The 2026 MLB All-Star Game has arrived!
Will the National League repeat following last year's walk-off win? Or will the American League come away with its 11th victory in 13 years?
All-Star newcomers, such as Kevin McGonigle and Travis Bazzana, and veterans, such as Mike Trout and Justin Verlander, will join the rest of baseball's best at Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies, for this year's Midsummer Classic -- and we'll have live updates and analysis from Philly throughout the game (8 p.m. ET on Fox).
After the final out, ESPN's MLB experts will share their biggest takeaways right here as well. But first, let's kick off the day with some predictions for Tuesday night's game.
The starting lineups
Who will win the All-Star Game and by what score?
Jesse Rogers: The American League simply can't compete this year -- during the regular season or the All-Star Game. The injuries will catch up to them, whereas the National League won't miss a beat, even without Jacob Misiorowski or Zack Wheeler playing. It's the NL's time to shine now -- and in October. Let's go with a 7-3 final.
Dave Schoenfield: The NL has been the far superior league this season, winning interleague play entering the All-Star break 237-196, good for a .547 winning percentage. Even without Shohei Ohtani, the NL lineup looks better, especially with Aaron Judge, Nick Kurtz and Byron Buxton injured and sitting out the game for the AL. So, of course, I'm picking the NL to win 8-6 in a rare high-scoring game as the ball flies out of Citizens Bank Park on a warm night in Philly.
Who is your All-Star Game MVP pick?
Jorge Castillo: Bryce Harper has a thing for the grand stage -- see his hometown Home Run Derby win in 2018, his home run in the World Baseball Classic final and his postseason success -- and he's going to thrive off the home crowd energy. Harper will homer to win his first All-Star Game MVP and make it two straight Phillies to take the award after Kyle Schwarber earned the hardware last year.
Jeff Passan: Only five big leaguers have won multiple All-Star Game MVP awards -- and just one in back-to-back seasons: Mike Trout in 2014-15. So perhaps it's going out on a limb to suggest Kyle Schwarber will be the second. Coming off a bravura Home Run Derby performance, leading off for the National League and facing a starter in Dylan Cease who leans heavily on his high-octane fastball against the first batter off the game, Schwarber is in position to join Trout and Bo Jackson as the only players with leadoff homers in an All-Star Game.
What's the matchup you are most excited to see?
Passan: Yordan Alvarez vs. Cristopher Sanchez. Power vs. power. The best hitter in baseball by a wide margin this season vs. the pitcher who at one point carried a streak of more than 50 consecutive scoreless innings. Particularly exciting is the possibility of Sanchez unfurling a rare same-sided changeup. Of the 746 changeups he has thrown this season, just 51 have come in left-on-left situations. Alvarez, meanwhile, is 1-for-6 against left-handed changes this season -- with the one a home run against St. Louis reliever Jojo Romero. Alvarez will be looking to put a charge into the ball. Sanchez has devastated left-handed hitters with his change, limiting them to an MLB-best .054 wOBA. Something has to give. And when it does, it should be spectacular.
Schoenfield: Trout vs. insert pitcher here -- hopefully we get at least three at-bats from him. He's back playing in an All-Star Game for the first time since 2019, not far from where he grew up in New Jersey. He'll be leading off the game against Sanchez, so that matchup will have as much excitement as any. Let's see whether Sanchez forgoes his unhittable changeup and instead challenges Trout with fastballs. Talking with some of Trout's AL All-Star teammates during media day on Monday, it was clear how much those players still respect his ability and stature in the game. Let's see whether Trout can win a third All-Star MVP trophy.
Who is the one All-Star fans will know much better after tonight's game?
Castillo: The Miami Marlins, in general, aren't getting enough national love, which means Otto Lopez certainly isn't getting his due. The shortstop leads the majors with a .334 batting average. His 4.3 fWAR ranks fifth in all of baseball. López might be the best player -- and certainly the top MVP candidate -- the average fan doesn't know much about. His emergence from being designated for assignment by the Toronto Blue Jays in February 2024 to a well-deserved All-Star selection while starring for a team competing for a postseason spot with the lowest payroll in the sport is astounding.
Rogers: Funny. My pick is St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker, who hit the big time Monday when he won the Home Run Derby, beating hometown favorite Kyle Schwarber. A different audience than the one watching the Netflix broadcast of the Derby will get a glimpse of Walker's coming out party Tuesday. How about a double-double combo to go with that victory, with Walker's NL winning along with him taking home MVP of the All-Star Game. His stardom will be cemented.