Those who closely follow Major League baseball often concede that their opinion on “who is better” can differ from Wins Above Replacement (WAR), Value-Based Rating (VBR) or other analytical statistics.
Armed with those numbers as of July 6, a dose of personal “eye tests,” and injury status, I give you my 2026 All-Star Break Top 10 Black MLB Players.
- Chase Burns, Cincinnati Reds P — Starting pitching is baseball’s highest-priced commodity and Burns, a 2026 National League All-Star, is among MLB’s best. He sports a 10-1 record, has a stellar 2.40 ERA and is among league leaders with 97⅔ innings pitched. Add 116 strikeouts compared to just 31 walks and a chance to win 20 games. He’s top dog.
- James Wood, Washington Nationals LF — Wood leads MLB in runs scored (77), walks (68), total bases (186), games played (90) and plate appearances (420). He’s durable and carries a .269 batting average, 23 home runs and 56 RBIs. It’s no wonder he made the NL All-Star team, and he should be a starter instead of a reserve.
- Aaron Judge, New York Yankees RF — This is not a declaration of who is MLB’s best Black player. It’s Judge. But this is a snapshot of where we are at right now. Judge is injured with no return in sight. However, his numbers keep him on my list. In his 59 games played, Judge posted 17 home runs, 38 RBIs and a .238 batting average. He is still in the top five of all Yankees’ batting categories.
- Jordan Walker, St. Louis Cardinals RF — Named an All-Star for the first time, Walker’s breakout season has been the catalyst for his team’s surprising campaign. Walker is an All-Star based on his .292 batting average, 20 home runs and 67 RBIs. Opposing runners respect his arm and Walker also has 11 stolen bases.
- Byron Buxton, Minnesota Twins CF — When Buxton plays, he plays great. In 2026, he avoided injury until hip soreness sat him down for a few games. He quickly returned and remains at pace to easily top the most games played in any of his 11 MLB seasons (126 in 2025.) He is hitting .271 with 25 home runs and 45 RBIs. He could finish No. 1 at season’s end.
- C.J. Abrams, Nationals SS — If he were a bit better defensively, he would likely be No. 1. Abrams leads the NL in RBIs with 61 and has socked 18 home runs with a .269 BA. Throw in 13 stolen bases and a dramatic reduction in strikeouts compared to the 2025 season when he went down via strikeout 125 times in 144 games. He is the NL starting shortstop in the All-Star Game.
- Xavier Edwards, Miami Marlins 2B — Edwards’ .302 BA is a rarity in today’s game, and he is among MLB’s best second basemen defensively. He has six home runs and 35 RBIs and is invaluable to the surprising Marlins. He has walked 49 times in 91 games compared to 47 in 139 games last year. Add 13 stolen bases to his superb season.
- Michael Harris II — Atlanta Braves CF — Harris is having his best MLB season by far. His center-field defense has saved the Braves runs repeatedly and his .301 BA is among league leaders. Harris has 16 home runs, 48 RBIs and 15 walks. He is easily on pace to top his career numbers in all three categories and is instrumental in the Braves’ run to the NL East summit.
- Taj Bradley, Twins SP — Finally, another pitcher. Bradley is a dandy one, posting a 7-3 record in 16 starts with a respectable 3.86 ERA. The Twins are one of the AL’s offensively challenged teams and Bradley could have a few more wins if his team scored a few more runs. He has fanned 102 batters and walked just 38.
- Mookie Betts, L.A. Dodgers SS — When I compile a similar list at season’s end, Betts will likely be much higher. A slow start and stint on the injured list kept his numbers down. Betts has heated up. He has 11 home runs and 29 RBIs, but three home runs and nine RBIs have come in the last 10 games. Betts smacked the 300th home run of his career on June 24 against the Twins and has 302 total.
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Based on reporting by St. Louis American.
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