The Braves may have let a double-digit division lead slip, but they’re still being viewed as a heavyweight when it comes to All-Star representation.
Atlanta sits in first place in the NL East, 2.5 games ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies, and now Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer is projecting the Braves to send more players to the 2026 All-Star Game in Philadelphia than any other team.
Rymer’s prediction has Atlanta placing seven players on the NL roster: C Drake Baldwin, 2B Ozzie Albies, CF Michael Harris II, 1B Matt Olson, SP Chris Sale, RHP Raisel Iglesias, and LHP Dylan Lee.
That group would also give the Braves the most All-Star selections of any club, and it would happen in the Phillies’ home ballpark. Rymer also projects Baldwin, Albies, and Harris to earn starting spots through fan voting.
Philadelphia is projected to send five players, and Bryce Harper is not among them.
Not every Braves pick looks equally strong on paper. Albies stands out as the shakier choice, since the NL second-base race is crowded and his .762 OPS, 13 homers, and .273 average may not stack up as well as some of the other candidates.
Baldwin’s case is also complicated by a rough June after returning from the injured list. He’s hitting .255 with 14 homers and a .791 OPS, though Hunter Goodman and William Contreras are seen as more deserving starters.
Harris brings a .293 average, 14 homers, an .812 OPS, and strong defense, but the NL outfield is packed with names such as James Wood, Corbin Carroll, Pete Crow-Armstrong, and Jordan Walker.
The rest of Atlanta’s projected All-Stars have far sturdier resumes. Olson has 20 homers, an .859 OPS, and elite defense at first base.
Sale has been dominant with a 2.10 ERA and 109 strikeouts in 15 starts. Lee owns a 1.64 ERA, a 4-0 record, 46 strikeouts, and a 0.68 WHIP across 40 games and 38.1 innings.
Iglesias has posted a 1.27 ERA with 31 strikeouts in 27 games and 28.1 innings, along with 16 saves.
If Rymer’s prediction holds, the Braves would arrive in Philadelphia with seven All-Stars - Sale, Lee, Iglesias, Olson, Harris II, Albies, and Baldwin - the biggest contingent from any one team.
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