Snub Or No Snub? Braves All-Stars announced

The initial All-Star rosters were announced last night, and five Braves were included.

Braves All-Stars

• Chris Sale
• Raisel Iglesias
• Matt Olson (Reserve)
• Drake Baldwin (Starter)
• Ozzie Albies (Starter)

—

For Chris Sale this will be his tenth All-Star appearance and third in a row with the Braves. His revival in Atlanta has been nothing short of remarkable, pitching arguably the best baseball of his career as he approaches 40. He’ll once again be in the NL Cy Young conversation at season’s end, although it won’t be an easy award to take home with all the ridiculous arms in the National League.

Raisel Iglesias and Drake Baldwin are the club’s two first-time All-Stars. That makes sense for Baldwin, who is in his first season as the Braves’ full-time starting catcher, but it’s a bit surprising for Iglesias. He’s been among the league’s top closers for a decade now, boasting a 2.85 career ERA with 270 saves. A testament to how difficult it is for relievers to get the nod, but Iglesias is beyond deserving this season, recording a 1.53 ERA over 28 appearances with 17 saves.

Matt Olson and Ozzie Albies are two more All-Star veterans at this point. It will be the fourth All-Star appearance for each of them, with Albies starting at second base and Olson a reserve at first base. Those should probably be switched, but the fan vote isn’t always a glowing representation of on-field performance.

That said, what a resurgent season it has been for Ozzie Albies. A couple of significant injuries really made it difficult for him to find a rhythm over the last couple of seasons. Some were even questioning whether the Braves would pick up his extremely team-friendly $7 million club option during the offseason, and while the organization never felt that way, there were legitimate concerns. Concerns that have all but been put to bed after a first half that saw him hit .272 with 14 home runs and a .770 OPS.

Braves All-Star Snubs

Five All-Stars is a damn good result for any team, but there are three very clear snubs that hopefully find their way onto the roster due to injuries and guys opting out.

Michael Harris II is an All-Star. Period. There should be no debating it; they have to find a way to get him on the roster. He’s one of the few players in the league hitting .300, is on pace for 30 home runs, and plays elite defense in centerfield. There’s a lot of competition in the outfield, but Major League Baseball needs to do the right thing and make room for another guy who’s amid a resurgent 2026 campaign.

The other two snubs are a little more understandable given only a few relievers make the All-Star Game each season, but Dylan Lee and Robert Suarez have been two of the best bullpen arms in all of baseball. Lee has made a remarkable 41 appearances already, posting a 1.60 ERA with a 1.33 FIP, 0.661 WHIP and 11.2 K/9 — absolutely absurd numbers for a reliever that’s been asked to pitch in just about every situation imaginable.

Suarez is currently on the IL, so it’s not like he would have actually participated in the game, but it would still be nice for him to get the recognition he deserves. There’s an argument he’s been the single most valuable reliever in all of baseball this season, boasting an eye-popping 0.56 ERA over 31 appearances.

I really don’t know why in the year of 2026 that Major League Baseball has not adjusted the roster limit to include more relief pitchers. It’s not a real game guys; it’s okay to share the love. I would like it on record that I am protesting the injustice against relievers in the All-Star Game. We must make this right!

—

(Photo by Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire)