When the Philadelphia Phillies ripped up their extension with ace Cristopher Sánchez this spring, the organization bet on the 2025 Cy Young runner-up to continue his dominance approaching his 30s. Early returns suggest the revised contract was a bargain, as Sanchez has performed even better than the Phillies could've expected heading into 2026.
From late April through early June, Sanchez enjoyed the third-longest scoreless-innings streak since 1920, passing Phillies franchise leader Grover Cleveland Alexander and setting the MLB record for a southpaw (50 2/3 IP). Following a brief stretch below his usual standard, the left-hander tossed seven shutout innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday. He blanked the Phillies' cross-state rivals in both of his starts this season.
It doesn't require historical context to appreciate Sánchez, but it does provide valuable perspective on his greatness. The first 18 starts of his 2026 campaign have been one of the best in Phillies' history, competing with Hall of Famer Steve Carlton. The Phils' contingent of All-Star representatives at the Midsummer Classic should be headlined by Sánchez.
But there's more at stake than just making the roster: an All-Star start.
Pitchers in Phillies history with an ERA of 2.00 or lower and 130+ K’s in their first 18 starts of the season:
— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) July 1, 2026
1980 Steve Carlton • Won NL CY
2026 Cristopher Sanchez • 👀
A HISTORIC start to the season for Sanchez! pic.twitter.com/mtglElwTDc
Dave Roberts will serve as the manager for the National League after leading the Dodgers to a second consecutive World Series title, and chaos ensued when Roberts announced Shohei Ohtani, the starting DH for the National League, would be forced to start the game on the mound if selected as a pitcher, due to his unique warmup constraints.
Phillies fans in particular were unhappy with the prospect of Ohtani being named the starter because of his unique situation. Fortunately for Roberts, the issue may have been resolved before a decision had to be made.
The Dodgers pushing back Ohtani's next start effectively ends his chances of pitching in the All-Star Game
Before Tuesday's game, the Dodgers announced that Shohei Ohtani's next start would be pushed back to Friday, two days later than expected. Opposed to pitching on a regular schedule, the two-way phenom takes about six days between starts. This change of plans projects Ohtani to pitch next weekend when the Dodgers host the Diamondbacks. This would eliminate any chance of him taking the mound at Citizens Bank Park.
Shohei Ohtani, with his start now being pushed back from today until Friday, no longer is a viable candidate to pitch in the All-Star Game.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) July 1, 2026
He's scheduled to make his last first-half start start next weekend, which would require him to pitch on short rest in the All-Star Game.
If Ohtani is indeed unavailable, Dave Roberts will be faced with an impossible decision. Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski has a compelling case, but there's a pair of aces in Philadelphia that equally deserve the opportunity. Sánchez spoke on the possibility after Tuesday's game: "Another goal, another dream come true ... the fans deserve that and even more."
Starting the All-Star Game is an honor, but only a few have ever had the privilege to start in their home ballpark. Dodgers legend Clayton Kershaw was the last to do it back in 2022. There have been just five pitchers to make a hometown start in the All-Star Game since 2000. It would be an incredible achievement for Sánchez, who was once on the roster bubble, to lead the National League onto the field.
Add us as a preferred source on Google