The American League’s pitching staff put on a clinic in the 2026 All-Star Game, and the result was historic: a shutout of the National League, the first since 2013, with the NL held to just three hits.
John Schneider, managing the AL for the Toronto Blue Jays, leaned on 11 of the league’s top arms to finish the job. Dylan Cease punched out the side in his inning, and Michael Wacha, Joe Ryan and Cade Smith each handled two outs to close it out. By the end of the night, the National League had struck out 15 times in the loss.
For Red Sox fans, though, the dominant showing came with a familiar frustration. Sonny Gray wasn’t on the mound, and plenty in Boston believed he should have been.
Gray had the kind of first half that usually earns a ticket to the Midsummer Classic. He’s sitting on a 2.54 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 85 strikeouts and a league-leading 11 wins across 95.2 innings. Among AL starters, only New York Yankees ace Cam Schlittler has been better, and even then Gray has been right there in the same conversation with a 2.05 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 137 strikeouts over 118.2 innings.
The snub stung even more after Ranger Suarez had to pull out of the game because of injury. Red Sox players were still talking about Gray’s omission in the days before the All-Star Game, and Aroldis Chapman didn’t hide how he felt.
“Very surprised from the beginning … We had the hope that he would be added later on and that wasn’t the case. I think he should be here. With the season he has had, he should be here with us,” Red Sox All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman said (via Chris Cotillo of MassLive, subscription required).
Gray’s season has been one of Boston’s biggest bright spots since he came off the injured list on May 6, and he’s become the club’s most dependable arm. A few weeks ago, he looked like one of the clearest trade candidates on Boston’s roster as the team sat near the bottom of the AL East.
That picture has changed fast. After winning nine straight heading into the break, the Red Sox may decide to keep him, even with his one-year contract.
So while Gray missed out on the All-Star stage, he at least gets the benefit of rest. And for Boston, that means one of its best pitchers is set to keep rolling when the second half begins and the playoff chase resumes.
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Red Sox Suddenly Have A Rotation Arm Drawing Trade Interest
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For a team like St. Louis, sitting near the Wild Card line and trying to avoid paying premium prices for a short-term fix, that kind of profile is worth monitoring. Sandovals recent first start back was encouraging, and with his contract and injury history shaping how rival front offices view him, he fits the sort of affordable pitching addition that can linger on the deadline market even as bigger names dominate the conversation. [Read more 🡒]