Despite their June swoon, the Atlanta Braves were widely expected to be well-represented in the 2026 All-Star team. For all of this team's faults, there is a lot of talent on the roster, and Braves fans started off extremely enthusiastic in their voting. The only question was exactly how many players Atlanta would have in the game, and that question was answered on Saturday.
MLB just announced the rosters for the 2026 All-Star Game, and the Braves are (for now) sending five players to Philly in Matt Olson, Drake Baldwin, Ozzie Albies, Raisel Iglesias, and Chris Sale. Baldwin and Albies were voted in as starters, and all five are deserving of the honor, although a couple of Braves players just missed the cut despite having strong cases.
Here are the Braves players that were All-Star snubs and the reasons it happened
Now, this isn't going to be a list of any decision that could be perceived as a snub, but really isn't. Olson finishing second to Freddie Freeman for the starting first base spot, for example, is not a snub, given that Olson is still playing in the All-Star Game. The same is true of Robert Suarez, who had a strong argument, but he is also hurt. The focus here is on Braves that did not make the All-Star team at all and the reasons why they were left off.
Michael Harris II
On paper, Michael Harris II had a very strong case. Not only has he been one of the team's best players this season, but his .301/.334/.507 line is just objectively good, no matter who Harris is playing for. Unfortunately, Braves fans squandered their best chance to get Harris in at the finish line.
While Harris was among the top outfield vote-getters through the final phase of voting, support for Phillies and Dodgers players was extremely high, and Braves fan enthusiasm waned in the middle of the team's brutal stretch in June. Once he finished outside of a starting spot in the vote, his path got much harder, as he had to get support from the player vote and/or MLB. Unfortunately, the players and MLB instead opted for Corbin Carroll, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Jordan Walker, and James Wood instead. If Braves fans are upset at anyone for this one, it should be at themselves.
Dylan Lee
This truly stinks because Dylan Lee has been SO good this season. In 41 appearances this season, Lee has posted a 1.60 ERA and 1.33 FIP, and that is with an atypically rough appearance a couple of days ago. By nearly every measure, Lee has been among the best relievers in baseball, but he failed to crack the All-Star roster.
The biggest hurdle that Lee encountered is that he is a non-closing reliever, which is a demographic that is generally not called upon on All-Star rosters. Once you factor in the fact that Iglesias was chosen for his first All-Star appearance and that the pitching staffs are often where MLB turns to give each team at least one representative in the ASG, you have an uphill battle for Lee from the get-go, no matter how well he has pitched.
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