3 Red Sox Who Should Be First-Time All-Stars In 2026

Last season, the Boston Red Sox sent three players to the All-Star game in Atlanta. Now, after some departures in free agency and early season battles with injuries, there could be a new group of faces representing the team in the 2026 Midsummer Classic.

Let's look at three players worthy of All-Star honors for the first time in 2026 (with a quick nod to a few other candidates on the roster).

Honorable Mentions: 

Justin Slaten: While Slaten has missed time due to injury, when he’s healthy, he completes the Red Sox's borderline unstoppable trio featuring himself, Garrett Whitlock, and Aroldis Chapman in the bullpen. A premier set-up pitcher, Slaten has given up four hits in six innings this season and has a 0.00 ERA. If he can bounce back from injury and continue to pitch well over the next two months, Slaten could sneak into the All-Star game roster as a potential injury replacement. 

Connelly Early: Another young stud, Early leads the team in innings pitched and made the Opening Day roster after only pitching in four games last season. He has a 3.21 ERA this season over nine starts. The other half of a young one-two left-handed punch alongside Payton Tolle, Early is a definite All-Star candidate if he keeps up his stellar season.

Wilyer Abreu

Through the first part of the season, Wilyer Abreu has shown why he’s one of the best right fielders in baseball. He leads all right fielders in defensive runs saved, an incredible asset for a team built on run prevention. He ranks second among all outfielders in that category, trailing only defensive superhero Pete Crow-Armstrong. His strengths don’t just come in the field: he is also the Red Sox's best hitter. As of their series with the Kansas City Royals, he leads the team in WAR, batting average, runs, and OPS. Additionally, he is second in home runs behind Willson Contreras.

Abreu’s biggest weakness last season was his stats against left-handed pitching; in just 61 at-bats against lefties, he recorded the same number of hits (14) as he did strikeouts. He hit just .230 with a .299 on base percentage. In contrast, he had 312 at-bats against righties, sporting a .250 average with 78 hits and 21 homers. However, Abreu has completely flipped the script in 2026. He’s hitting .380 with 19 hits and four home runs through 50 at-bats against southpaws. Against righties, he’s hitting .267 in 120 at-bats. His newfound success against lefties has played a pivotal role in his overall success this season and will almost certainly lead to him appearing in the All-Star Game come July.

Ceddanne Rafaela

To the left of Abreu in the outfield is another intriguing All-Star hopeful. Ceddanne Rafaela is coming off of a Gold Glove season of his own and seems to have overcome some of his struggles at the plate. After splitting time between second base and center field last season, it seems as though Rafaela has settled into a regular role in center. It’s an intriguing development in the outfield logjam saga and worth noting because it forces Jarren Duran to left field, a space occupied by Roman Anthony when healthy. Whether this sets the stage for an eventual Duran trade is unclear, but what’s certain is the fact that Rafaela has become an invaluable piece of the Red Sox.

Known for his defensive prowess, Rafaela has put together 362.1 innings of error-less play and has a fielding run value of five. He sits in the 99th percentile for outs above average, routinely running down tough fly balls with ease. Contrary to his defensive success, his bat has been hot and cold throughout his career, but that script is flipping in 2026. Through 44 games, Rafaela is hitting .284 with 42 hits, the best batting average mark of his career. He also has a .354 on base percentage, 50 points higher than last season. Known for his speed and contact ability, Rafaela’s tied for seventh in the league with two triples. Additionally, he’s already driven in 19 RBIs and is on pace to drive in 67, which would eclipse his personal best. While plate discipline isn’t his strong suit, Rafaela has been more patient this season, drawing ten walks. His 1.5 WAR ranks third on the Red Sox as he has emerged as the defensive anchor in the outfield. While his offensive stats do fall behind other slugging outfielders, a strong stretch leading up to the Midsummer Classic combined with his excellent defense could make Rafaela a viable All-Star option.

Payton Tolle

The final candidate started his season in Worcester, but since arriving at Fenway, has become one of the Red Sox's most consistent rotational pieces. Payton Tolle made his MLB debut at the tail end of last season before being moved into a bullpen role for the postseason. After narrowly missing the Opening Day roster due to offseason acquisitions, a string of injuries to Sonny Gray and Garrett Crochet opened the door for Tolle’s 2026 season debut last month. In five starts since then, Tolle has turned in five excellent outings. He’s amassed a 2.05 ERA through 30.2 innings and has a K/9 rate of 8.8. He’s held hitters to a .160 batting average and boasts a K% of 26.1. His opponents' batting average, OPS, and BABIP have all seen significant improvement from his 2025 campaign.

Most recently, he held the robust Atlanta Braves offense to just two runs in eight frames on just 85 pitches, his longest professional start. The main obstacle standing in the way of Tolle’s first All-Star selection is his lack of innings pitched. Tolle ranks fifth out of the Red Sox six regular starters (including the injured Crochet) in innings pitched, and is 140th among AL qualified starters. Despite the smaller body of work, Tolle’s outings are turning heads. If he can continue to string together solid appearances into the summer, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Tolle make the trip to Philadelphia.