A pair of young Yankee stars were named to the official All-MLB Team at the MLB Awards Show in Las Vegas—one last serving of pomp and circumstance before a long and soon-to-be contentious winter. Newly-minted AL Cy Young winner Cam Schlittler was named to the All-MLB First Team at starting pitcher, while Ben Rice took home Second Team honors at designated hitter.
Schlittler, who was announced as the AL Cy Young winner a few hours prior to the ceremony, became the third Yankee starting pitcher to receive
an All-MLB selection since their introduction in 2019 (in part as a way to salute full season production rather than just a good first half helping an All-Star selection). Max Fried was named to the Team in 2025; Gerrit Cole was previously a First Team honoree in 2023 and 2021 and a Second Team choice in 2020.
Schlittler’s prowess on the mound was unimpeachable in 2026, as he pitched to an AL-best 1.95 ERA in 193.2 innings.
Ben Rice is the first Yankee DH to receive an All-MLB nod. Rice made the All-Star team in 2026 behind a volcanic first half in which he was one of the best hitters in baseball. His overall statline cooled somewhat during the stretch run, in large part due to the prolonged absence of Aaron Judge, but he still finished with 41 home runs and 97 RBI, posting an .897 OPS (149 wRC+). Amazingly, despite the Yankees’ early dismissal from the playoffs in the ALDS, Rice’s four home runs were the most hit by anyone in the 2026 postseason.
Overall, seven Yankees were given All-MLB nominations. Luis García Jr. (1B), Jazz Chisholm Jr. (2B), Cody Bellinger (OF), David Bednar (RP), and Brent Headrick (RP) were put up for consideration in addition to Rice and Schlittler. With stiff competition throughout the league at those premium position groups, it’s perhaps not a surprise to see those latter five names fall short of selection. Bellinger, for his part, has a solid consolation prize in the form of the Platinum Glove he took home earlier in award season.
Below are the full First and Second Team All-MLB honorees:
Schlittler and Rice have already been linked to each other in several ways: their shared home state of Massachusetts, their modest prospect pedigrees at the time they were drafted, and their similarly-timed breakouts as stars in the Bronx. Now, they share All-MLB honors together in 2026. Here’s to more award-worthy campaigns from those two in the future!
