Beyond the Box Score: The Advanced Stats Guide to 2026 MLB All-Star Voting

With Phase One of the 2026 MLB All-Star voting officially open, fans will rush to vote for their favorite players and by the stats MLB provides: batting average, home runs, RBIs and OPS.

The problem? Those traditional metrics treat every position the same. They evaluate solely on offense. They determine a catcher’s value using the same criteria as a designated hitter. If you want to build the best All-Star roster through your votes, you need to look under the hood. Here is a guide to the underlying metrics you should use to evaluate players based on what their specific position demands.

Catchers

A catcher’s primary job is run prevention. While hitting is a bonus and ABS threatens their defensive value, the ability to steal strikes and shut down the running game are still what actually dictates value behind the dish.

• The Metrics: Catcher Framing Runs and ABS Overturns vs Expected
• AL Vote – Dillon Dingler (Detroit Tigers): Dingler is tied for first in the majors in Catcher Framing Runs with five and leads the majors in Overturns vs Expected with 21.3. He also has a 96th percentile xwOBA to add to this elite defense.
• NL Vote – Drake Baldwin (Atlanta Braves): While Baldwin’s framing leaves a lot to desire with -1 Catcher Framing Runs, he is sixth in Overturns vs Expected and has an outstanding 99th percentile xwOBA.

First Base/Designated Hitter

These positions must mash. Since they provide little to no defensive run value, home runs can be a good baseline to look at, but to differentiate players you must look at their underlying stats.

• The Metrics: Barrel% and xwOBA
• AL Vote – Ben Rice (New York Yankees): Rice has a 97th percentile xwOBA and a 96th percentile Barrel%. What more could you ask for out of a first baseman?
• NL Vote – Bryce Harper (Philadelphia Phillies): Harper has had a mostly under-the-radar very good season this year likely due to fatigue from his perennial success. He ranks 98th percentile in xwOBA and 87th in Barrel%.

An honorable mention to Munetaka Murakami who would have had my AL vote had he not gotten injured.

Middle Infield

Middle Infielders need to create havoc on the bases and suppress it in the field. Shortstops especially should also have a decent hit tool in this era of baseball.

• The Metrics: Outs Above Average and xOBP
• AL Vote – Bobby Witt Jr (Kansas City Royals): Witt is so good, every year. If Judge had not had such a historic season last year, Witt would have ran away with the AL MVP, and he is keeping that up this year. Witt ranks 100th percentile with 16! Outs Above Average and 92nd percentile in xOBP. He also has 100th percentile sprint speed.
• NL Vote – Brice Turang (Milwaukee Brewers): Turang’s elite talent is getting on base. He has a 98th percentile xOBP and an 81st percentile Outs Above Average.

Third Base

Much like first basemen and designated hitters, third basemen must hit the ball hard, but they also must survive extreme exit velocities at the hot corner.

• The Metrics: Arm Strength and Hard-Hit%
• AL Vote – Junior Caminero (Tampa Bay Rays): Caminero hits the ball hard. He has an 86th percentile Hard-Hit% with a 100th percentile bat speed. He also throws hard with the second most powerful third base arm in the AL behind Maikel Garcia.
• NL Vote – Max Muncy (Los Angeles Dodgers): While Muncy only has a middle-of-the-pack arm at third base, his 88th percentile hard-hit% and 93rd percentile xwOBA is impossible to pass up. He also quietly has a 95th percentile Outs Above Average.

Outfielders

Outfielders either need to be elite defenders or elite hitters, some are both.

• The Metrics: Outs Above Average and xwOBA
• AL Vote – Carlos Cortes (Athletics): Cortes is the ultimate sleeper pick. With barely any media coverage he has posted a 91st percentile xwOBA and a 98th percentile K%. He is not yet qualified in Outs Above Average.
• NL Vote – James Wood (Washington Nationals): While not being the best defender in the game, the all star game needs his bat in the lineup. Wood has posted a 100th percentile xwOBA, Avg Exit Velo, and Barrel%, making him one of the most feared bats in the game. He also has a 97th percentile BB%

For voting, every fan chooses three outfielders per league.

Final Ballot

Each fan can submit up to 5 ballots a day, everyday.