TORONTO – A breakout World Series appearance, emerging talent and an entire country as a voting base turned out to be a powerful combination for the Blue Jays when it came to the 2026 All-Star Game presented by Mastercard.
On Saturday, four Blue Jays were announced as American League All-Stars, and as a result of their status as defending AL champions, they’ll be led by their manager, John Schneider.
Leading AL vote-getter Ernie Clement had already been announced as the starting second baseman for the Midsummer Classic, which will be played July 14 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. He was joined on the AL roster by first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., starter Dylan Cease and closer Louis Varland.
2026 All-Star Game presented by Mastercard
• Watch on FOX, July 14 at 8 p.m. ET
• Full rosters unveiled, including 26 first-timers
• Complete All-Star Game rosters
• Team-by-team breakdown of the All-Stars
Guerrero, who was selected for his sixth All-Star Game, announced Saturday that he will decline his selection so he can go home to Tampa, Fla., and take the four days to rest his ailing lower back.
The other three Blue Jays are All-Star first-timers and excited about it.
Cease, who led the AL in strikeouts with 137 going into Saturday’s games, made a point of thanking Toronto’s training staff in front of the whole team when he heard the news from Schneider.
“It's definitely a big accomplishment, a huge honor,” Cease said. “I've basically been watching [the game] every year since I was a kid, so it's cool to think back on that, and then to know that I'm able to play [in it].”
Varland has been one of the best relievers in the Majors this year. He entered Saturday with 18 saves in as many opportunities, a 0.96 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 47 innings.
“It's a complete honor,” Varland said. “I mean, it's more of an honor to wear the Blue Jays jersey doing it, but moreso than that, to represent a country. It's a complete honor, and it'll be a lot of fun.”
Guerrero, speaking through interpreter Hector Lebron, said he felt he owed it to his team to take the time to rest and continue treatment at the team’s spring complex in Dunedin, Fla., to be ready for the second half of the season.
“It feels good [to be voted in],” Guerrero said. “I'm very proud of that and very proud of everyone that supported me. That's why I'm saying this is one of the hardest decisions. Not going is very difficult for me, but I really have to take care of myself, and I’ve got to put my team first.”
Schneider, meanwhile, will be at the helm of the AL squad. But he said with a smile that he’s not sure how much “managing” he’ll actually be doing other than making sure he gets as many players in the game as possible.
“As a fan, you kind of want to see everybody,” Schneider said. “But I don't think I'm going to be too strategic.”
Ernie Clement, 2B
Previous All-Star appearances: None
Something to know: Clement has one of the most unique paths to stardom out of these selections, a stunning rise from being designated for assignment in 2023 to leading the AL in All-Star voting in ‘26. Only the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani received more votes than Clement, and by leading the AL, Clement was automatically named the starter at second base, where he’ll play for his own manager.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1B
Previous All-Star appearances: Five (2021, ‘22, ‘23, ‘24, ‘25)
Something to know: If you’ve ever wanted to understand the voting power of Blue Jays fans and the country of Canada, look no further. Guerrero has homered just four times this season, which is a “down” year for him by just about every metric, but a massive fan push gets him his sixth All-Star Game selection. Guerrero has always said that he wants to beat his father – who made it to nine All-Star Games – in this category. Vladdy is now just three away from tying him, four away from taking the family lead, although he’ll take this one off as he rests his lower back.
Dylan Cease, RHP
Previous All-Star appearances: None
Something to know: Is anyone else surprised that this will be Cease’s first trip to the All-Star Game? The hard-throwing righty has second- and fourth-place finishes for the Cy Young Award, but this will be his Midsummer Classic debut in his first season with the Blue Jays. Cease has been a strikeout machine, racking up an AL-best 137 over 90 1/3 innings. The AL Cy Young race is still looking up at New York’s Cam Schlittler, but Cease could quickly make things interesting in the second half.
Louis Varland, RHP
Previous All-Star appearances: None
Something to know: Varland wasn’t named the Blue Jays’ closer until late April, when he took over from Jeff Hoffman, and he has emerged as one of the most dominant relievers in baseball. A workhorse reliever with a bulldog persona with which Blue Jays fans have fallen in love, Varland will be another easy call for Schneider, who has never been shy about handing the ball to his best reliever in the biggest spots.