MLB All-Star Game 2026 · Philadelphia

The Ultimate MLB All-Star Fan Style Guide: Our Projected AL vs. NL Lineup Card

The rosters are out. The lineup card isn’t. Here’s our one-through-nine projection for both leagues — and who you should be repping when first pitch flies at Citizens Bank Park.

That gap between “rosters announced” and “lineups announced” is the sweet spot every baseball fan lives for right now — the few days before the National League’s Dave Roberts and the American League’s staff actually hand in their batting orders for the 96th All-Star Game on July 14. The names are locked. The order is anybody’s guess. And if you’ve ever argued about whether Shohei Ohtani should hit second or third, this one’s for you.

So we did the thing every group text is already doing: we built our own projected lineup card for both leagues. Fully opinionated, backed by what these guys are actually doing in 2026. Fair warning — you’re going to disagree with some of this. Good. That’s the point.

First, The Ground Rules (Because This Year Is Weird)

A projected lineup card only works if we’re honest about what’s real and what’s a coin flip. Here’s the verified state of play heading into Philadelphia:

Ohtani is the NL’s starting DH — the top overall vote-getter across all of baseball, his sixth straight All-Star nod. The AL, by wide consensus, is thinner on star power this year than it usually is. Bryce Harper is here as the Commissioner’s “Legend Pick,” not a voted-in starter — in his home ballpark, no less. And the NL pitching staff is stacked to the point of being almost unfair, headlined by one of the best Cy Young races in recent memory. Everything below is our call on the batting order. The rosters are fact. The lineups are our argument.

The Projected National League Lineup

The NL won last year in the first-ever Home Run Derby-style swing-off after a 6-6 deadlock, and on paper they’re built to run it back. Here’s how we’d fill out the card.

Leading off: the NL has a genuine embarrassment of riches up top, with breakout outfielders like Pete Crow-Armstrong, Corbin Carroll, and James Wood all making cases. Wood alone has crushed an MLB-high seven leadoff home runs and leads the league in walks — exactly the profile you want igniting an inning. Two-hole: Freddie Freeman, earning his 10th All-Star selection, is the textbook pure hitter who doesn’t give away at-bats. Third — the centerpiece: Ohtani. No debate. The most-voted player in the entire sport.

Why Ohtani Is The Shirt Everyone Will Be Wearing In Philly

Here’s the thing about Ohtani merch: there’s a lot of it, and most of it is the same forgettable stock-photo-on-a-blank stuff you’ve seen a hundred times. But the fans who actually watched him become the first unanimous-everything, two-way, video-game-cheat-code version of a baseball player usually want something with a little more personality. That’s the whole difference between wearing a player and repping one — and it’s exactly the gap a hand-drawn Ohtani design is built to fill. If you want to see the different takes side by side, the full Ohtani collection is worth a scroll.

Cleanup: give us Kyle Schwarber, and give us the Philadelphia crowd losing its mind when his name is announced at home.

The Schwarber Section: A Philly Love Story

You have to understand what Schwarber means in Philadelphia. This is a city that adopts players who play at exactly the emotional volume the fans do — loud, all-or-nothing, swing-from-the-heels baseball. Schwarber didn’t just fit Philly. He became Philly. So when we talk about who to wear to a Citizens Bank Park watch party, a Schwarber piece isn’t apparel — it’s a membership card. The fans who were there for the record-setting 30-homer pace and the postseason moonshots tend to want the version that looks like someone actually cared about the moment, which is the whole idea behind the hand-drawn Schwarber collection.

The Projected American League Lineup

Now the tricky one. The AL roster is, by consensus, lighter on marquee names this year — but “weaker on paper” and “fun to watch” are two very different things, and there’s real talent to build around here.

Leadoff: Ernie Clement, the Blue Jays’ first-time All-Star, was the AL’s top overall vote-getter — a contact-first table-setter who makes an exhibition game move. Two-hole: Bobby Witt Jr. of the Royals, one of the few genuine superstars on this squad and the jewel of an excellent shortstop group. Third: Junior Caminero of the Rays, who edged a crowded field to start. Cleanup — the veteran anchor: Mike Trout, on his 12th All-Star selection and first trip back since 2023.

The Mike Trout Case: Wearing A Living Legend

Trout is fascinating for a fan’s wardrobe because he occupies a space almost no active player does — he’s already a nostalgia piece while still playing. Twelve All-Star selections puts him on a shelf with names you say in a reverent voice. The collector angle is simple: you’re not buying a this-season-only trend, you’re buying one of the most decorated players of the era at a moment that actually means something — which is why the understated, vintage-style Trout designs tend to age like a jersey, not a meme.

Rounding out the AL: catcher Shea Langeliers of the A’s brings a great story — he’ll be the first Athletics catcher to start the Midsummer Classic since Terry Steinbach in 1988, and he’s already got 20 home runs. From there you’re working through Byron Buxton and a roster that, star power aside, still has more than enough to make the NL sweat.

One honest note for accuracy: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was named the AL’s starting first baseman but is listed as not playing, and Aaron Judge is dealing with an injury — so the real card will shift. That’s exactly why the lineup, unlike the roster, is still up for grabs.

The Bryce Harper Wild Card

We saved the best story for last. Bryce Harper walks onto that field as the Commissioner’s “Legend Pick” — a special selection, in his home ballpark, in the year the game comes to his city. He’s now a nine-time All-Star, and the crowd is going to come completely unglued. There’s something poetic about it: the Legend Pick isn’t about who had the best first half, it’s a nod to what a player means to the game.

Why A Harper Design Hits Different Right Now

Timing is everything in collecting. A Harper piece is always a solid pickup for a Philly fan — but a Harper piece right now, with the All-Star Game in his backyard and the Legend Pick storyline attached, carries extra weight. This is the summer his name is everywhere in Philadelphia, and the fans who get it aren’t looking for another rack tee. They want the drawn-by-someone-who-cares version, which is the lane the Bryce Harper Legend Pick designs are built for.

Shop The Lineup — Hand-Drawn Player Designs

Shohei Ohtani Kyle Schwarber Bryce Harper Mike Trout

Explore more hand-drawn All-Star designs →

So… Who Actually Wins?

Our honest projection: the NL is the better team, and it’s not especially close this year. The lineup is deeper and the pitching staff — headlined by that ferocious Cy Young race — is the difference-maker. The AL will be fun, and Witt and Trout will give you moments, but the smart money’s on the National League running it back after last year’s swing-off thriller.

But here’s the beautiful thing about the All-Star Game: none of that matters for about three hours in July. What matters is which player you’re choosing to stand behind when the first pitch flies at Citizens Bank Park. So pick your guy. Wear him loud. And enjoy the best night on the baseball calendar.

All-Star Game Questions, Answered

See the full range of hand-drawn athletic apparel at Planet Euphoria.

Rosters, selections, and stats verified via MLB.com, ESPN, and FOX Sports reporting as of early July 2026. Projected batting orders are our own opinion and do not reflect official lineups, which managers set closer to game time.