With MLB announcing the returns from the first wave of All-Star voting, the names present are pretty much what you’d expect: Shohei Ohtani leading the charge at National League DH, and Yordan Alvarez anchoring the American League DH with ease. But what of the Atlanta Braves in All-Star voting?
With the Braves and Dodgers currently making up seven of the nine starting spots in All-Star voting, let’s explore which Braves players should realistically start the All-Star Game — sometimes ahead of flashier names.
Which Braves Deserve to Start the All-Star Game?
First Base: Matt Olson
As Olson’s consecutive games streak quietly continues, putting him among the top 10 all time, he is also by far the most deserving starter among first basemen in the NL.
Olson is outpacing the Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman in almost every notable statistical category, including WAR (2.9 for Olson vs. 1.9 for Freeman), home runs (20 vs. 11), hits (75 vs. 73), RBIs (51 vs. 38), runs (51 vs. 39), and OPS (.894 vs. .837).
Ultimately, Olson has simply been the superior player throughout the 2026 season, and despite Freeman’s tremendous legacy of terrific play, Olson is the deserving All-Star Game starter at first base.
Second Base: Ozzie Albies
Albies is deservedly leading the charge at second base in All-Star voting, holding a sizable lead of more than 100,000 votes over second-place Bryson Stott of the Phillies.
That should hold, and Albies should cruise into his fourth All-Star Game selection and first as a starter. He is fifth on the Braves in WAR at 2.2, behind only Olson, Drake Baldwin, Chris Sale, and Michael Harris II, several of whom were among Atlanta’s early-season MVP candidates.
Shortstop: None
This is one position where the Braves surely do not have a strong argument for anyone. While Mauricio Dubón is having a solid year, Ha-Seong Kim has been injured for much of the season and is still getting reacclimated. Neither has a strong argument against the Nationals’ CJ Abrams, the Reds’ Elly De La Cruz, or the Marlins’ Otto Lopez.
Third Base: None
While Austin Riley does rank fourth in voting among third basemen so far, he is scuffling through one of the worst seasons of his career: a .203 average, a team-leading 82 strikeouts, and only eight homers. As such, his resume pales in comparison to the position’s leading vote-getter, Max Muncy of the Dodgers.
Outfield: Ronald Acuña Jr. and Michael Harris II
While Acuña is back on the injured list with another hamstring issue—stay strong, Ronnie—Harris remains a potent bat, even when he’s called into pinch-hitting duty unexpectedly:
PINCH-HIT
GO-AHEAD
BASES-CLEARING DOUBLEMichael Harris II gets CLUTCH 😤 pic.twitter.com/58bsEREdPy
— MLB (@MLB) June 7, 2026
Harris has been tremendously consistent all season, and he is definitively more talented and a better overall player than the Phillies’ Brandon Marsh, who currently sits above him in All-Star voting.
Acuña’s popularity and overall profile should mean that he remains firmly ensconced in a top-three outfield position, and Braves Country must step up to ensure that Harris joins him in Philly for the All-Star Game.
Catcher: Drake Baldwin
Despite playing in only 48 of Atlanta’s 71 games in the 2026 season—and none since May 18 against the Marlins—Baldwin leads all NL catchers in All-Star voting, besting the Dodgers’ Will Smith by well over 300,000 votes.
That’s fitting, as Baldwin had been among the best players in the game before his mid-May injury, and he’ll hopefully pick up right where he left off when he returns later this week.
This should be a pretty indomitable lead for Baldwin, and deservedly so. No other catcher has been better in the NL this season, full stop.
Designated Hitter: Dominic Smith
While he certainly won’t unseat leading overall vote-getter Shohei Ohtani, Smith deserves credit for a truly stupendous 2026 campaign, as his clutch exploits and well-rounded hitting profile should be rewarded.
Impressively, the Braves have turned a cast-off journeyman into one of their most surprising success stories this season. While he ranks third in NL DH votes so far, those are rookie numbers, and Smith deserves a little more credit than that for his turnaround.
Five Braves All-Stars Sounds About Right
With the Braves still boasting the best record in the big leagues, it’s no surprise to see many of the team’s best players scattered across the first All-Star voting returns.
While it seems likely that names such as Ozzie Albies and Drake Baldwin can already be penciled into the All-Star Game starting lineup, others with equally deserving cases, like Matt Olson and Michael Harris II, will need a little help on the voting front.
Ultimately, the Braves are having a wonderful season, and All-Star voting needs to catch up if it’s going to accurately reflect the 2026 season so far.
Main Image Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
