One Stat Proves Dillon Dingler’s Dominance and Exposes All-Star Problem

There is one number that explains everything you need to know about Dillon Dingler and his incredible 2026 season. Interestingly, that number does not have a single thing to do with home runs or batting average, although he is elite there, too.

Dingler, the Detroit Tigers superstar pitcher, leads all MLB catchers with 3.6 fWAR, as pointed out by Just Baseball on X.

When you look at the list, an interesting spread is obvious. The gap between Dingler and the second-place catcher, Shea Langeliers of the Athletics, is 1.2 wins above replacement. That same spread occurs between Laneliers and Kansas City Royals catcher Carter Jensen, who ranks eighth among qualified catchers.

So, in other words, Dingler is in a league of his own, and it’s not even close.

The Numbers Never Lie

Detroit Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Ok, maybe never is too strong, but there’s no question in Dingler’s case, the numbers tell the story. Certainly, the fWAR is impressive, and the spread is important, but his Statcast data is what makes the case for Dingler being the best catcher in baseball.

Among all MLB players, he ranks in the 99th percentile in Fielding Run Value and the 100th percentile in framing; that’s a perfect score. More of his elite stats:

Batting Run Value - 94%
xwOBA - .393 (97%)
xSLG - .556 (98%)
xBA - .296 (95%)

At the plate, he has hit .265 with 18 home runs, a .538 slugging percentage, and a wRC+ of 138. That means he is 38% better than the league-average hitter, adjusted for park and era.

Behind the plate, he is blocking pitches at the 97% level and throwing with a 1.87 pop time. He is framing pitches better than any other catcher in baseball.

How do you get more elite than this? This is a historic season, and an elite player that hasn’t slowed down at all so far in 2026.

The All-Star Voting Problem

This might be one of the most frustrating things to watch for Tigers fans. Dingler sits at third in the American League catcher All-Star voting with 484,290 votes. He trails Langeliers who is in the lead with approximately 1.4 million votes.

Even more maddening is the fact that Blue Jays Alejandro Kirk is in second place with 837,289 votes and hasn’t played for two months.

What in the All-Star world of baseball is going on?

Kirk is getting votes on reputation and market size, certainly not for performance. No disrespect meant to him at all, but it is just the truth. Meanwhile, the catcher who is elite in every advanced metric available is a very distant third in voting.

This is the fundamental problem with the All-Star voting. Fans vote for the names they recognize or players that left an impression last year, not necessarily for those who are having an “All-Star” current year.

Dingler is 27 years old now and playing for Detroit, who has been a disappointment so far this year. Sitting at 33-44 and struggling to find their way to a Wild Card spot doesn’t generate a lot of publicity. Ultimately, Dingler is getting penalized for the team he is on, not his performance.

Dingler’s Value to the Tigers

Detroit Tigers third baseman Kevin McGonigle | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Tigers’ roster has been ravaged by injuries in 2026. Dingler, however, has been a constant. He is the best player on a team full of a lot of potential, including up-and-coming names like Riley Greene and Kevin McGonigle. Just recently, Detroit added another rookie name to the spotlight in Trei Cruz.

Dingler’s story is not being told loud enough. He came as a second-round pick in the 2021 MLB Draft and rose to become the best catcher in baseball.

Dingler is elite, and his stats prove it. The All-Star votes will be finalized soon and if he isn’t among the roster for the AL squad, it certainly won’t be because his numbers didn’t make the case.

Remember, the numbers never lie stretch? Well, his prove he is better than anyone else at his position.

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