Yordan Alvarez, Juan Soto Headline 2026 MLB All-Star Starters

All-Star starters announced for July 14 game in Philadelphia

Major League Baseball unveiled the starters, pitchers and reserves for the 2026 MLB All-Star Game on July 4, confirming that Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez and New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto would headline the American League and National League lineups, respectively. The New York Times, citing a story first published by The Athletic, and Agence France-Presse reported the selections for the 96th edition of the midseason showcase, which is scheduled for July 14 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

“It’s always a lot of gratitude for me,” Soto said, according to the New York Times. “I just fell short last year. Definitely, it kind of just motivated me. I gotta be better. I gotta be better to be with the best of the best in the league. Definitely this year, I came in with a different mentality, and thank God I made it.”

National League lineup

AFP, as reported by RFI, listed the NL starters as designated hitter Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers, outfielders Brandon Marsh of the Philadelphia Phillies, Andy Pages of the Dodgers and Soto, first baseman Freddie Freeman of the Dodgers, second baseman Ozzie Albies of the Atlanta Braves, shortstop CJ Abrams of the Washington Nationals, third baseman Max Muncy of the Dodgers and catcher Drake Baldwin of the Braves. Freeman was chosen for his 10th career All-Star contest, according to AFP, and Ohtani was the top overall NL vote-getter in the first round of fan voting.

Ohtani was also selected as a pitcher by league balloting, the AFP report noted, citing Ohtani’s record of 8-2 with a 1.79 earned-run average and 95 strikeouts in 85 2/3 innings this season. The two-way star has a biceps injury, however, and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters he does not expect the 31-year-old right-hander to pitch in Philadelphia. As a hitter, Ohtani is batting .288 with 18 home runs and 50 runs batted in over 85 games, according to AFP.

American League lineup

The AL starting nine, as reported by AFP, includes outfielders Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels, Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees and Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins, first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays, second baseman Ernie Clement of the Blue Jays, shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals, third baseman Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays, catcher Shea Langeliers of the Athletics and designated hitter Yordan Alvarez of the Astros. Trout, who is managing a hamstring injury, was selected to his 12th All-Star Game, according to AFP, which noted the venue is less than an hour’s drive from his New Jersey hometown.

The New York Times reported that Judge remains on the injured list and that Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez was not among the starters selected. Judge’s exact injury was not specified in the sources reviewed.

Pitchers and reserves

Starting position players were chosen through two rounds of fan voting. Players then vote for an additional 17 players per league — eight pitchers and nine position reserves — while MLB commissioner Rob Manfred’s office selects four pitchers and two position players per team, a process AFP described. The New York Times reported that Bryce Harper was selected as a “Legend” pick by Manfred, following the precedent of last year’s honor going to Clayton Kershaw, who retired at the end of the 2025 season.

NL pitchers named to the roster include Milwaukee Brewers rookie Jacob Misiorowski, Philadelphia’s Cristopher Sánchez, 10-time All-Star Chris Sale of Atlanta, Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes and the Dodgers’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto, according to AFP. The New York Times noted that Skenes was named to the team despite a 3.62 ERA and that Phillies veteran Zack Wheeler was notably absent.

AL pitchers selected include Yankees rookie Cam Schlittler, Toronto’s Dylan Cease and Boston Red Sox left-hander Aroldis Chapman, AFP reported, with both Schlittler and Cease appearing as first-time All-Stars.

Context, absences and what to watch

The American League leads the all-time series 48-45 with two ties following the National League’s 7-6 victory in Atlanta last year, AFP reported. The 2026 All-Star teams will be managed by Toronto’s John Schneider and the Dodgers’ Dave Roberts, the skippers of last year’s World Series clubs, according to the New York Times.

The New York Times flagged that the rosters are likely to change in the 10 days between the announcement and first pitch, noting that Misiorowski is unlikely to pitch and that Judge is on the injured list. The New York Times added that the Athletics, catcher Langeliers’ club, are in the process of relocating to Las Vegas, a detail outside the rosters but relevant to the team’s market context.

The publication of the starters was timed to the U.S. Fourth of July holiday, with both the New York Times and AFP publishing their reports in the days that followed. Differences between the two sources were minor and largely involved emphasis: the New York Times highlighted Brandon Marsh as a first-time All-Star and provided extensive commentary on the Cy Young Award race shaping the NL pitching staff, while AFP offered more comprehensive statistical detail on Ohtani and confirmed the year-by-year All-Star count for veterans such as Freeman, Trout and Sale.