Phase 1 of 2025 MLB All-Star Game voting closed Thursday morning and by the afternoon the Los Angeles Dodgers were revealed to have eight players who advanced.
Included in that was Shohei Ohtani, the top vote-getter among all National League players. With that, Ohtani has secured his spot in the lineup for the 95th Midsummer Classic.
New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge also is guaranteed to start as he garnered the most votes among American League players. Judge’s vote total additionally bested Ohtani.
Fans nevertheless voted Ohtani into his fifth career All-Star Game selection. They have all come consecutively, with the last two now being for the NL team. Ohtani is again going to serve as their designated hitter, but will not be pitching despite making his return to the mound for the Dodgers this season.
However, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he would not interfere with or dictate if Ohtani is going to participate in the Home Run Derby at Truist Park. Thus far, only Ronald Acuña Jr. has been named as a participant for the annual event.
At present, Ohtani projects to be joined by three Dodgers teammates as fellow All-Star Game starters.
Phase 2 of MLB All-Star voting begins at 9 a.m. PT on Monday, June 30. Totals from the initial round do not carry into Phase 2.
Dodgers finalists for MLB All-Star Game voting
Will Smith
Will Smith comfortably led NL catchers in both voting updates and remained in first place through Phase 1. Smith now looks to remain ahead of Arizona Diamondbacks’ Carson Kelly to start in the All-Star Game for the first time in his career and earn a third career selection.
Freddie Freeman
Freddie Freeman also went wire-to-wire in Phase 1 of voting, and is accompanied as a finalist at first base by Pete Alonso of the New York Mets.
Freeman is seeking a fifth fan-elected starting assignment and second in the last three years. The 2025 All-Star Game also has added sentimental value by being at Truist Park.
Tommy Edman
Tommy Edman trailed Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte throughout the voting updates but gets a chance to start from zero and catch him.
Max Muncy
Similarly, Max Muncy trailed San Diego Padres’ Manny Machado in voting among NL third basemen. Machado figures to hold an edge in Phase 2, but Muncy could just as well be named an All-Star reserve given his strong turnaround.
Mookie Betts
Mookie Betts is another of the Dodgers who consistently was in second place for voting at his position. New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor was ahead of Betts at both of the updates and now is a finalist under consideration for NL shortstop.
Teoscar Hernández, Andy Pages
Teoscar Hernández was third among NL outfielders in the first voting update, then rose to second in the most recent balloting that was revealed. Either way, Hernández appeared to be plenty safe to qualify among the six outfielders that were going to advance as finalists.
That wasn’t necessarily the case for Andy Pages, who was seventh in voting at the last update. Pages wound up receiving a late surge from fans and now is a finalist in the NL outfield for his first career All-Star selection.
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