Biggest MLB All-Star Snubs for 2026: Turang, Contreras Lead the Left-Out Class
Brice Turang, Willson Contreras and a thin AL pitching staff highlight the players who should be All-Stars in Philadelphia but aren't.
Rosters for the 2026 MLB All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park are set, and as always, the reveal came with more outrage than celebration in certain corners of the league. Fan voting quirks, a crowded National League middle infield, and a genuinely embarrassing American League pitching staff conspired to leave a handful of players who arguably deserved a trip to Philadelphia sitting at home instead.
With the Midsummer Classic set for July 14 and the Home Run Derby the night before, the snub conversation always doubles as a betting conversation. Players who get added as injury replacements often see a bump in season-long award markets, and this year’s list of omissions is deep enough to matter for anyone tracking MVP, Cy Young, or postseason award futures.
The National League’s Two Glaring Omissions
No snub has generated more noise than Brewers second baseman Brice Turang. He sits seventh among NL position players in bWAR and eighth in fWAR, making him the top statistical snub in either league by the numbers. The root issue traces back to the fan vote, where Ozzie Albies was elected as the NL’s starting second baseman, squeezing out a player having a genuinely elite two-way season in Milwaukee.
Right behind him is Dodgers left-hander Justin Wrobleski, who becomes the biggest pitching omission if the selection criteria is strictly first-half production. Los Angeles already has multiple NL representatives on the mound, and Wrobleski’s breakout simply got lost in the shuffle of a stacked rotation.
Braves center fielder Michael Harris II also has a real gripe. He was narrowly outpointed in fan voting by Dodgers center fielder Andy Pages despite the two being essentially even defensively, and Harris entered the break hitting .301 with an .841 OPS. It is the kind of numbers-versus-name-recognition snub that fuels these conversations every July.
The American League’s Pitching Problem
Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras owns the highest fWAR of any AL position player left off the roster, at 2.8, which ranks ninth in the league overall. With Vladimir Guerrero Jr. voted in as the AL starter at first base but not playing, Nick Kurtz, Ben Rice, and Yandy Diaz all deservedly found spots, leaving Contreras and Rays infielder Jonathan Aranda on the outside looking in. Aranda, hitting .287 with a 135 OPS+, 13 home runs, and 58 RBI, is right there with him.
The AL pitching staff drew the most criticism of any group selected this year. White Sox right-hander Davis Martin is the headline arm left off, but he is far from alone. Red Sox starter Sonny Gray, sitting on a 10-1 record for a team with a losing overall mark, was passed over entirely. Mariners right-hander Logan Gilbert, who flirted with a perfect game in his final start before the break and carries a 3.19 ERA with 114 strikeouts, also missed out. Rangers third baseman Josh Jung, the AL’s doubles leader at 22 with a .297 average, rounds out a group of players who all had cases.
One national outlet framed the AL’s misses as tandem snubs worth remembering: Martin paired with White Sox shortstop Colson Montgomery, and Contreras paired with Gray, as the two most notable pairs left behind.
Injury Replacements Could Still Open the Door
There is a wrinkle that matters here. Aaron Judge was voted in as an AL starting outfielder but will not play because of a fractured rib, and Mike Trout’s own injury history means the league could need to dip into the reserve pool for outfield replacements before the game is played. Red Sox utility man Ceddanne Rafaela has been mentioned as a name in the mix if the AL needs to add a body, which would be a nice consolation for a Boston roster that already feels underrepresented.
For bettors watching the awards markets, replacement selections carry real weight. A player who gets the injury-replacement nod typically sees increased exposure on national broadcasts during All-Star week, and sportsbooks tend to adjust MVP and Silver Slugger futures accordingly in the days that follow. If you are shopping lines around the break, now is the time to check a DraftKings promo code or a FanDuel promo code before the market moves on any last-minute additions.
What This Means Heading Into Philadelphia
Snub lists are as much a part of All-Star week as the Home Run Derby at this point, and this year’s crop is unusually deep on quality complaints. Turang and Contreras stand out as the most defensible omissions in either league, backed by advanced metrics that voters and even the player pool simply overlooked. The AL pitching staff, in particular, was thin enough on name value that Gray, Gilbert, and Martin all have legitimate cases to have made the trip.
None of it changes who actually takes the field at Citizens Bank Park on July 14, but it is worth watching how the injury-replacement process shakes out over the next several days. If you are looking to get ahead of any line movement tied to All-Star week, locking in a Caesars promo code now is not a bad idea, and running the numbers through an odds calculator can help clarify whether any of the futures markets tied to these players still carry value.