Who should be the Cubs’ All-Star in 2026? Examining the Options ...Middle East

Believe it or not, the MLB All-Star Game is just around the corner.

In a little over a month, the AL and NL teams will square off in the Midsummer Classic.

So…who will be the Cubs’ All-Star?

Notice I said “All-Star” singular. As it stands right now, it might be difficult to envision multiple Cubs players crack the NL roster (though, admittedly, that might be recency bias given the team’s tough stretch).

Which is not what anybody expected just two short months ago.

Entering the 2026 season, expectations were high on the Cubs and the team’s top players — and not just expectations in Chicago. Those around the game also thought the Cubs would have a big season.

It played out that way for about six weeks, but this team has been well below .500 (7-20) over the last month.

That has severely impacted the Cubs’ All-Star options. Let’s go position-by-position to evaluate players who may end up on the NL squad next month.

Pitching staff

During the last few weeks, the numbers have cratered for the Cubs’ individual players.

Shota Imanaga is a perfect example. On May 13, he looked to be on the outskirts of the NL Cy Young conversation and carried a strong case for an All-Star bid with a 2.32 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 59 strikeouts in 54.1 innings across 9 starts, allowing just 5 home runs.

But since then, he has a shocking 10.80 ERA while serving up 12 homers over his last 4 starts.

Matthew Boyd — one of the Cubs’ All-Stars a year ago — has been on the IL twice with separate injuries and has made only 5 starts this season.

Jameson Taillon (5.19 ERA), Edward Cabrera (4.99) and Colin Rea (4.59) have not pitched to All-Star-caliber levels, either.

But the newest member of the rotation — Ben Brown — has, and represents the team’s best bet to make the All-Star team.

Brown began the year in the bullpen before moving into the rotation when Boyd hit the IL a second time in early May.

In 18 games (6 starts), the 26-year-old right-hander has been lights-out, pitching to a 1.74 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 58 strikeouts in 57 innings.

Ben Brown has been the Cubs best pitcher in 2026 ? STARTER:6 Starts1.44 ERA0.77 WHIPRELIEVER:12 Games2.10 ERA1.01 WHIPOVERALL:1.74 ERA0.87 WHIP2.24 FIP222 ERA+ pic.twitter.com/xbDMKH50F0

Brown is aware of his place in the All-Star conversation, which he acknowledged would be an honor.

There are two problems working against him, however. One is that he has only been in the rotation for about a month. The second is an extremely crowded NL pitching field.

Cristopher Sánchez and Jacob Misiorowski are on historic runs and yet Shohei Ohtani still might be the best pitcher in the NL. Then there’s Paul Skenes, Chris Sale, Chase Burns, Kyle Harrison and a host of other arms who have viable cases to make the All-Star roster.

Brown is 10th in WAR among NL pitchers with at least 50 innings. But every pitcher around him has been in the rotation all season.

Beyond the starting staff, the Cubs bullpen likely doesn’t have an All-Star candidate. Daniel Palencia has been effective once again, but he was on the IL for several weeks and only has 3 saves. Jacob Webb has been really good of late, but does not have the dominant overall stat line needed for a setup reliever to make the All-Star team.

Catcher

Carson Kelly is having an OK season, but his lack of power (just 2 homers) will likely take him out of the All-Star conversation.

The NL can choose from Drake Baldwin, William Contreras and Hunter Goodman for the roster, plus Marlins breakout backstop Liam Hicks or well-known Dodgers catcher Will Smith serve as other options.

Infield

Nico Hoerner looked to have a strong case to be in All-Star consideration at second base, as he was hitting .300/.377/.457 (.834 OPS) with 4 homers and 27 RBI through the Cubs’ first 36 games.

But since then, he is hitting just .185/.276/.218 (.495 OPS) with 0 homers and only 6 RBI through the team’s last 30 games.

Even if Hoerner went on a hot stretch over the next month or so until the roster is announced, it would be hard to see him surpassing some of the other second base options in the NL (Brice Turang, Luis Arraez, Brandon Lowe, J.J. Wetherholt).

Shortstop is an interesting position in the NL, as some of the top players (Elly De La Cruz, Konnor Griffin) are currently injured and it’s unknown whether they will be back in time to partake in the All-Star Game should they earn a spot.

Miami’s Otto Lopez and Washington’s C.J. Abrams are having strong seasons, and both should end up in the Midsummer Classic next month.

But Dansby Swanson might actually not be far off from an All-Star bid, which would come as a major shock to Cubs fans. He is hitting just .180, but is actually 6th among NL shortstops in fWAR (1.1) thanks to his defense. And two of the players ahead of him are the aforementioned injured young stars (De La Cruz, Griffin).

Swanson is also tied for 5th among NL shortstops in homers, ranks 5th in runs scored and 6th in RBI. If he goes on a multi-week hot streak (something he is still capable of), he could put himself back in the conversation.

Other top NL shortstops (Mookie Betts, Trea Turner, Francisco Lindor, Geraldo Perdomo, Willy Adames, Bo Bichette) have struggled with either injury or ineffectiveness this season and actually rank behind Swanson in terms of WAR and other offensive stats.

The same logic applies to third base in the NL. Alex Bregman has obviously gotten off to a disappointing start to the season, but he’s not alone in that.

Manny Machado is hitting just .169 while fellow veterans Austin Riley and Matt Chapman have yet to get going this season.

Nolan Arenado is having a bit of a resurgent year with the Arizona Diamondbacks and could be an All-Star candidate. Max Muncy looks like a shoe-in at this point. Reds rookie Sal Stewart has had a really good year so far, but he has seen far more time at first base (44 games) than third base (21 games).

Bregman — who ranks 5th among NL third baseman in fWAR — is clearly not an All-Star at the moment, but his defense and on-base skills are still solid and an offensive hot stretch could do quite a bit to change his case.

Michael Busch is currently in one such hot stretch, slashing .295/.432/.492 (.924 OPS) with 14 extra-base hits and 25 RBI since May 1. That has helped his overall numbers look a lot better after a rough start to the year.

This is the perfect time to #VoteCubs.?: t.co/hFFdpa6mDR pic.twitter.com/SuNiVvM1m2

But first base in the NL is a crowded field when it comes to the All-Star conversation. Matt Olson and Freddie Freeman look like strong bets based on their stats and their name value.

If three first basemen make the NL roster, Busch will have to contend with other bubble players like Bryce Harper, Stewart, Alec Burleson, Jake Bauers and Spencer Horwitz.

Outfield

Pete Crow-Armstrong is proof that a good run offensively can make a big impact on a player’s All-Star case. He got off to an extremely slow start to the season and has generally turned things around since the first week of April.

But Crow-Armstrong has reached another level over the last month, hitting .284/.388/.541 (.929 OPS) since May 5 with 8 homers and 19 RBI.

Thanks to that run and his elite defense, Crow-Armstrong leads all NL outfielders in fWAR. His popularity and notoriety around the game may also earn him a hefty share of votes from fans as a potential starter (he started in center field last season).

Ian Happ has a stronger case than some might realize, too. He is currently 7th in the NL among outfielders in fWAR and ranks 4th in homers and runs scored.

Will that be enough for Happ to overcome the rest of the crowded NL outfield field?

Seiya Suzuki‘s early-season injury and recent slump appear to take him out of All-Star consideration. He will enter play Tuesday with 9 homers, 21 RBI and a .752 OPS.

Consider: Suzuki didn’t even make the All-Star team last year despite a banner first half that included 25 homers, 77 RBI and an .867 OPS.

Final thoughts

Right now, it looks like Crow-Armstrong and Brown have the best chances to crack the NL roster. If they continue their performance, it’s certainly possible we might see both players in Philadelphia next month.

Busch and Happ could emerge as other contenders as the All-Star discussion develops over the next few weeks.

Hence then, the article about who should be the cubs all star in 2026 examining the options was published today ( Tuesday 09/06/2026 - 01:30 AM ) and is available on Bleacher Nation ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.

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