No Pirates in the All-Star Game is a ridiculous look for baseball

The Pittsburgh Pirates will technically have two representatives at the 2026 MLB All-Star festivities. When the actual game begins Tuesday night, however, they might as well have none.

Paul Skenes and Braxton Ashcraft will both be in Philadelphia, but neither will be eligible to pitch. Skenes started Sunday against the Milwaukee Brewers, while weather delays forced Ashcraft to take the mound in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader. The Pirates will therefore have no player step onto the field during the Midsummer Classic.

The Pirates are tied for the major-league lead with 516 runs through 97 games. They have produced one of baseball’s deepest, most dangerous lineups, yet not a single Pittsburgh position player was selected to the National League All-Star roster.

According to Chris Halicke of DK Pittsburgh Sports, every team that eventually led MLB in runs scored has had at least one position player chosen since the All-Star Game began in 1933. If the Pirates remain atop the leaderboard, they would become the first team in history to lead baseball in scoring without having a hitter selected to the Midsummer Classic.

That should be embarrassing for everyone involved in assembling these rosters.

Brandon Lowe leads all second basemen in home runs (21) and RBI (64). His .803 OPS also strengthens his case, especially considering NL starter Ozzie Albies trails him in home runs, RBI, OPS, bWAR and fWAR.

Bryan Reynolds was equally deserving. His .877 OPS ranks eighth in the NL, while his .400 OBP ranks fourth. His 68 runs scored are second in all of baseball. Those are All-Star numbers, regardless of whether he plays for Pittsburgh, New York or Los Angeles.

The Pirates’ depth may have strangely worked against them. Ryan O’Hearn has an .838 OPS and 63 RBIs. Nick Gonzales is hitting .308. Esmerlyn Valdez has posted a 1.084 OPS with 10 home runs over his first 28 major-league games. Baseball still found a way to ignore all of them.

Blatant Pirates disrespect at MLB All-Star Game exposes major flaws in selection process

Perhaps voters and decision-makers were slow to move past the reputation of an offense that finished last in runs scored one year ago. Perhaps Pittsburgh simply lacks the national star power enjoyed by larger-market clubs. But neither explanation makes the omission acceptable.

The All-Star Game is supposed to showcase the best players from the season’s first half. It should not merely reward familiar names or wait for a breakout team to prove its success is sustainable.

Skenes and Ashcraft will be introduced, and they will participate in the festivities. But once the game begins, Pirates fans will have nobody to watch.

All-Star disrespect aside, Pittsburgh still has larger goals. The Pirates are trying to reach the postseason, and having their top pitchers lined up immediately after the break matters more than one exhibition.

Still, baseball’s showcase will take place without anyone representing the sport’s highest-scoring offense on the field. That doesn't diminish what the Pirates have accomplished, but it exposes how badly the All-Star selection process failed to recognize it.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow