All-Star Break

Tuesday, July 14 2026 @ 01:23 PM EDT

Contributed by: June Northey

Well, time for the game that used to be so much fun - players in their team uniforms playing a game against opponents they never saw, now all in special USA themed crap playing guys they played last week.

So who are the Jays of the past in the ASG?

1970s: an ugly time when the Jays lost 100 every year and only had players there because of the mandatory player per team rule. Ron Fairly, Roy Howell, and Dave Lemanczyk got the nod.
1980s: the team went from ugly duckling to superstar swan to underachiever this decade. It was a wild ride. Dave Stieb 80-81-83-84-85-88, 4 times as the only rep, twice got to hit, started in '83 and '84. Clancy was it in '82, Damaso Garcia and accidental all-star Alfredo Griffen joined Stieb in '84, '85 saw a lot in Whitt, Key, Garcia with Stieb, '86 Moseby, Fernandez, Barfield, '87 Henke, Fernandez, Bell (first voted in), '89 had Kelly Gruber (DNP) and Fernandez
1990s: the WS years, then the hangover. '90 Stieb, Gruber, Bell. '91 Key, Carter, Alomar (voted in). '92 Guzman, Carter & Alomar (voted in). '93 voted in Olerud-Alomar-Carter-Molitor, Hentgen (DNP) and Ward. '94 Alomar & Carter (voted in), Hentgen & Molitor. '95 Alomar was it. '96 just Joe Carter. '97 Clemens. '98 Clemens. '99 Green & Fernandez.
2000's: an ugly time, often just 1 rep but fans did the best they could, getting guys there. '00 Delgado-Tony Batista-David Wells. '01 Quantrill. '02 Halladay. '03 Vernon Wells, Delgado (voted in). '04 Lilly. '05 Halladay (DNP) & Hillenbrand. '06 BJ Ryan, Rios (DNP), Halladay, Glaus, Vernon Wells (Voted in). '07 Rios. '08 Halladay, '09 Hill & Halladay (both started).
2010's: return to glory and then back to the toilet '10 Vernon Wells, Buck, Bautista. '11 Ricky Romero (DNP), Bautista (voted in), '12 Bautista (Voted in). '13 Encarnacion, Delabar, Cecil, Bautista (voted in). '14 Buehrle (DNP), Bautista (voted in), Encarnacion (DNP). '15 Bautista (DNP), Donaldson (voted in), Martin. '16 Saunders, Aaron Sanchez, Estrada (DNP), Encarnacion, Donaldson. '17 Osuna, Smoak (voted in). '18 Happ. '19 Stroman.
2020's: Playoffs most years, so more deserving and fans now know they have the power to get them there. '20 no ASG. '21 Vlad-Semien-Teoscar Hernandez (all voted in), Bichette. '22 DNP-Springer & Romero, Manoah, Espinal, Vlad & Kirk voted in. '23: Romano, Merrifield, Vlad, Bo, Gausman (DNP), '24 Vlad (voted in). '25 Vlad (voted in), Kirk. '26: Vlad & Clement (voted in), Cease (start), Varland.

I might have messed up a few voted in as BR only says 'started' not 'voted in', generally outside of pitchers, starting = voted in but not always.

How many times?

7: Dave Stieb
6: José Bautista, Roy Halladay, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
5: Joe Carter, Roberto Alomar (how appropriate)
4: Tony Fernández
3: Edwin Encarnación, Pat Hentgen, Vernon Wells
2: Alejandro Kirk, Alex Ríos, Bo Bichette, Carlos Delgado, Dámaso García, George Bell, Jimmy Key, Jordan Romano, Josh Donaldson, Kelly Gruber, Paul Molitor, Roger Clemens
1: 45 guys

So Vlad should reach and pass Stieb before the '20s are over. With a good year Kirk could get to the 3+ area easily. Very weird that Fred McGriff never made one here (tough years at 1B/DH vs George Brett, Don Mattingly, Mark McGwire, Cecil Fielder, Dave Parker, Paul Molitor, Rafael Palmeiro all getting there at 1B/DH).

So time to sit back and debate what to expect in the back side of '26 - will the Jays buy, sell, or sit around doing nothing. I expect a few minor trades but nothing 'wow' (Varsho-Gausman, those would be 'wow', Hoffman or other relievers or a different OF would be 'meh' to 90% of fans thus more likely).

Any thoughts on past all-star games or this one? They tend to be fun fluff, with the odd special moment (Larry Walker batting RH vs Randy Johnson, Tim Raines game winning hit in extras, Duane Ward closing out '93s with the O's fans booing while Mike Mussina warmed up for no reason other than to show up Gaston).

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