Breaking down the closest All-Star races in Phase 1 balloting
Read our story on the balloting format, which includes two phases of fan voting to determine the All-Star starters.
We received our first update of the 2026 MLB All-Star Ballot on Monday afternoon. And the race is heating up to start the 2026 MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on July 14.
Here’s a refresher on how all of this works: The leading vote-getter in each league during Phase 1 will receive an automatic spot in their team’s starting lineup at the All-Star Game. As of our first update, that’s Dodgers DH Shohei Ohtani in the National League and the Astros DH Yordan Alvarez in the American League.
On top of that, the top two vote-getters at every position — and the top six outfielders — will advance to Phase 2 of the voting.
Phase 1 voting ends at midnight on Thursday, June 25. Phase 2 begins shortly afterwards, on Monday, June 29.
With all of that in mind, here’s a look at some of the closest races so far as Phase 1 voting continues.
All stats below are through play on Sunday.
NL outfield: Jordan Walker (STL) vs. James Wood (WSH) vs. Corbin Carroll (AZ) vs. Juan Soto (NYM)
437,071 votes vs. 431,607 votes vs. 425,814 votes vs. 421,513 votes
The NL outfield is absolutely stacked, which means that a number of deserving — and household — names won’t advance to Phase 2. Remember, the top six vote-getters move on here, providing that an NL outfielder isn’t the top vote-getter in the league.
Right now, the sixth spot is occupied by Walker, a former top prospect in the midst of a long-awaited breakout year (.554 SLG, 152 OPS+). But this race could go any which way. Wood (20 HR, 173 OPS+) trails Walker by fewer than 6,000 votes. Carroll (35 extra-base hits, 151 OPS+) is on Wood’s heels and vying for his second career All-Star Game start. Then there’s Soto (15 HR, 163 OPS+), who has done nothing but rake since returning from a calf injury that cost him two weeks in April.
Leading NL OF: Andy Pages (LAD), Ronald Acuña Jr. (ATL), Brandon Marsh (PHI), Michael Harris II (ATL), Teoscar Hernández (LAD)
AL second base: Ezequiel Duran (TEX) vs. Travis Bazzana (CLE)
287,996 votes vs. 279,862 votes
Blue Jays super utility man Ernie Clement is assuredly a lock to advance to Phase 2 voting, thanks to a 600,000-vote lead over the second-place vote-getter. But the race behind Clement is wide open.
Duran, 27, is finally getting a chance to play every day for Texas. So far, he’s delivered, hitting .281 with a 121 OPS+ while playing above-average defense in 63 games. His 1.6 fWAR is tied for the most among AL second basemen (min. 100 PA) with the Yankees’ Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Chase Meidroth of the White Sox.
While Duran waited his turn for an everyday role, Bazzana didn’t have to do much waiting — at least not at the big league level. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 Draft earned his call-up to the Majors in late April, and he’s looked at home against big league pitching, posting a 110 OPS+ through his first 41 games.
Leading AL 2B: Ernie Clement (TOR)
AL outfield: Riley Greene (DET) vs. Julio Rodríguez (SEA) vs. Randy Arozarena (SEA)
422,835 votes vs. 421,205 votes vs. 412,273 votes
It’s not quite the NL outfield, but there are tight races in the AL outfield, too. Just over 10,000 votes separate Greene, Rodríguez and Arozarena, who are competing for two spots.
Arozarena is compiling one of the best seasons of his career, with a .291/.377/.488 slash line and a 136 OPS+. By fWAR, he’s been the second-most valuable outfielder in the AL behind Byron Buxton. But Arozarena is looking up to his Mariners teammate in Rodríguez, who is vying for his fourth All-Star bid. Seattle’s center fielder is coming off a monster May in which he hit 10 home runs with a .899 OPS.
Then there’s Greene, a quiet bright spot amid a tough stretch for the Tigers. He’s hitting .297 with a career-best .387 on-base percentage and a 132 OPS+ through 71 games, making a bid to start his second consecutive All-Star Game for the AL.
Leading AL OF: Aaron Judge (NYY), Mike Trout (LAA), Cody Bellinger (NYY), Byron Buxton (MIN)
NL third base: Alec Bohm (PHI) vs. Nolan Arenado (AZ) vs. Austin Riley (ATL)
386,425 votes vs. 363,091 votes vs. 353,394 votes
This trio is competing for the right to go up against Max Muncy in Phase 2 voting, with the Dodgers’ third baseman holding a comfortable 550,000-vote lead in the top spot.
After a slow start to the season, Bohm may be turning a corner, hitting .270 with seven home runs and a .779 OPS since May 1. The same goes for his NL East counterpart, Riley, who posted a .722 OPS in May after running a .588 OPS in March and April. Bohm started the Midsummer Classic in 2024, while Riley made the team in ’22 and ’23.
Arenado, meanwhile, is vying for his ninth All-Star nod — and sixth as a starter. The 35-year-old has a 102 OPS+ in his first year with the D-backs. He still grades well at third base, too, as we’ve come to expect from one of the best defenders of his generation.
Leading NL 3B: Max Muncy (LAD)
NL second base: Bryson Stott (PHI) vs. Brice Turang (MIL)
399,729 votes vs. 373,656 votes
Turang continues to get better, benefiting from an uptick in bat speed that changed the complexion of his game ahead of the 2025 season. The 26-year-old is playing his usual sublime defense while getting on base at a career-best clip (.378 OBP) and hitting for more power than ever before (10 HR, .457 SLG). It’s not a surprise that his 2.5 fWAR is T-17th best in the Majors.
But Turang has ground to make up here, trailing Stott by roughly 26,000 votes. Stott is hitting .232 with a .674 OPS while ranking among the most sure-handed second basemen in the game for the red-hot Phillies.
Leading NL 2B: Ozzie Albies (ATL)
AL catcher: Alejandro Kirk (TOR) vs. Adley Rutschman (BAL) vs. Dillon Dingler (DET)
298,401 votes vs. 261,607 votes vs. 261,084 votes
The Athletics’ Shea Langeliers has a comfortable lead in first place as he vies for his first All-Star selection. That’s warranted, given the fact that he leads all catchers in a number of offensive categories. But the race behind Langeliers is far tighter, with fewer than 40,000 votes separating Kirk, Rutschman and Dingler.
Kirk missed over two months with a fractured left thumb, but the two-time All-Star strung together a three-hit game in his return to the Blue Jays lineup on Friday. He’ll have to keep up that sort of production over the next few weeks to make up for lost time.
Dingler entered the season with a deserved reputation as one of the best defensive catchers in baseball. Now, he’s added legitimate power to his game (16 HR, .525 SLG), transforming his offensive profile. FanGraphs has Dingler (3.0 fWAR) as the most valuable catcher in baseball. The switch-hitting Rutschman (2.1 fWAR) isn’t far behind. He’s turned the page on a subpar 2025 season behind a .265/.343/.481 slash line and a 130 OPS+.
Leading AL C: Shea Langeliers (ATH)