Here are the All-Star Ballot finalists moving on to Phase 2
Phase 1 of the 2023 MLB All-Star vote is complete. Here are the finalists who are moving on to Phase 2, which begins Monday at noon ET — and who just clinched a starting spot in the Midsummer Classic.
The top overall vote-getters are no surprise: National League leader Ronald Acuña Jr. of the Braves also led overall, and Shohei Ohtani of the Angels was the American League leader.
As the leaders of the Phase 1 voting, Ohtani and Acuña earn automatic starting spots in the All-Star Game on July 11 in Seattle. Ohtani will be the starting DH for the AL and Acuña will be one of the three starting outfielders for the NL.
TOP OVERALL VOTE-GETTERS
AL: Shohei Ohtani, DH, Angels — 2,646,307 votes
NL: Ronald Acuña Jr., OF, Braves — 3,082,600 votes
As for the rest of the ballot: The top two vote-getters at each position, and the top six outfielders, are advancing to Phase 2 of the voting, which determines the All-Star Game starters. (In the NL, because Acuña is already locked in as one outfielder, only the top four vote-getters after him advanced to Phase 2.)
Phase 2 voting begins at noon ET on Monday and continues until noon ET on Thursday. Fans can vote only once per 24-hour period on MLB platforms for whom they want to see in the Midsummer Classic. Vote totals from Phase 1 don’t carry over.
The All-Star starters will be revealed on June 29 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Here are all the players advancing to Phase 2 of the All-Star voting at each position in the AL and NL. (Season stats are through the end of Phase 1 voting.)
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Catchers: Adley Rutschman (Orioles), Jonah Heim (Rangers)
In his second season, Rutschman has firmly established himself as one of the top catchers in the game, and the 25-year-old could be on his way to his first All-Star Game. Rutschman is batting .272 with 10 homers and 32 RBIs and leads the AL with 49 walks — to only 44 strikeouts. Heim, also a potential first-time All-Star, is having a breakout offensive season to go along with his usual elite pitch-framing skills, with 10 homers and a career-best 117 OPS+.
First base: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Blue Jays), Yandy Díaz (Rays)
Vlad Jr. is looking for his third straight All-Star selection and third straight start for the AL at first base. The 24-year-old is batting .275 with nine homers and 42 RBIs for the Blue Jays this season. Díaz has been terrific for the MLB-best Rays, batting .303 with 12 homers, 38 RBIs and a .909 OPS. He could make the All-Star Game for the first time at age 31.
Second base: Marcus Semien (Rangers), Whit Merrifield (Blue Jays)
Semien and Corey Seager, the Rangers’ two marquee signings before the 2022 season, have been a dynamic duo for the AL West leaders in 2023. The 32-year-old Semien, who’s leading the AL with 61 runs scored, could be a second-time All-Star. His fellow veteran Merrifield is looking for his third All-Star nod. The 34-year-old is batting .298 with 18 stolen bases.
Third base: Josh Jung (Rangers), Matt Chapman (Blue Jays)
The 25-year-old Jung has really come into his own in his sophomore season. The Rangers’ 2019 first-round Draft pick is batting .275 with 15 home runs and 44 RBIs. Jung could be a first-time All-Star. Chapman’s hot start to 2023 could push him to his second career All-Star Game and first All-Star start. The 30-year-old has 10 home runs and a Major League-high 25 doubles for Toronto.
Shortstop: Bo Bichette (Blue Jays), Corey Seager (Rangers)
Bichette could be a second-time All-Star and first-time starter. The 25-year-old is leading the American League in hits for a third straight season, with 101, while batting .317 with 14 homers. Seager has missed some time this season but has been a monster when he’s in the lineup. The 29-year-old three-time All-Star is batting .358 with 10 home runs and a 1.060 OPS. Seager is looking for his second straight All-Star nod in Texas and the first All-Star start of his career.
Outfield: Aaron Judge (Yankees), Mike Trout (Angels), Randy Arozarena (Rays), Yordan Alvarez (Astros), Kevin Kiermaier (Blue Jays), Adolis García (Rangers)
Judge and Trout are right back at the top of All-Star voting. Judge could be in line for his fifth All-Star Game start and third in a row. After his historic 62-home run season, the reigning AL MVP has 19 homers, an MLB-best .674 slugging percentage and a 1.078 OPS in 2023, despite missing some time with a toe injury. Trout is looking for his 11th straight All-Star nod. He’s been voted in as a starter every year since 2013 and could become one of only nine players to be selected as an All-Star starter in 10 consecutive years.
Arozarena, one of MLB’s most fun players to watch, could be an All-Star for the first time. The 28-year-old is batting .292 with 14 homers and 50 RBIs and leads the AL with a .409 on-base percentage. Alvarez was an All-Star in 2022 as a DH but is on the ballot as an outfielder this year. The Astros slugger is on the injured list with right oblique discomfort but still has 17 home runs, 55 RBIs and a .978 OPS. Kiermaier is a three-time Gold Glover and arguably one of the best defensive outfielders of all time, but he has never made an All-Star team. García, with 16 home runs and an MLB-leading 58 RBIs, could get back to the All-Star Game after making it as a rookie in 2021.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Catcher: Sean Murphy (Braves), Will Smith (Dodgers)
Murphy has been a revelation in his first season in Atlanta, and the payoff could be his first career All-Star start. The 28-year-old is batting .287 with 12 homers and a .919 OPS and has been arguably the best defensive catcher in the game. Meanwhile, on a Dodgers team with superstar hitters Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts, Smith has been right up there alongside them, batting .293 with 10 homers and a .908 OPS as he also seeks to make his first All-Star Game.
First base: Freddie Freeman (Dodgers), Matt Olson (Braves)
Freeman is the same elite hitter he always is, with a .323 batting average, 14 home runs, an MLB-high 25 doubles and a .961 OPS for L.A. The six-time All-Star is looking for his seventh selection and fifth in a row, as well as his fourth start. Olson, who replaced Freeman in Atlanta, has 21 home runs and 52 RBIs in 2023.
Second base: Luis Arraez (Marlins), Ozzie Albies (Braves)
Arraez’s quest to hit .400 makes him a favorite for his second straight All-Star Game — but first as an NL player — in his debut season in Miami. His .398 batting average is the best in the Majors by far, and he also leads MLB with 105 hits. Albies, a two-time All-Star, is having a great season too, with 17 home runs and a National League-leading 53 RBIs.
Third base: Nolan Arenado (Cardinals), Austin Riley (Braves)
After a slow start at the plate this season, Arenado has steadily returned to the hitter we’re accustomed to seeing. He posted a .600 OPS with only two home runs through the end of April, but since May 3, he’s hitting .299/.348/.599 with 13 homers. Riley continues to help anchor the middle of the Braves’ lineup, slashing .262/.327/.431 with 12 homers.
Shortstop: Orlando Arcia (Braves), Francisco Lindor (Mets)
The 28-year-old Arcia is seeking his first All-Star selection in his eighth MLB season, and he’s making a strong case. His .333/.392/.478 slash line has him in line for a career year. Lindor, meanwhile, is eyeing his sixth All-Star appearance. At the plate, he has a .740 OPS with 14 home runs and eight steals, and he continues to give the Mets strong defense at the premium shortstop position.
DH: J.D. Martinez (Dodgers), Bryce Harper (Phillies)
Martinez looks rejuvenated with the Dodgers, as the veteran DH has 16 home runs, a .571 slugging percentage and an .870 OPS. He’s seeking his fifth straight All-Star nod and the sixth of his career. Harper has been raking since he returned to the Phillies’ lineup at the beginning of May, batting .301 in his 41 games. He could be an All-Star for a second straight year in Philadelphia and for the eighth time in his career.
Outfield: Mookie Betts (Dodgers), Corbin Carroll (D-backs), Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (D-backs), Michael Harris II (Braves)
There are four outfielders in the mix to earn the remaining two starting spots in the NL alongside Acuña.
The first is a perennial All-Star candidate in Betts, who’s made six All-Star Games in a row and is looking for seven. Betts has 17 home runs and an .861 OPS this season. Carroll is an MVP contender – and potential All-Star — in his first full season. The 22-year-old is batting .298 with 16 homers, 21 steals and an NL-leading .581 slugging percentage and .962 OPS. With the surprising D-backs in first place in the NL West, Carroll’s teammate Gurriel is also an All-Star finalist, and would be making the team for the first time. Acuña’s teammate Harris, the reigning NL Rookie of the Year, could follow that up by making the All-Star Game for the first time.