When's the last time the Bucs had 3 All-Stars? Breaking down 5 cases
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Read our story on the balloting format, which includes two phases of fan voting to determine the All-Star starters.
PITTSBURGH -- The Pirates haven’t produced more than two All-Stars in a season since 2015, the last year Pittsburgh made the postseason. Off to their best start in 11 years, the Pirates (38-37) are in line to have multiple All-Stars representing them in Philadelphia at the 2026 All-Star Game.
Oneil Cruz’s left hand fractures could cut into the total for Pittsburgh, as he’s expected to be out until at least the All-Star break. But Pirates fans can vote up to five times per day for their favorite stars in the first phase of All-Star voting until noon ET on June 25. Here’s the case for five Pittsburgh players.
RHP Paul Skenes
Pitchers for the All-Star Game are determined via “Player Ballot” choices and selections made by the Commissioner’s Office. Pittsburgh’s ace has started the past two games for the National League, and with a 2.85 ERA through 15 starts, Skenes could be in line to earn his third consecutive All-Star nod.
Skenes’ streak as the starter will likely come to an end as Milwaukee's Jacob Misiorowski, Philadelphia's Cristopher Sánchez, Los Angeles' Shohei Ohtani and others are posting better years on the mound amid a crowded NL Cy Young race. Skenes has a 0.93 WHIP and 99 strikeouts this season, both of which ranked among the top six in MLB entering Thursday.
A third consecutive trip to the Midsummer Classic would make Skenes just the third pitcher in Pirates history to make three straight games, joining Rip Sewell (1941-44) and Roy Face (1959-61).
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2B Brandon Lowe
In his first season in Pittsburgh, Lowe has swung himself into All-Star contention. Lowe landed with the Pirates as part of a three-team trade in December with one year left on his six-year contract, and he’s exceeded expectations.
Lowe leads MLB second basemen in home runs (18) and slugging percentage (.511). He’s just five home runs shy of Pittsburgh's single-season record for second basemen, chasing Neil Walker’s 23 from 2014.
Lowe ranked sixth in the first All-Star ballot voting update, with Atlanta's Ozzie Albies comfortably leading the pack. Lowe made the AL All-Star team in 2019 and '25 but didn’t play in either game due to injury. The last second baseman to start in the All-Star Game for Pittsburgh was Adam Frazier in '21.
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RHP Braxton Ashcraft
Ashcraft has emerged as Pittsburgh’s second-best starting pitcher in 2026, and he's among the top starters in the NL. Through 15 starts, Ashcraft has a 3.18 ERA with a 1.10 WHIP.
He has battled some health issues throughout his professional career but has been consistently efficient since his debut on May 26, 2025. Ashcraft’s 35.5% chase rate is in the 91st percentile per Baseball Savant.
The Pirates haven’t produced two All-Star starting pitchers in the same season since 2015, when A.J. Burnett and Gerrit Cole were selected.
3B Nick Gonzales
Gonzales, the No. 7 overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, is having a career year in Pittsburgh after moving over to the hot corner. Through 69 games, he is batting .293 with a .343 on-base percentage, well above his career marks of .266 AVG and .310 OBP.
Gonzales ranked fifth among third basemen in the first All-Star ballot voting update, with the Dodgers' Max Muncy garnering nearly 1 million votes to claim the top spot. All four players in front of Gonzales (Muncy, Philadelphia's Alec Bohm, Arizona's Nolan Arenado and Atlanta's Austin Riley) have at least eight home runs each, which could impact the light-hitting Gonzales, who has just two.
Pittsburgh has sent only two third basemen to the Midsummer Classic in the past 35 years: Pedro Álvarez in 2013 and Ed Sprague in 1999.
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1B Spencer Horwitz
Horwitz has posted a career year in his second full season with Pittsburgh. The first baseman is batting .281 with an .845 OPS through 69 games and is the Pirates' main leadoff hitter.
Horwitz's .322 batting average from May 6-June 12 ranked seventh in baseball (min. 125 plate appearances). He had five doubles, a triple, six home runs and 17 RBIs during that 32-game stretch.
Horwitz would be just the second Pirates first baseman in the past 40 years to make an All-Star team, joining Josh Bell in 2019. Horwitz ranked sixth in the first All-Star ballot voting update and likely doesn’t have the power numbers to match the other contenders, led by the Dodgers' Freddie Freeman.
Phase 1 of the All-Star Game balloting runs until noon ET on June 25. The top two players at each position (and top six outfielders) per league will advance to the finals to contend for a starting spot. Phase 2 voting for the finalists is June 29-July 2. Full All-Star rosters will be revealed on July 4.