The Washington Nationals will officially have a third player suit up in the upcoming 2026 MLB All Star game after Foster Griffin got the nod
The Washington Nationals will officially have a third All Star on the National League roster.
Foster Griffin has deservingly been named an All Star after replacing Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Braxton Ashcroft on the roster, who initially replaced Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski. Ashcraft's absence is due to the Pirates starter appearing in Saturday's game, paving the way for the rookie's first career selection in the Mid Summer classic.
Griffin, 30, now joins both shortstop CJ Abrams and outfielder James Wood, marking the first time the Nationals have had four selections in the All Star Game since 2021 when Max Scherzer, Kyle Schwarber, Juan Soto and Trea Turner all represented the organization. He enters the break with a 10-2 record to pair with a 2.77 ERA and 1.02 WHIP including an MLB-best 1.25 ERA since June 5.
The latest accolade will only fuel the momentum for the Nationals pitcher to ultimately be named Rookie of the Year after proving to be the ace of the Nationals' rotation.
The free agent addition is coming off a nine strikeout showing against the Houston Astros on Wednesday, eclipsing the mark in three of his last four starts, while also allowing just one run or fewer in his seventh consecutive start to match the franchise record for the longest streak. Griffin's latest win during the season also secured his tenth of the year to set a new single-season franchise mark by a rookie.
Griffin has also recorded eight or more strikeouts in five games this season while he ranks third in the National League in wins (10), WHIP (1.02) and win percentage (3rd, .833), sixth in innings pitched (110.1) and opponents’ batting average (.210), seventh in walks per 9.0 innings (2.12), ninth in ERA (2.77) and tenth in strikeouts (109). Griffin has also tossed just 26 walks so far in 2026.
Only four players -- all All Stars -- have pitched more games of seven-pus innings and allowed one run or fewer, marking Saturday's announcement a deserving honor.
It also marks arguably one of the best signings of the offseason after Griffin inked a one year deal worth $5.5 million that could grow to $6.5 million, a big reason why his name has remained among the top trade candidates ahead of the deadline.
The All Star Game is set for Tuesday, July 14 at 8 PM ET at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pa.
Nationals Roundtable also offers a fan community. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Nationals. Create an account, click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our free community and follow for all of our coverage, analysis and more!
