5 Cubs players that could be first-time All-Stars in 2026

If there's one thing the world learned about the Chicago Cubs last season, it's that this is a deeper team than many expected. Particularly on the offensive end, the Cubs are fierce.

Chicago ranked near the top in the league in multiple offensive categories, coming in fifth in runs scored (793), sixth in homers (223), seventh in OPS (.751), and tied for third with the Seattle Mariners in stolen bases (161). We saw Pete Crow-Armstrong break out, huge steps forward from the likes of Michael Busch, and the best season of Carson Kelly's career.

The pitching side of things wasn't quite as strong, but hurlers like Matthew Boyd proved why the front office had faith in his abilities, while rookie Cade Horton showed he was the real deal. With so much talent, we could be in line to see a strong contingent from Chicago's north side in the All-Star game, including these five potential first-timers participating in the Midsummer Classic.

These five Cubs stand out as potential first time All-Stars in 2026

Nico Hoerner

One caveat here, Nico Hoerner can't be traded for this prediction to come to fruition. However, the trade buzz that has engulfed the stellar second baseman is exactly why he could finally get the recognition he deserves. With two Gold Gloves to his name, the 28-year-old has already been recognized as a sterling defender, but with contact being top of mind for a lot of clubs this offseason, his skills will likely be recognized even further. Hoerner hit a full-season best .297 last season, and when you add his base-stealing prowess to the equation, you get an All-Star-worthy player who is starting to gain the national notoriety he deserves.

Michael Busch

It wouldn't have shocked anyone to see Michael Busch nab an All-Star nod last season thanks to a campaign that featured a lot of fireworks. Busch's 34 homers were second among NL first basemen to only Pete Alonso, who has since defected to the American League. His 140 wRC+ beat out stalwarts like Freddie Freeman, Matt Olson and Bryce Harper. His defense is spotty, but as Greg Maddux used to say, "chicks dig the long ball," and there might not be a better home run hitter at the position than Busch in 2026.

Cade Horton

Cade Horton's stellar rookie season met an unfortunate end, but that doesn't put a damper on what the 24-year-old accomplished. It might not have been the grand prize, but he took home some impressive rookie honors on the strength of his stellar 2.67 ERA over 118 innings.

As good as he was in 2025, there's still some room for growth. He struck out just 20.4 percent of batters in the bigs last season, a far cry from the 30.6 percent K-rate he put up down in Iowa. If he can run that strikeout rate up closer to what he did in the minor leagues, he'll be a no-doubt ace and a surefire All-Star in 2026.

Matt Shaw

Similar to Nico Hoerner, uncertainty regarding the future clouds Matt Shaw's All-Star candidacy. In fact, the 24-year-old has an even tougher climb if he does end up staying in Chicago. That's still the likely scenario, and you can rest assured that the Cubs have a plan for their former top prospect, with him already putting outfield work in an attempt to piece together regular playing time.

Shaw disappointed greatly in the first half, but his .258/.317/.522 second-half line gets overlooked in 2025's final tally. The probability of him extrapolating a facsimile of that performance over the course of a full season is pretty high, and he should get a steady diet of at-bats, even if he's bouncing from position to position.

Daniel Palencia

Relievers are volatile and thus difficult to predict, but there are two things working in Daniel Palencia's favor in his hopes for a 2026 All-Star bid. The first is that fans are wowed by velocity, and even in a league where almost everyone throws hard, the 26-year-old's 99.6 MPH average fastball velocity had more sizzle than most, placing in the 99th percentile. The second piece is whether or not he can hang on to the closer role. If so, he figures to rack up a lot of saves, and that stat still matters greatly to a lot of fans in the voting.