Five Venezuelan baseball players earned selections to the 2026 All-MLB Teams, with catcher Gabriel Moreno and outfielder Jackson Chourio named to the First Team. The announcement took place at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas during a gala broadcast on MLB Network.
Fantasy & Market Impact
- Gabriel Moreno’s historic 5.4 WAR campaign and batting title highlight his status as a top selection.
- Jackson Chourio’s multi-cat production at age 22 highlights him as an exceptional selection.
- Jesús Luzardo’s 221-strikeout season establishes him as a standout option for fantasy rotations.
Who led the Venezuelan contingent in the First Team?
Catcher Gabriel Moreno of the Arizona Diamondbacks and outfielder Jackson Chourio of the Milwaukee Brewers secured their places on the All-MLB First Team, as reported by Diario Primicia. Moreno posted a .311 batting title, becoming the first catcher to lead his league in hitting since Buster Posey in 2012.
Moreno also secured a Gold Glove Award, joining Joe Mauer as the only catchers in baseball history to accomplish both feats in the same season, according to El Emergente. His 5.4 FanGraphs WAR tied for the ninth best mark among all catchers in history.
Chourio wrapped up a standout age-22 season that included a World Baseball Classic title with Venezuela, a World Series ring with Milwaukee, and his first career Gold Glove. La Verdad said that Chourio joined Ronald Acuña Jr. (2023) as the only Venezuelan outfielders ever selected to the First Team.
Which players rounded out the Second Team selections?
The All-MLB Second Team features three more Venezuelan standouts: catcher William Contreras, first baseman Willson Contreras, and left-handed starting pitcher Jesús Luzardo. The Contreras brothers made history by becoming the first sibling pair selected to the All-MLB teams in the same year, according to Diario Primicia.
William Contreras earned World Series MVP honors after helping guide the Brewers’ pitching staff and posting a .758 OPS with 18 home runs and 92 RBIs in the regular season, as detailed by MLB.com. Willson Contreras set career highs with a .902 OPS, 27 home runs, 81 RBIs, and a 4.0 WAR in his debut season with the Boston Red Sox.
Jesús Luzardo completed his strongest major league campaign with the Philadelphia Phillies by recording a 14-5 record, a 2.86 ERA, and 221 strikeouts across 179.2 innings. That performance earned him a fifth-place finish in the National League Cy Young Award voting.
| Player | Team | Team Selection | Key Stat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gabriel Moreno | Arizona Diamondbacks | First Team | .311 Batting Average, 5.4 WAR |
| Jackson Chourio | Milwaukee Brewers | First Team | 20 HR, 20 SB, Gold Glove |
| William Contreras | Milwaukee Brewers | Second Team | World Series MVP, 92 RBIs |
| Willson Contreras | Boston Red Sox | Second Team | .902 OPS, 27 HR |
| Jesús Luzardo | Philadelphia Phillies | Second Team | 2.86 ERA, 221 Strikeouts |
How did the voting process work?
The All-MLB selection process combines input from two distinct groups. Fans accounted for 50 percent of the total vote, while a panel of baseball experts contributed the remaining 50 percent, according to MLB. The results were revealed during the annual MLB Awards show at The Cosmopolitan.
The Milwaukee Brewers led all major league clubs with four total selections across both teams following their World Series championship run. The recognition highlights a growing wave of Venezuelan talent establishing baseline excellence across multiple roster positions in Major League Baseball.
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