Dylan Cease struck out 3 in his #AllStarGame start to earn the win for the American League! (MLB x @GoogleCloud)
Cease, Clement, and Varland shine at 2026 MLB All-Star Game
Photo credit: © Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
By Ben Wrixon
Jul 15, 2026, 15:00 EDTUpdated: Jul 15, 2026, 14:31 EDT
The Toronto Blue Jays were well-represented at the 2026 MLB All-Star Game that took place on Tuesday night in Philadelphia.
Dylan Cease, Louis Varland, and Ernie Clement all contributed to a decisive 4-0 win for the American League while making the first All-Star appearances of their careers. Blue Jays skipper John Schneider and his coaching staff led the team as the reigning American League champions, pressing all the right buttons while leading their crew to the win.
Cease became just the fourth pitcher in franchise history to start an All-Star game, joining Roy Halladay, David Wells, and Dave Stieb. Schneider’s decision to pick him did not come without controversy, however, as many felt New York Yankees ace Cam Schlittler deserved the nod. He ultimately opted not to participate in the festivities.
However, once the game got underway, Cease showed everyone exactly why he deserved the honour. He struck out the first two batters he faced—Kyle Schwarber and Juan Soto—then, after walking Freddie Freeman, punched out CJ Abrams to end the inning.
The inning was Cease at his best: fastballs in the upper 90s, sliders diving down and in on left-handed batters, and a sprinkle of wildness to keep everyone on their toes. It’s a recipe that has made him a legitimate candidate for the Cy Young Award this year.
Clement, meanwhile, didn’t have much luck at the plate as he grounded out early in the count in both of his plate appearances. Blue Jays fans have grown accustomed to his aggressive approach, so seeing him retire in this way wasn’t exactly surprising.
Where Clement made his mark was on the defensive side of the game. He robbed Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages of a base hit to end the fifth inning, getting some sweet revenge after Pages famously denied him in Game 7 of the World Series last fall.
Ernie Clement: "I had to get him back for what he did to us in the World Series. It's all love. I have a lot of admiration for the way he plays the game. Pages just seems like such a good dude and he made one of the best plays in post-season history, World Series history, given Show more
Ernie Clement steals a hit from Andy Pages to end the fifth inning ...
Schneider later called upon Louis Varland in the eighth inning rather than his usual ninth-inning spot to help protect the lead. He allowed a hit but also struck out a batter in what was ultimately a clean inning from the American League’s most dominant closer.
The decision to go with Aroldis Chapman over Varland in the ninth was interesting. It was fair to wonder if Schneider didn’t want to make the evening too Blue Jays-centric, opting instead to show some respect to the 38-year-old legend in Chapman.
Overall, it was an excellent showing for the Blue Jays’ trio of first-time All-Stars. Each made their presence felt among the crowd of MLB’s best players, contributing to a game in which the team led by their current manager won with relative ease.
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