Ranking top 5 Marlins candidates for 2026 MLB All-Star selections

What a difference a year makes.

Anybody else remember this piece I wrote in mid-June of 2025 about how none of the Miami Marlins merited a spot on the National League All-Star roster? Kyle Stowers took that personally and emerged as one of the NL's best hitters leading into the break to validate his selection, but the larger point stands: that team was thin on individual excellence.

In 2026, on the other hand, we have seen a handful of Marlins simultaneously reach peak performance. Despite running it back with many familiar faces from last season's squad, their record entering Tuesday is seven games better than it was through the first 73 games of 2025, largely because seemingly average-quality players have become among the best at their respective positions.

There will not be room for all of the following players on the NL roster, in part because the Marlins fanbase is not large enough to get any of them elected as starters regardless of qualifications. Anonymity works against them as well—Sandy Alcantara is the only current Marlin who's been an All-Star before and he's not in the mix this time around.

From longshot to near-lock, here is how I rank their likelihood of becoming first-time All-Stars.

5. Tyler Phillips

NL All-Star odds: 6%

It would be unorthodox to even consider a pitcher who accrued only one win and two saves this deep into the season, but Phillips has simply thrown up too many zeroes to be ignored. He boasts an extraordinary 1.86 ERA through 19 appearances (three starts). He has logged 48 ⅓ innings pitched so far (dwarfing all relief-only candidates), and barring injury, he should rank third on the Marlins in that category come the All-Star break.

Phillips should have four starts left before the NL pitching staff is fully locked in. He'll need to accrue 20-plus innings of near-perfection during that span to keep his hopes alive.

4. Xavier Edwards

NL All-Star odds: 20%

Even the Marlins did not see this kind of production coming from Edwards, who batted as low as the seventh spot in their lineup early in the season.

X's uptick in power—particularly from the right side of the plate—has put him in the All-Star conversation. However, he's quietly in the midst of a month-long homerless drought (78 wRC+ during those 24 games). His defense at second base has been good, though not quite on par with what he did last year after switching to the position.

Also keep in mind that All-Star selections are not made in a vacuum. Between Brice Turang, Luis Arraez, Brandon Lowe and standout rookie JJ Wetherholt, there's a lot of competition among second basemen this season.

Edwards will need another hot streak to secure his trip back to Philadelphia for the Midsummer Classic.

3. Liam Hicks

NL All-Star odds: 35%

Hicks' improvement as a slugger has been even more pronounced and sustained than Edwards'. It has not come at the expense of his advanced plate approach—he's drawn more walks (28) than strikeouts (24).

Just reinstated from the injured list on Monday, Drake Baldwin has a seemingly insurmountable lead in fan balloting among NL catchers. It seems like a forgone conclusion that Hunter Goodman will make the team as a reserve to ensure the Colorado Rockies are represented. Also working against Hicks, he's barely a "catcher" at this point, receiving the vast majority of his reps at first base and designated hitter since the Marlins called up Joe Mack in early May.

That being said, Hicks' knack for driving in runs (51 RBI) will merit serious consideration.

2. Max Meyer

NL All-Star odds: 75%

It's been a stunning breakout season for Meyer from several angles. Let's begin with the fact that he has been a mainstay in the Marlins rotation through 15 starts after never previously making more than 12 straight major league starts without getting injured.

The lifetime 5.29 ERA he took into this season has practically been sliced in half, to 2.75. While the old Meyer was so susceptible to home runs, the new Meyer is brilliant at suppressing them. His much-improved sweeper is now a reliable putaway pitch against left-handed batters.

Meyer's franchise-record undefeated streak is partially the byproduct of hearty run support, but less so recently. The Marlins have removed his training wheels, sticking with him three full trips through opposing lineups and beyond 100 pitches when needed. He has rewarded them by reliably finishing those outings on a high note.

Between the initial selections and replacements named due to injuries and throwing schedule conflicts, there are usually about 15 total starting pitchers who receive NL All-Star nods. Even assuming some regression from Meyer in his remaining first-half starts, he's probably going to be selected.

1. Otto Lopez  

NL All-Star odds: 85%

Friend of the pod Otto Lopez is on pace to make history. The combination of his hitting ability and baserunning is rare for any position, especially shortstop.

Lopez's season has been completely slump-free thus far. A testament to both consistency and durability, he has recorded hits during each of the first 23 Marlins series. In addition to leading all MLB players in hits, he ranks first among NL shortstops in both the FanGraphs (3.0 fWAR) and Baseball-Reference (3.1 bWAR) versions of wins above replacement.

The only NL SS candidates in Lopez's tier are CJ Abrams and Elly De La Cruz, and there is room for all three on the roster if necessary. As long as the underachieving Mookie Betts does not throw a wrench into process by inexplicably win the fan vote, Lopez's case for a reserve spot is unimpeachable.