The first phase of the 2023 MLB All-Star Walk is complete. Here are the finalists heading into Stage 2 — the starting spots in the Midsummer Classic — starting Monday at noon ET.
The top overall vote-getters were no surprise: National League leader Ronald Acuna Jr. of the Braves also led overall, and Shohei Ohtani of the Angels was the American League leader.
As the leaders of Phase 1 voting, Ohtani and Acuna earned automatic starting spots in the July 11 All-Star Game in Seattle. Ohtani will be the starting DH for the AL and Acuña will be one of three starters for the NL.
AL: Shohei Ohtani, DH, Angels — 2,646,307 votes
NL: Ronald Coinage 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 advance to Phase 2 of voting, which determines the All-Star Game starters. (In the NL, since Acuña was already locked in as an outfielder, only the top four vote-getters after him advanced to Round 2.)
Phase 2 voting begins at noon ET on Monday and continues until noon ET on Thursday. Fans can only vote once every 24 hours on MLB platforms. Total votes from phase 1 will not go beyond.
The All-Star starters will be announced June 29 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Here are all the players advancing to Round 2 of All-Star voting at each position in the AL and NL. (Season statistics are at the end of the Phase 1 poll.)
Catchers: Atlee Rutchman (Orioles), Jonah Heim (Rangers)
In just his second season, Rutchman has firmly established himself as one of the best catchers in the game, and the 25-year-old could be headed to his first All-Star Game. Rutschman is batting .272 with 10 homers and 32 RBIs and leads the AL with 49 walks — just 44 strikeouts. Heim, a first-time All-Star, is having a breakout offensive season with 10 homers and a 117 OPS+ to go along with his usual elite pitch-framing skills.
First base: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Blue Jays), Yandy Diaz (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. Diaz was fantastic 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 Siemian (Rangers), Whit Merrifield (Blue Jays)
Siemian 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 Siemian, who leads the AL with 61, could be second. -Time All-Star. Fellow veteran Merrifield is looking for his third All-Star selection. The 34-year-old is batting .298 with 18 stolen bases.
Third base: Josh Jung (Rangers), Matt Chapman (Blue Jays)
Jung, 25, 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 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 Pichette (Blue Jays), Corey Seager (Rangers)
Pichette could be a second-time All-Star and first-time starter. While batting .317 with 14 homers, the 25-year-old led the American League in hits for the third consecutive season with 101 runs. Seager has missed some time this season, but has been a monster when he’s been 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 at Texas and the first All-Star start of his career.
Outfield: Aaron Judge (Yankees), Mike Trout (Angels), Randy Arosarena (Rays), Yorden Alvarez (Astros), Kevin Kiermaier (Blue Jays), Adolis Garcia (Rangers)
Judge and Trout are back at the top of the All-Star voting. Judge could be making 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 has been voted a starter every year since 2013 and could become one of nine players to be selected as an All-Star starter in 10 consecutive years.
Arosa Arena, one of MLB’s funniest players, could be a first-time All-Star. 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 remains on the injured list with right oblique discomfort, but still has 17 home runs, 55 RBIs and a .978 OPS. Kiermaier was a three-time Gold Glover and one of the greatest defensive players of all time, but he never made an All-Star team. Garcia, with 16 home runs and an MLB-leading 58 RBIs, could return to the All-Star Game as a rookie in 2021.
Catchers: Sean Murphy (Braves), Will Smith (Dodgers)
Murphy was 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 is the best defensive catcher in the game. Meanwhile, on a Dodgers team with superstar hitters Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts, Smith is batting .293 with 10 homers and a .908 OPS as he looks to make his first All-Star Game.
First base: Freddie Freeman (Dodgers), Matt Olsen (Braves)
Freeman is the same elite hitter with a .323 batting average, 14 home runs, an MLB-high 25 doubles and a .961 OPS that the six-time All-Star is looking for his seventh pick and fifth for LA. A streak, as well as his fourth start. Olson, who replaced Freeman in Atlanta, has 21 home runs and 52 RBIs in 2023.
Second base: Luis Ares (Marlins), Ozzie Albies (Braves)
Ares’ quest to hit .400 caught him in his second straight All-Star Game — but first as an NL player — in his first season in Miami. His .398 batting average is by far the best in the majors, and he also leads MLB with 105 hits. Albies, a two-time All-Star, also had a great season with 17 home runs and a National League-leading 53 RBIs.
Third base: Nolan Arenado (Cardinals), Austin Riley (Braves)
After a slow start this season, Arenado has steadily returned to being the hitter we’re used to seeing. He posted a .600 OPS with 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)
Arcia, 28, is looking for his first All-Star selection in just 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. Meanwhile, Lindor is making his sixth All-Star appearance. At the plate, he has a .740 OPS with 14 home runs and eight steals, and he gives the Mets strong defense at the premium shortstop position.
DH: JD Martinez (Dodgers), Bryce Harper (Phillies)
Martinez remains fresh with the Dodgers as the veteran DH has 16 home runs, a .571 slugging percentage and an .870 OPS. He is looking for his fifth straight All-Star nod and the sixth of his career. Harper is batting .301 in 41 games and has been raking since returning to the Phillies in early May. He could be an All-Star for the second time in Philadelphia and the eighth of his career.
Outfield: Mookie Betts (Dodgers), Corbin Carroll (D-Backs), Lourdes Curiel Jr. (D-Backs), Michael Harris II (Braves)
Acuna has four outfielders in the mix for the remaining two starting spots in the NL.
The first is a perennial All-Star candidate in Bets, who has made six consecutive All-Star Games 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 a .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 will make the team for the first time. Acuna’s teammate Harris, the NL Rookie of the Year, could follow that up by making the All-Star Game for the first time.
