The Biggest Tampa Bay Rays All-Star Snub: Nick Martinez

With the All-Star Game coming up next week, the Tampa Bay Rays are looking to put the finishing touches on what has been a great first half of the season.

While they might not have been expected to be one of the best teams in the American League this season, that has certainly been the case for the Rays. Tampa Bay has a nice lead in the AL East over the New York Yankees, and this is a team that is showing no signs of slowing down.

As the summer heats up, the Rays should be a very aggressive squad before the trade deadline. Even though they are a really talented group, they have a loaded farm system, and going all-in in a wide-open AL this year makes a lot of sense.

However, while the team will undoubtedly take a look at some external upgrades, there have been numerous players who have performed really well for them this year. The Rays will be sending multiple players to the All-Star Game in Philadelphia, but one of them who was notably left out was pitcher Nick Martinez.

Nick Martinez Was Snubbed

Jun 21, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Nick Martinez (28) pitches during the first inning against the Washington Nationals at Tropicana Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While Tampa Bay will be well-represented in the Mid-Summer Classic, Martinez should have been on the team this year. With the highest WAR of any pitcher on Tampa Bay, the veteran right-hander desired to be there.

Overall, Martinez has totaled a (7-2) record and a 2.61 ERA in 100 innings pitched. While he might not strike out many batters, he has been a very effective pitcher for the Rays this season.

Considering he was signed by Tampa Bay this past winter to be a depth piece at the back of the rotation and perhaps even in a swingman role in the bullpen, he has turned out to be one of the best signings in all of baseball.

Furthermore, while he’s not the only snub from the best team in the AL, with Shane McClanahan and Jonathan Aranda also not making the squad, he is the most notable.

As the team heads into the second half of the season, the hope will be that Martinez can keep performing as well as he has. The trio of him, McClanahan, and Drew Rasmussen has been one of the best in the game so far this year. If these three can keep it up, the Rays are going to have an excellent chance of winning the pennant in the AL this year.

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