By Ross Kelly
Familiar names top the ballot box for the 2025 MLB All-Star Game as the New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge is the top vote getter in the American League, and the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani leads the National League, after the latest returns. Judge has previously led the league in voting twice before, while Ohtani has done it once before, and if this holds when Phase 1 of balloting ends on Thursday at noon ET, then they will automatically receive starting spots for the 2025 MLB All-Star Game on July 15.
Per MLB.com, Judge leads all players with 2,699,483 votes as he looks to become the first player since Alex Rodriguez (2007-08) to top the majors in votes in consecutive years. Judge also led the AL in votes in 2022, as he went on to win the American League MVP award in both of those seasons. He’s well on his way to not only leading the AL in votes again but also winning the league’s MVP as he tops the league in multiple categories, including batting average, OPS, runs, and hits.
The Yankees outfielder has a roughly 177,000 edge over Ohtani for the most votes in the majors, with the Dodgers’ two-way superstar classified as a designated hitter for voting purposes. He also led in voting in 2023, while in the AL and with the Los Angeles Angels, as he’d go on to win MVP that season. This year, Ohtani made his return to the mound only last week, but has been as powerful as ever at the plate. He tops the Senior Circuit in home runs, runs, slugging percentage, and OPS.
If these results hold, then Judge and Ohtani will have accounted for being the top vote-getters five times out of eight possible opportunities. The only others to top a league in votes were Bryce Harper, who did it once, and Ronald Acuna Jr., who accomplished it twice.
The top two vote-getters at every position, as well as the top six outfielders, in Phase 1 will then advance to Phase 2, which begins on Monday, June 30. Fans will then vote on those smaller groups of players to determine who starts in the All-Star Game. If one of the top league vote-getters is an outfielder—as is the case in the AL with Judge—then only the top four outfielders will advance to Phase 2, with fans determining the two other starting outfielders alongside Judge.
Outside of Judge and Ohtani, just three other players have surpassed two million votes. They include Ohtani’s Dodgers teammates in Freddie Freeman and Will Smith, as well as breakout star Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Chicago Cubs. However, none of them are in serious danger of challenging Ohtani for the NL’s top spot as the DH/pitcher has roughly a 500,000-vote edge over all three.
In the AL, Judge’s closest competition isn’t much of a competition, but it’s Seattle’s Cal Raleigh. He has just over 1.9 million votes as he leads the majors in home runs and tops the American League in RBI.
The only notable change from the prior voting returns is a shuffle at first base in the American League. Paul Goldschmidt of the Yankees was the top vote-getter at the position last week, but Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Blue Jays has leapfrogged him. The latter is seeking to be the AL’s starting first baseman for the fourth time in five years, while Goldschmidt is having a resurgent season in pinstripes after spending the first 14 years of his career in the National League.
With the 2025 MLB All-Star Game taking place in Atlanta, the locals would love to see their players scattered throughout the NL roster, but only Acuna is in a position to make it to Phase 2. Despite missing the first 49 games of the season while rehabbing a torn ACL from last season, Acuna is rising in the outfield rankings. He was in sixth place in last week’s return but is now fourth among NL outfielders. Since making his debut on May 23, Acuna tops all players in runs (29) and batting average (.396). He’s been voted into the All-Star Game four times previously, and a fifth would tie Hank Aaron and Dale Murphy for the most fan nods in Braves history.
Meanwhile, Rafael Devers was well on his way to leading the AL in votes among designated hitters when he was still in the AL with the Boston Red Sox. While his votes carried over to the NL when he was traded to the San Francisco Giants, Devers—and all other designated hitters—are looking up to Ohtani in votes. The former third baseman is second among NL DHs, and with Ohtani all but a lock to garner the fan vote, Devers will have to be selected as a reserve.
All reserve position players, as well as pitchers for both teams, will be determined by “Player Ballot” choices and the Commissioner’s Office. The full rosters for the 2025 MLB All-Star Game will be announced on Sunday, July 6.
