MLB 2026 April All-Stars -- and biggest early disappointments - ESPN

We're a month into the 2026 baseball season: Has anything happened yet? Oh, yes, my friends, a lot has happened.

The New York Mets lost 12 games in a row. The Philadelphia Phillies tried to match that and lost 10 in a row. The Boston Red Sox fired manager Alex Cora and five members of his coaching staff after their own bad start, prompting shortstop Trevor Story to wonder "what the true direction of the franchise is."

And those were supposed to be three of the good teams this year.

Meanwhile, we saw a starting pitcher post one of the best months of April ever, there is a relief pitcher who might never give up a run, Mike Trout looks 10 years younger, and a Japanese slugger is on pace for 64 home runs — and his name is not Shohei Ohtani.

Only two of those four players made our list of April All-Stars. Let's pick an All-Star at each position along with one player to watch and an early disappointment.

All-Star: Drake Baldwin, Atlanta Braves

Baldwin is following up his 2025 Rookie of the Year campaign with a big start to 2026, looking like he's going to make many All-Star appearances as an elite left-handed-hitting catcher bat. He can really turn on a fastball, and while he chases pitches out of the zone, he does possess above-average contact ability and will take some walks. We're already seeing some adjustments from last season, with him hitting the ball in the air more often, suggesting he should soar past 2025's total of 19 home runs.

Player to watch: Dalton Rushing, Los Angeles Dodgers

Rushing was a top prospect but had a difficult rookie season in 2025 as the backup catcher, hitting .204/.258/.324. He's back in that role but has exploded out of the gate with seven home runs and 16 RBIs in his first 13 games. The