Shohei Ohtani of Japan, with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Yordan Álvarez of Cuba, with the Houston Astros, lead the voting in the National League and American League, respectively, according to the first official report on fan voting to select the starting lineup for the 2026 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.
Both designated hitters are, so far, the only players to have surpassed the one-million-vote mark. Ohtani, 31, leads the overall Major League voting with 1,165,133 votes, ahead of Álvarez by more than 149,000 votes; Álvarez has 1,015,768 votes.
They’re eyeing the starting spot
If this trend continues, Shohei Ohtani and Yordan Álvarez would automatically secure starting spots at their respective positions in the All-Star Game.
There was no need to proceed to the second round of voting, according to the system established by Major League Baseball.
Beyond their popularity among fans, both players back up their status as favorites with outstanding performances on the field.
Ohtani is batting .302, with 14 home runs, 41 RBIs, and an OPS of .975.
In addition, as a pitcher, he has a 6-2 record and an impressive ERA of 1.06.
For his part, Álvarez, 28, is emerging as a serious contender for the American League’s offensive Triple Crown.
He leads the league in batting average (.326), home runs (24), and RBIs (54). His OPS is 1.084 (Filed under: Shohei Ohtani leads All-Star voting).
Latin Americans
Among the Latin Americans leading the voting by position in the American League, the Dominicans also stand out, including Vladimir Guerrero Jr., first baseman for the Toronto Blue Jays, with 603,014 votes.
And Junior Caminero, third baseman for the Tampa Bay Rays, who has received 625,520 votes.
In the National League, the standouts are Cuban Andy Pages, an outfielder for the Dodgers, with 800,496 votes, and Venezuelan Ronald Acuña Jr. of the Atlanta Braves, with 693,472.
Both are among the favorites to secure spots in the outfield.
Brandon Marsh rounds out the group of leaders in the outfield with 668,191 votes (Filed under: Shohei Ohtani leads All-Star voting).
MLB’s biggest stars are also dominating the voting
In the American League, the other leaders by position are Ernie Clement (904,702 votes) at second base.
Bobby Witt Jr. (890.575) at shortstop, Shea Langeliers (715.625) at catcher, and outfielders Aaron Judge (977.460), Mike Trout (926.601), and Cody Bellinger (533.842).
In the National League, the leaders are Freddie Freeman at first base (870,606 votes).
Ozzie Albies at second base (517,147) and CJ Abrams at shortstop (579,796).
Max Muncy at third base (941,218) and Drake Baldwin at catcher (972,813) – (Filed under: Shohei Ohtani leads All-Star voting).
How will the voting be?
The voting process, which began on June 3, is divided into two phases to determine the All-Star starters.
The first stage will conclude on June 25 at noon.
During that period, fans around the world will be able to vote up to five times every 24 hours to select the eight position players and the designated hitter from each league.
The second phase will take place from June 29 to July 2.
During those three days, fans will be able to cast one vote per day to determine the final starting lineup for the Midseason Classic.
Votes cast in the first round will not be carried over to this stage.
The winners in each position, including the three outfielders from each league, will be announced on July 4.
On that same day, the pitchers and reserve players who will round out the All-Star rosters will also be announced (Filed under: Shohei Ohtani leads All-Star voting).
With information from EFE
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