The All-MLB Team as May begins: Why Shohei Ohtani doesn't make the cut

And just like that, it's already May. The calendar has flipped through the first full month of the 2026 MLB season, which feels like as good a time as any to take stock of where we are so far — which teams and players have disappointed, sure, but also which have been the stories of this campaign.

Which brings us to our first All-MLB team of the year, an attempt to choose the one best player at each position to this point. Note that we said to this point; past accomplishments aren't worth anything here, nor are future projections. All that matters is what you've done to date. Let's get to it.

Catcher: Drake Baldwin, Atlanta Braves

There's surprisingly stiff competition here, from Adley Rutschman's resurgence to Liam Hicks coming out of nowhere to Shea Langeliers swatting homers left and right. But the Atlanta Braves have been arguably the story of the 2026 season so far, and in the end, that's what served as my tiebreaker here. Baldwin has only gotten better after bursting onto the scene as a rookie last year, a shockingly complete hitter for a 25-year-old at the most demanding position in the sport. He's been a metronome for this Atlanta offense, tied for the NL lead in hits — almost unheard of for a catcher.

Runner-up: Dillon Dingler, Detroit Tigers

First base: Ben Rice, New York Yankees

I can hear the shouting from all the way down South. No, Braves fans, I did not forget about Matt Olson; he's been sensational, with nine homers already to go with a .987 OPS and some of the best first-base defense in the game. It's just ... well, Rice is off to the sort of start at the plate that should force fans to have some very uncomfortable conversations about his place in the sport's pecking order. As good as Olson has been at the plate, Rice has been better, second to only Yordan Alvarez in most major offensive categories so far. (And it really doesn't feel like a fluke, either.) That makes up for the defensive gap between the two, at least for me.

Runner-up: Matt Olson, Atlanta Braves

Second base: Nico Hoerner, Chicago Cubs

The Cubs offense has come around during their recent hot streak, but for a while there it seemed like Hoerner was keeping Chicago afloat almost by himself. Always one of baseball's premier contact hitters, he's started lifting and pulling the ball more than we've ever seen before, adding surprising pop to his game that now makes him the total package. He's always been an elite defender at the keystone; this version of him as a hitter is a borderline MVP candidate, and one of the best two-way players in the league. Brice Turang has been awesome in his own right, but for my money, I'm still taking Hoerner, and Chicago's recent team success is a point in his favor as well.

Runner-up: Brice Turang, Milwaukee Brewers

Third base: Max Muncy, Los Angeles Dodgers

It's been a bit of a strange season at third base so far, with staples like Manny Machado and Alex Bregman beginning to decline and Jose Ramirez and Junior Caminero off to slow starts (largely due to bad luck more than anything else). Muncy, meanwhile, continues to be one of the truly underrated hitters in baseball: Injuries have dogged him in recent years, but when he's on the field, all he does is mash, with a 168 wRC+ that leads the position. He can still pick it better than you think, too, which gives him the slightest of edges over star Tigers rookie Kevin McGonigle.

Runner-up: Kevin McGonigle, Detroit Tigers

Shortstop: Elly De La Cruz, Cincinnati Reds

We've waited years for it, and now the Elly De La Cruz breakout is finally upon us. He's hitting the ball in the air more than ever before, and when you hit it as hard as EDLC does, that can only mean good things. Bobby Witt Jr. has been the better fielder, and CJ Abrams has been even more productive at the plate. But De La Cruz has been the most complete package at short so far, an MVP-level bat who's cut down on the sloppy mistakes that used to plague him with the glove.

Runner-up: Otto Lopez, Miami Marlins

Left field: Riley Greene, Detroit Tigers

Left field is one of the weaker positions in the league, at least so far this season. But Riley Greene has been on an absolute tear for a Tigers offense that really, really needs him, refining his approach at the plate and hitting seemingly everything hard over the first month and change. He's striking out less and walking more than we've ever seen, and that's a very good combination for a guy with this sort of talent. In a year where guys like Roman Anthony and Wyatt Langford have struggled out of the gate, I'll take Greene on my team.

Runner-up: Chandler Simpson, Tampa Bay Rays

Center field: Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels

There are several worthy candidates here, including Michael Harris II and Andy Pages. But come on: How can you not be moved by Trout, turning back the hands of time and looking like his old self both at the plate and in the field? He's got a 1.000 OPS (best at the position) to go with 10 homers and five steals, and he's doing it all while chasing down fly balls and somehow keeping his body healthy at age 34. Can he keep it up for 162 games? Who knows. But this has been a reminder that when Trout is locked in and feeling good, there's no one like him.

Runner-up: Michael Harris II, Atlanta Braves

Right field: Aaron Judge, New York Yankees

The king stays the king. James Wood, Corbin Carroll and Jordan Walker have given the two-time reigning AL MVP a real run for his money ... and yet, even after a somewhat sluggish start, Judge still stands alone, leading all right fielders in fWAR and leading the Majors in homers with 12. The fact that his slash line right now reads like a slight disappointment is only because of how absurdly high he's set the bar in recent years.

Runner-up: James Wood, Washington Nationals

Designated hitter: Yordan Alvarez, Houston Astros

Could it be anybody else? All due respect to Judge, there hasn't been a better hitter in the league so far this season than Alvarez, who's finally showing just how high his ceiling is when he's healthy for an extended period of time. He leads MLB in OPS, total bases and a zillion other categories, and his Statcast page might singe your retinas if you stare at it for too long. This combination of plate approach, contact skill and sheer power is generationally rare; all we can hope for is that he stays on the field for a full season.

Runner-up: Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers

Starting pitcher: Cam Schlittler, New York Yankees

Jose Soriano was locked into this spot pretty much all month, allowing exactly one run — one run! — in his first seven starts (against tough offenses like the Astros, Cubs and Braves, too). But he stubbed his toe against the White Sox this week, allowing three runs on six hits and three walks in just five innings of work, and that opened the door just enough for Schlittler to come barging through. The righty is second to only Soriano in ERA, and he's got him beat under the hood — leading all of baseball in FIP and fWAR and just a hair behind Jacob Misiorowski for first place in K%-BB%. On a batter-to-batter basis, Schlittler has been the best starter in the sport so far this year.

Runner-up: Jose Soriano, Los Angeles Angels

Relief pitcher: Mason Miller, San Diego Padres

This was the single easiest entry in this list; that's what happens when you're so dominant that you have everyone around the league openly wondering whether it's even possible to score against you. Miller's scoreless streak did finally come to an end this week, but the numbers are still comical: a 53.7-percent strikeout rate and a -0.60 FIP to go along with 10 saves. The question is less "is he the best reliever in baseball?" and more "should he start getting Cy Young votes?"

Runner-up: Riley O'Brien, St. Louis Cardinals

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