Royals starter Michael Wacha ends 11-year drought with 2nd All-Star nomination
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- Michael Wacha was named to the 2026 All-Star Game as an American League reserve pitcher.
- Wacha leads the AL with 12 quality starts and has a 3.31 ERA in 17 starts.
- Wacha recorded his 1,500th career strikeout and earned his second All-Star nod.
Before making his Saturday evening start against the Philadelphia Phillies, Kansas City Royals right-handed pitcher Michael Wacha received some extra-special recognition.
Wacha, 35, was named to the 2026 All-Star Game. He will join the American League as a reserve pitcher in the 96th Midsummer Classic.
“You see how well he’s done on the field and to evolve across the course of his career,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “I’m exceptionally proud of him and I’m grateful to be a part of his career.”
Wacha is a steady presence in the Royals’ clubhouse. Teammates consider him a veteran leader and key part of the organizational culture.
Wacha has continued to pitch effectively while carrying the starting rotation this season. In 17 starts, he owns a 3.31 ERA across 108 2/3 innings. He leads the AL with 12 quality starts and he recently recorded his 1,500th career strikeout.
“The body of work in between has been really consistent year after year after year,” Quatraro said. “As a starter in this league, you don’t see that very often.”
And now, Wacha will be an All-Star for the second time in his career. His first All-Star nomination came in 2015 when he was a member of the St. Louis Cardinals.
In the 11 years since, Wacha has continued to put up stellar numbers. He joined the Royals in 2024 with an 8.7 WAR (Wins Above Replacement). He has surrendered three runs or fewer in 60 of his 77 starts in Kansas City.
“It’s just amazing to see him work,” fellow Royals All-Star Bobby Witt Jr. said. “(We’re) locker mates. And just to see how much into the game, not only on the field but off the field in preparation, you know he’s going to be out there every fifth day.
“He’s going to go out there and give it his all, throw his 100 pitches, go out there and compete and dominate. So it’s awesome to see him get a second nod, but also to be able to do it here with Kansas City.”
Witt and Wacha will represent the Royals in the 2026 All-Star Game on Tuesday, July 14 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.
Witt, too, was voted in as an AL starter on Saturday. He was selected in a fan vote, outgaining Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Andrés Giménez. Witt is just the third Royals shortstop to be selected as an All-Star starter, following in the footsteps of Freddie Patek (1978) and Alceides Escobar (2015).
Wacha made some history of his own this weekend: He is one of just three players all-time who have waited 11 years between All-Star appearances.
“It’s roughly 4,000 people that have played 10 years,” Quatraro said, “and to be an All-Star 11 years apart, you are not going to see that. ... He’s the third one that we could find. I couldn’t be more proud of him.”
The Royals have had multiple All-Stars for consecutive seasons. Wacha is the fourth different starting pitcher to earn a spot on the AL team. He follows Cole Ragans (2024), Seth Lugo (2024) and Kris Bubic (2025).
This story was originally published July 4, 2026 at 6:54 PM.
