MLB All-Star Game Prediction, Starting Lineups, ASG History, Latest MLB Odds for Midsummer Classic on Tuesday, July 14
The 2026 MLB All-Star Game takes place Tuesday, July 14, at 8 PM ET at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, with the National League listed as a slight favorite over the American League. Cristopher Sánchez starts for the NL in his home ballpark opposite Dylan Cease, while Kyle Schwarber returns as the reigning All-Star Game MVP after nearly winning the Home Run Derby in front of Phillies fans.
Peter Alexis - July 14, 2026, 11:00 AM EDT
5 Minute ReadMLB All-Star Game Prediction: Can Kyle Schwarber, NL Grab Third ASG in Four Years at Citizens Bank Park Tonight?
The American League faces the National League on Tuesday, July 14, at 8 PM ET at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. The NL is favored around -135 on the moneyline, while the AL is +110, with the total set at 8 runs.
The setting is the major storyline. Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sánchez gets the start for the National League in his home park, while Blue Jays right-hander Dylan Cease starts for the American League. Sánchez enters with an 11-4 record, 2.62 ERA and 144 strikeouts over 127.1 innings, while Cease owns a 2.56 ERA with an AL-leading 148 strikeouts across 98.1 innings.
Kyle Schwarber also gives the NL a massive local angle. He won All-Star Game MVP last year after powering the National League through the first swing-off in Midsummer Classic history, and he returns to the same Philadelphia crowd after falling just short to Jordan Walker in Monday night’s Home Run Derby.
MLB All-Star Game Odds
MLB All-Star Game Date, Time, and Where to Watch
- Date: Tuesday, July 14, 2026
- Time: 8:00 PM ET
- Where to Watch: FOX
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MLB All-Star Game Head-To-Head History
The American League dominated this event for nearly a decade, winning nine straight All-Star Games from 2013 through 2022, with no game played in 2020. That streak included multiple close games and a run of elite AL pitching, with the Junior Circuit repeatedly controlling the middle innings and late bullpen matchups.
The National League has flipped the recent trend. The NL won 3-2 in 2023, the AL answered with a 5-3 win in 2024, and the NL won 7-6 in 2025 after the game went to a swing-off. That gives the National League two wins in the last three All-Star Games, despite the AL still holding the all-time edge at 48-45-2.
Last year’s game was especially meaningful for this matchup because Schwarber became the face of the NL’s momentum. The game finished tied 6-6 after nine innings before the NL won the swing-off, with Schwarber delivering three home runs and taking MVP honors.
American League Starting Lineup + Roster Breakdown
The American League starting lineup is:
- Mike Trout
- Yordan Alvarez
- Shea Langeliers
- Junior Caminero
- Bobby Witt Jr.
- Cody Bellinger
- Ben Rice
- Riley Greene
- Ernie Clement
The reserves are Dillon Dingler, Adley Rutschman, Travis Bazzana, Willson Contreras, Kevin McGonigle, Miguel Vargas, Munetaka Murakami, Randy Arozarena, Ceddanne Rafaela, Tristan Peters and Yandy Díaz.
The AL pitching staff is led by starter Dylan Cease, with Parker Messick, Nick Martinez, Drew Rasmussen, Joe Ryan, Cam Schlittler, Michael Wacha, Bryan Baker, Aroldis Chapman, Jacob Latz, Cade Smith and Louis Varland available behind him. Cease’s strikeout form is the headliner, but Rasmussen, Ryan, Chapman and Smith give the AL enough power arms to keep the game tight if it gets to the bullpen cleanly.
The American League has serious power in the middle of the lineup. Alvarez enters as one of the best hitters in baseball, batting .318 with 31 home runs, 70 RBI and a 1.059 OPS, while Ben Rice has 29 home runs, 68 RBI and a .971 OPS. Caminero adds another major power threat with 27 homers, and Trout gives the lineup veteran star power in his 12th All-Star appearance.
National League Starting Lineup + Roster Breakdown
The National League starting lineup is:
- Kyle Schwarber
- Juan Soto
- Freddie Freeman
- CJ Abrams
- Max Muncy
- Ozzie Albies
- Brandon Marsh
- Andy Pages
- Drake Baldwin
The reserves are Hunter Goodman, William Contreras, Luis Arraez, Bryce Harper, Otto López, Matt Olson, Sal Stewart, Corbin Carroll, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Jordan Walker, James Wood and Iván Herrera.
The NL pitching staff starts with Cristopher Sánchez, followed by Foster Griffin, Justin Wrobleski, Jesús Luzardo, Eduardo Rodríguez, Chris Sale, Logan Webb, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Jhoan Duran, Raisel Iglesias, Mason Miller and Riley O’Brien. The depth is strong enough to support the favorite price, especially with Sale, Webb, Yamamoto, Duran, Iglesias and Miller giving Dave Roberts multiple high-leverage options.
The NL lineup has the stronger top-to-bottom blend of power, patience and left-handed pressure. Schwarber leads MLB with 32 home runs and owns a .927 OPS, Soto enters with 21 home runs and a .290 average, Freeman brings a .862 OPS, and Abrams adds speed and extra-base ability from shortstop. James Wood gives the bench another massive bat with 28 home runs, 64 RBI and a .985 OPS, while Walker arrives with confidence after winning the Derby.
MLB All-Star Game Analysis
The starting matchup is fascinating because both sides can build strong arguments. Cease has the flashier strikeout profile, but the NL’s lineup is stacked with left-handed bats designed to pressure a right-hander immediately. Schwarber, Soto, Freeman and Abrams all hit in the first four spots, giving the National League a clear plan to make Cease work early.
Sánchez has the emotional edge and the home-park advantage. Pitching in front of Phillies fans should give him a major first-inning boost, and his first-half workload and consistency have been elite. The AL can counter with Trout, Alvarez, Langeliers, Caminero and Witt in the first five spots, but Sánchez’s sinker-changeup mix gives him a chance to limit hard contact if he keeps the ball on the ground.
The biggest edge for the NL is roster balance. The AL has standout bats, especially Alvarez, Rice, Caminero and Witt, but the NL can keep rolling out left-handed impact hitters, veteran contact bats and high-leverage pitching. Harper, Arraez, Olson, Carroll, Crow-Armstrong, Wood and Walker give the NL bench a more dynamic offensive mix, and that matters in an exhibition where late substitutions define the final innings.
The absence of Shohei Ohtani hurts the NL’s absolute ceiling, and the AL is also missing Aaron Judge, Byron Buxton and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. The injury absences create a more even game than the names at full strength would suggest, but the NL still looks slightly deeper after factoring in the active rosters and the setting in Philadelphia.
MLB All-Star Game Best Bet
The National League is the better side because it has the stronger active roster, the better home-field storyline and a starting pitcher who should be energized by the Philadelphia crowd. The AL’s long-term dominance in this event matters, but the recent trend has shifted, with the NL winning two of the last three and now playing in an NL park behind a Phillies starter.
The bet is not about expecting a blowout. All-Star Games are volatile because managers spread innings and at-bats across the roster, but the NL has more ways to score late and more late-inning arms to protect a narrow lead. With Schwarber, Soto, Freeman, Abrams, Harper, Wood and Derby champion Walker all available, the National League has enough offensive firepower to make it three wins in four years.
- Pick: National League Moneyline (-130) Check out the best odds at BetMGM Sportsbook
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