Ohtani's 1.1 Million Votes Have Blown Up the All-Star Race, And This Is Just Phase 1

Alright Emerald City, buckle up because the first MLB All-Star ballot update just dropped, and Shohei Ohtani is out here playing a whole different sport entirely. We're talking 1,165,133 votes for the guy, like he's running for mayor of the American League, not just designated hitter! This dude is leading *everyone* across MLB, making this the first time he's been the top vote-getter. If this pace holds until June 25, he automatically locks in his starting spot. Yordan Alvarez is right behind him in the AL with 1,015,768 votes, leading the rest of his league, so he's also cruising towards an automatic start. Phase 1 is wild, and it's just getting started!

Shohei's Stranglehold and the AL DH Race

Seriously, Ohtani's lead is no joke. He's ahead of Alvarez by more than 149,000 votes for the overall MLB lead, and he's got over 192,000 votes on the NL's second-place guy, Drake Baldwin. It's an absolute landslide for our two-way superstar. Meanwhile, Alvarez has a solid 38,000-vote cushion over the Yankees' Aaron Judge in the AL. Remember Judge? He led in votes for two years straight, a feat not seen since Alex Rodriguez, but he's expected to be out until the second half of the season with a rib stress fracture. So yeah, the DH spots in both leagues are looking pretty locked up if these trends continue. You've got until June 25 at noon ET to get your votes in, up to five times every 24 hours on MLB.com or the app.

AL Infield Races: Blue Jays Dominate, Rookies Shine

Beyond Ohtani and Alvarez, the rest of the American League infield races are heating up, and some surprising names are leading the charge. Over at first base, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Blue Jays is leading with 603,014 votes, even though he's only cranked three homers this season. But hey, a .280 average and a .372 on-base percentage aren't bad! Yankees rookie Ben Rice, along with Munetaka Murakami and Nick Kurtz, are all top-four AL hitters by OPS but still trailing Vladdy Jr. Then you get to second base, and it's an Ernie Clement party! This Blue Jays cult hero from the 2025 postseason has just kept that momentum rolling. He leads the AL with 20 doubles and 82 hits, slashing .304/.324/.460. Clement’s got a ridiculous lead of over 616,000 votes over Ezequiel Duran, which is one of the biggest gaps for any positional leader. Shortstop sees Bobby Witt Jr. on top with 890,575 votes. He's been one of MLB's best all-around players and has made Phase 2 before, but he's still chasing that elusive first All-Star start. Kevin McGonigle, the AL Rookie of the Year frontrunner, has some serious ground to make up to catch Andrés Giménez for a Phase 2 spot. At the hot corner, Junior Caminero from the Rays is leading with 625,520 votes. He started last year in place of José Ramírez and could be the first Ray ever with multiple All-Star starts! Our boys in teal had a tough one out in DC last night, dropping it 10-1 to the Nationals. But hey, it's a long season, right? Keep that Mariners spirit strong, Emerald City, and make sure you're getting your All-Star votes in for Phase 1 before June 25 to help decide those starters!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.