MLB’s 2026 All-Star rosters: how starters, reserves, and final picks get decided

Baseball’s midseason showcase is less than two weeks away, and the focus now shifts from fan ballots to MLB’s selection mechanics. The American League and National League rosters for the 2026 All-Star Game presented by Mastercard are scheduled to be announced Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET on FOX. The game itself is set for July 14 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, where each league will field a 32-player roster.

Starters start with the fan vote, but the process is staged. MLB has used a two-phase ballot to determine the All-Star Game starters, with the first phase narrowing candidates by position and the top vote-getters advancing to the final starter vote. According to MLB’s ballot format updates, the first phase identifies the top two vote-getters at every position and the top six outfielders in each league, then the process moves to a second phase focused on picking the actual starters.

In the second phase, fans vote once per 24-hour period. MLB notes that the final Phase 2 ballot concludes at noon ET on Thursday, July 2, before the roster reveal on Saturday. The ultimate result of this voting structure determines the starting lineup at each position for both leagues, including who lands at the primary spots such as catcher, first base, second base, third base, shortstop, and the corner and middle outfield roles.

After the starters are set, the league fills out the rest of each roster. MLB’s All-Star rules and FAQ outline a framework in which the reserves are selected through a combination of league-calculated voting and manager input, rather than fans alone. In practice, MLB’s approach is designed to ensure that the reserve corps reflects both performance and positional needs across the season, even when fan voting has already locked in the starters.

One additional layer is the “final” roster refinement that happens in the lead-up to All-Star Sunday. Because the league must account for logistics and readiness close to the game date, MLB’s process includes provisions for what happens when a selected player cannot participate. MLB’s rules specify how those openings are handled, including who is next in line for selection within the league’s established procedures.

What to watch next is straightforward, but it matters: the roster announcement will reveal which players earned not only All-Star recognition, but also the role they will play in Philadelphia. Starters chosen by fan vote offer a quick snapshot of popularity, while the full reserve list is often where the broader “best of the first half” picture becomes clearer. The final teams set the tone for late-summer matchups because managers tend to deploy their rosters with one eye on flexibility, matchups, and how players handle different roles on the field.