Stars each.
Advertisement
There are lots of new names joining All-Star week. In the AL, 15 of 32 players are making their first All-Star appearance, with 11 newcomers of the 32 selected in the NL. Players like the Nick Kurtz, Kevin McGonigle, Jordan Walker, and Sal Stewart are among that group.
The field isn’t without some early controversy or intrigue. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has already announced that he’ll skip the All-Star game, citing a desire to focus on his team first. He’s dealt with back tightness over the last month and has struggled on the season, posting a career-worst .699 OPS and just four home runs this season. Aaron Judge got a starter spot, and although he had a strong start to the year, he hasn’t played since early June and is still dealing with an injury.
Plenty of familiar faces are returning to the game, with guys like Aroldis Chapman, Chris Sale, Mike Trout, Freddie Freeman, Bryce Harper, and, of course, Shohei Ohtani each adding another selection.
With the full rosters out, how are you feeling about the 2026 All-Star Game?
Advertisement
-
Which All-Star selections are you most surprised by or disappointed in?
-
Who was snubbed around the league? Do you think a second Rockie should have made the cut as a reserve?
Let us know in the comments!
Join the conversation!
Sign up for a user account and get:
-
Comment on articles, community posts
-
Rec comments, community posts
-
New, improved notifications system!
Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!
Read the full article here