Pirates All-Star snubs look even worse after historic NL offensive flop

The 2026 MLB All-Star Game offered plenty of spectacle, but almost none of it came from the National League’s offense.

The American League cruised to a 4-0 victory Tuesday at Citizens Bank Park, with 11 pitchers combining to hold the NL to three hits while recording an All-Star Game-record 15 strikeouts. It marked the first shutout in the Midsummer Classic since the AL’s 3-0 victory in 2013.

New York Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger won the Ted Williams All-Star Game MVP Award after driving in the deciding runs with a single... in the first inning. Bellinger finished 1-for-3.

That about sums up the evening. A player won MVP honors for one single in the opening inning because the National League offense offered absolutely nothing in response.

New York Mets star Juan Soto broke up the early no-hit bid with a leadoff single in the fourth inning. Pete Crow-Armstrong added another hit in the eighth, and Otto Lopez singled in the ninth. That was the full extent of the NL’s offensive production.

Perhaps the league could have used a hitter from Major League Baseball’s highest-scoring offense.

Pirates' All Star snubs look even more egregious after embarrassing NL shutout loss

Despite leading the majors in runs entering the All-Star break, the Pittsburgh Pirates were the only NL team without a player on the roster in Tuesday's game. Second baseman Brandon Lowe was one of the most glaring omissions after batting .280 with 21 home runs and 64 RBI in the first half, and outfielder Bryan Reynolds also had a strong case after again serving as one of the most consistent hitters in Pittsburgh’s lineup. Neither was selected.

Paul Skenes and Braxton Ashcraft were named to the pitching staff, but both were unavailable after making scheduled starts immediately before the break. That left Pittsburgh without a single player appearing in the game despite producing the most prolific offense in baseball.

The Pirates’ balanced lineup may have worked against them during the selection process. Their production has come from several contributors rather than one player putting up overwhelming numbers. But Tuesday’s historically ineffective performance made that explanation feel even less satisfying.

The National League went 3-for-30, struck out 15 times and never seriously threatened to score. Meanwhile, hitters from the league’s best offense watched from home as their All-Star counterparts flailed helplessly for nine innings.

Maybe Lowe or Reynolds wouldn't have changed the result. But after that offensive embarrassment, leaving every Pirates position player off the roster looks even more indefensible.

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