Many of the usual names will be present at the 2026 MLB All-Star Game in Philadelphia.
Shohei Ohtani, Bobby Witt Jr., Yordan Alvarez and Paul Skenes will assuredly be returning All-Stars. You can count on Nick Kurtz and Ben Rice making their first All-Star appearances. But for many potential first-time All-Stars this year, their possible selections seemed all but unlikely before this season.
In this exercise, we’re looking at All-Star sleepers, players who have a real shot at being selected to the Midsummer Classic this season who would have been viewed as unlikely before the season. We’ll look at one player per position, except for selecting three outfielders.
The following numbers are entering Saturday's games.
Liam Hicks, C, Marlins
2026 stats: .844 OPS, 13 HR, 1.6 WAR (per FanGraphs)
Hicks might be the most surprising candidate on this list and has a legitimate case for being one of the NL catchers. Sure, Hicks has DH’d more since Marlins’ top catching prospect Joe Mack was promoted, but he’s nonetheless raked and is still Miami’s catching option on the ballot. In 67 games this season, Hicks has an .844 OPS and has homered 13 times, doubling his home run output in 119 games last season. Not bad for a former Rule 5 pick who debuted last season.
Jake Bauers, 1B, Brewers
2026 stats: .905 OPS, 13 HR, 1.5 WAR
Bauers was something of a journeyman platoon bat before landing in Milwaukee, handling right-handed pitchers well enough to be a useful depth option, but never good enough to warrant more playing time. Something clicked in his second year with the Brewers last season, as he had a .752 OPS and a 110 OPS+, the first time he’d rated better than league average with the bat. He’s taken those strides to another level this season, posting a .905 OPS that is tied with Matt Olson for 16th best among qualified hitters.
Ezequiel Duran, 2B, Rangers
2026 stats: .787 OPS, 4 HR, 1.7 WAR
Acquired in the Joey Gallo trade at the 2021 Trade Deadline, Duran had a strong sophomore season with the Rangers during their World Series run (14 home runs, .768 OPS and 1.4 FanGraphs WAR) but struggled in the following seasons. Duran changed course in 2026, posting a .787 OPS that is 30 percent better than league average. It’s been a welcomed development for a Rangers offense that entered Saturday tied for the third fewest runs of any offense.
Curtis Mead, 3B, Nationals
2026 stats: .820 OPS, 10 HR, 0.7 WAR
Mead might be best known for being the player traded straight up for Sánchez in the November 2019 Phillies-Rays trade, but the 25-year-old Australian native might have more to say about that. Mead is one of the poster boys for the much improved Nationals offense under a new front office and coaching staff, as he has an .820 OPS and 131 OPS+ with 10 home runs in 54 games this season. Mead spent years as a top prospect so the tools have always been there, but he’s been one of the most pleasant developments in baseball this season.
Otto Lopez, SS, Marlins
2026 stats: .852 OPS, 5 HR, 3.0 WAR
Lopez has teamed up with Marlins second baseman Xavier Edwards as one of baseball’s top middle infield duos. The 27-year-old Lopez has truly broken out as one of the biggest surprises in baseball, leading the Majors in both average (.342) and hits (94). With surprising pop (.484 SLG), strong shortstop defense and basestealing abilities, Lopez has accumulated 3.0 WAR, tied for fifth best among all position players.
JJ Bleday, OF, Reds
2026 stats: .929 OPS, 11 HR, 1.4 WAR
The No. 4 pick in the 2019 Draft by the Marlins, Bleday was traded to the A’s in a change-of-scenery move in 2023. After a 2024 breakout (20 HR, 3.2 WAR), Bleday struggled last season and was non-tendered by the A’s during the offseason, allowing the Reds to sign him to a one-year deal. It’s been a perfect match, as the Reds needed some offensive thump in the outfield that Bleday has provided in career-best year -- his .929 OPS and .566 SLG rank in the top 15 among hitters with at least 150 plate appearances.
Carlos Cortes, OF, A’s
2026 stats: .884 OPS, 6 HR, 0.8 WAR
In an unexpected twist, Cortes has essentially replaced Bleday in the A’s outfield and produced similar value at the plate. After a strong 42-game debut with the A’s last year (.866 OPS), Cortes has proved that he might be a legitimately good everyday outfielder. Among hitters with at least 150 plate appearances, he ranks in the top 10 with a .308 average and .393 OBP. The 28-year-old (he turns 29 later this month) has been a surprising force at the top of the A’s lineup
Luke Raley, OF, Mariners
2026 stats: .835 OPS, 14 HR, 1.0 WAR
Raley has maximized his extreme profile of absolutely mashing right-handed pitching while whiffing on a whopping 41.7 percent of his swings (1st percentile of all hitters). Raley is slugging .516 with 14 home runs thanks to a 96th percentile barrel rate. The 31-year-old has always been a useful platoon hitter, but this production has been far beyond his previous levels.
Casey Schmitt, DH, Giants
2026 stats: .810 OPS, 15 HR, 1.1 WAR
In what has been a down season for many Giants hitters, Schmitt has taken a huge step forward as a consistent presence in the middle of San Francisco’s lineup. Schmitt has homered 15 times in 62 games, already surpassing his 12 homers in 95 games last season. Schmitt has an aggressive approach at the plate (1st percentile walk rate, 15th percentile chase rate) but he’s done a much better job of getting his batted balls in the air to the pull side, resulting in a career best .508 SLG.