MLB All-Star voting guide: deadline, stars, starters

2026 MLB – All-Star starters across both leagues will be decided through two phases of fan voting for the Midsummer Classic on July 14 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. Phase 1 is underway and ends at noon ET Thursday, June 25, and fans are weighing everything from

Every year, the same moment arrives: ballots open, and the debates start with a kind of joyful panic. Who deserves the first starting spot? Who’s been overlooked? Who’s too injured to justify the vote?

This year’s All-Star voting is built around a simple promise—fans will help choose the starting lineups for the Midsummer Classic on July 14 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. The format uses two phases of fan voting to determine the All-Star starters, and Phase 1 is already underway. It concludes at noon ET on Thursday, June 25.

So, here’s the field fans are staring at right now—position by position, with the cases that are gaining traction, the stumbles that could cost someone a starting role, and the injuries that complicate every decision.

Vladdy—Guerrero—is in the middle of an All-Star dilemma. He’s looking for his third straight starting nod and sixth overall All-Star selection. but his power has lagged this season. and it took until May 17 for him to notch his third homer. For Murakami. the case is momentum mixed with risk: he has become only the third player in White Sox history to hit 20 homers in his team’s first 55 games. but he’s currently on the injured list with a right hamstring strain. Rice’s profile is the opposite—production without delay—outpacing even his teammate Aaron Judge in OPS.

Other first-start candidates bring their own kind of narrative. Kurtz has followed up his 2025 AL Rookie of the Year Award by tying Mark McGwire for the longest single-season on-base streak in A’s history. Aranda. a first-time All-Star as a reserve in 2025. has been at or near the top of the AL’s RBI leaderboard for most of the season.

For the NL first-base picture. Freeman is chasing familiarity: a starting nod would be his fourth straight and his 10th overall All-Star selection. and while his overall numbers are down. his OPS is still in the top five among NL first basemen. Olson. a three-time All-Star. would be starting for the first time. and this season his power has been electric—more extra-base hits than anyone entering June. Harper’s bid would be the seventh start for nine-time All-Star Harper as he’s back to looking like his slugging self. and Stewart would bring something new entirely: the first All-Star start for a rookie who’s pacing the NL rookie class in homers.

Sheets has never been an All-Star. but he’s making a case with slugging percentage consistently in the top five among NL first basemen. For Torres. last season’s breakthrough—his first starting nod and third overall All-Star selection—comes with uncertainty now: this season his numbers are down (.716 OPS through May). and it could be a challenge for him to claim the spot again.

At second base. the AL conversation centers on two paths: players who are already hitting at a league-leading level. and players who are still proving they have enough runway. Entering June. Bazzana didn’t have enough plate appearances to qualify among league leaders. but his .839 OPS would have led all AL second basemen. Chisholm’s recent surge—.957 OPS over the last 15 games of May—pairs with his two-time All-Star experience. while Clement is pushing for his first selection with a .300 average and a .771 OPS entering June.

In the NL, the starting-third-base debate runs through performance and reputations. Marte has been the NL’s starting third baseman three times, including the past two seasons, yet he remains one of the league’s more underrated sluggers and is making a run for the RBI lead among NL second basemen.

Then the vote starts to get personal—because the injuries start showing up in the middle of the story. Altuve would be no stranger to the All-Star Game (a nine-time selection and four-time starter). but he’s rehabbing from an oblique injury with no timetable for his return. Machado is eyeing a second straight start at third base and his fifth overall election as a starter (including one at shortstop). but he’s struggled mightily this season (.174 average. .620 OPS through May). making another start unlikely. Arenado’s case is different: he’s enjoying a career resurgence (128 OPS+ as of June 1) in his first season with the D-backs. looking for his first selection and start since 2023.

At the hot corner, the AL has its own pileup of contenders. Edwards and Turang would be first-time All-Star selections, while Lowe would be up for his third All-Star. Edwards has emerged as one of the NL’s best hitters. ranking near the top of the league in hits. average and on-base percentage. Lowe is thriving in his first season with the Pirates (.875 OPS through May). and Turang has raised his OPS (.829 through May) in each of his four seasons in the bigs.

The AL third-base race includes players whose seasons hinge on production and timing. Ramírez would be seeking his fifth starting nod and third straight if he gets another start. but he didn’t play in last year’s game because of injury. He entered June leading the AL in stolen bases as he chases another 30-30 season. Caminero replaced Ramírez as the starter last season and is having another All-Star worthy campaign. vying for the lead in homers and OPS among the AL’s third basemen.

Donovan’s path is shaped by disruption. A first-time All-Star last season with the Cardinals now in his first season with the Mariners. he ended May on the IL. and his .838 OPS to that point would be the best of his career. Vargas is also seeking his first All-Star selection as he duels with Caminero for the homer lead among AL third basemen. while Jung—an All-Star as a rookie in 2023—is off to arguably his best season and is right there with Caminero and Vargas vying for the OPS lead among those playing at the hot corner.

Shortstop voting is where the “favorite vs. current season” question becomes unavoidable. McGonigle—3.2 bWAR through June 1—has a strong case to start the All-Star Game in his first season. and he’s also making a case for AL Rookie of the Year. Rocchio, who led all AL shortstops in batting average entering June (.293), is chasing his first All-Star selection in Cleveland. Witt, a three-time All-Star, continues elite all-around play and has paced AL shortstops in OPS (.832 through June 1).

Meanwhile, there’s star power driving a separate kind of gravity. Lindor is a five-time All-Star. and he made his first start last season—but a return start is unlikely because he’s been on the IL since late April with a left calf strain and it’s unclear when he could return. Abrams is making the loudest “this season” argument: an All-Star in 2024. he’s having the best season of his five-year career and leads all MLB shortstops in OPS by a wide margin (.933 through May). De La Cruz is neck-and-neck with Abrams for the most homers among NL shortstops.

And then there’s Lopez, whose candidacy is fueled by a rare combination of volume and momentum. It would be the first All-Star selection for Lopez, who had more hits than anyone in baseball entering June and also had a comfortable lead for the NL batting title (.333 as of June 1).

Outfield ballots read like stacked lineups and unresolved questions at the same time.

Judge is once again in the running to lead the AL in homers and OPS. and he’s a virtual lock to make another start that would be his seventh. Greene is also seeking a second chance at starting recognition. making another starting bid while leading AL outfielders in batting average (.309 through June 1). Báez has been on the IL with an ankle injury since late April.

Bellinger would be aiming for a two-time All-Star starting role, sitting in the top five of AL outfielders in OPS. Buxton, also a two-time selection, has been at or near the top in homers. Trout’s case keeps finding new fans: 11-time All-Star Trout has looked a lot like his old self as the AL outfield leader in on-base percentage while on pace for a homer total in the mid-30s.

Arozarena. a two-time All-Star. is on track for what would be his highest batting average and OPS over a full season (.286 average .817 OPS through June 1). Acuña is pushing after a slow start. turning it on big time to close out May with five homers and a 2.265 OPS over his last four games of the month. PCA, an All-Star last season, finished May hot with a 1.010 OPS over the last six games. Tucker. a four-time All-Star. hasn’t yet made the splash with the Dodgers that many expected (.722 OPS through June 1). but there’s still voting time in L.A.

The NL outfield list brings more familiar names and harder comparisons. Carroll leads the world in triples. Soto is putting up usual elite numbers (.970 OPS through June 1). Wood, an All-Star last season, has been pacing all NL outfielders in homers. Harris—the 2022 NL Rookie of the Year—still needs his first All-Star selection. but he’s finally put it together this season (.307 average. .868 OPS through May).

O’Hearn’s All-Star story already has history: he earned his first appearance and starting spot last season on the strength of a first half with an .840 OPS with the Orioles. He was soon traded to the Padres and then signed with the Pirates in the offseason.

At designated hitter. Alvarez—three-time All-Star—leads MLB’s primary designated hitters in OPS and reached the 20-homer mark before the end of May. Díaz, a starter in 2023, brings an OPS north of .900 and is among the contenders for the AL batting title. Basallo could fit the bill after posting an 1.137 OPS over his last 10 games leading into June. which would be his first selection.

Rookie energy is also in the mix. DeLauter has put together a strong season so far, living in the top five among AL rookies in homers and OPS. Ohtani, the winner of three straight MVPs, has four straight starts as an All-Star DH (two in the AL, two in the NL) and could very well land a fifth.

On the NL DH ballot. Schwarber is back to being the kind of hitter fans love to reward: a three-time All-Star. he’s once again well ahead of all other NL hitters in homers and vying for the lead in OPS. Herrera is seeking his first All-Star nod and trails only Ohtani in on-base percentage among primary NL designated hitters. Schmitt is having a breakout season and has led every primary NL DH other than Schwarber in homers through May while pursuing his first All-Star berth.

Catcher and first base may be where the vote feels most surprising—because it’s not always the headline star who ends up on the ballot. Raleigh’s story is production slowed by injury: his home run pace has slowed after his 60-dinger campaign in 2025; he has just seven on the season. But he’s also been on the IL with a right oblique injury since May 14. with no set timetable for his return. making it unlikely that he repeats as the AL starter.

Jeffers is seeking his first All-Star selection and would be vying for the OPS lead among AL backstops if he had enough plate appearances to qualify (.949 through June 1). Among those who do qualify. Langeliers—also seeking his first All-Star nod—was the leader in homers and OPS through May. Rutschman, a two-time All-Star, should also be among those leaders once he gets enough PAs to qualify.

There’s also a first-time case built on defense and timing. Dingler would be seeking his first All-Star selection; he’s a 2025 Gold Glove winner and is in the running to lead AL catchers in homers this season.

Smith’s path shows the ups and downs of voting year to year. Three-time All-Star Smith made his first start last season when he had a .901 OPS. This season, his numbers are down (.717 OPS through June 1), and he’ll likely face a challenge to win a second straight starting assignment.

Baldwin is another name that carries a rookie-to-contender arc. The reigning NL Rookie of the Year is recovering from a mild oblique strain. but he remains at or near the top among NL catchers in several key offensive categories while seeking his first All-Star berth. Contreras, a two-time All-Star, is also among the NL catching leaders in batting average.

Hicks—who has never been an All-Star—has a case shaped by power and opportunity. He’s on pace for more than 30 homers and ended May as the easy leader in RBIs among all catchers.

Susac’s candidacy is built on a brief, explosive window. A rookie who missed about a month with an elbow injury definitely made an impression upon his debut. He hit .478 with a 1.152 OPS in his first 11 games before the injury. and could certainly turn heads again if he’s able to recapture anything close to that magic between now and the close of voting.

The vote. at its core. keeps returning to a simple tension: what fans want to reward now versus what players have already proven they can be. That’s clear in cases like Betts—an eight-time All-Star and five-time starter—who missed more than a month with an oblique injury and has not produced Betts-like numbers so far (.661 OPS through June 1). And it’s clear in the “don’t count them out” logic that always comes with a huge market fanbase. including the Dodger faithful’s enthusiasm to vote for him.

Even the outfield headlines come with caution flags. Raleigh’s injury timeline has him in a different category than full-health contenders, and Altuve’s lack of a timetable has everyone guessing.

And for some players, the All-Star case is still about timing and opportunity—because the vote is happening now, Phase 1 ends at noon ET on Thursday, June 25, and the starting lineup decisions are already within reach.

Whether fans lean toward names chasing their next streak. or rookies reshaping expectations. the ballot is already pulling the league into focus. This is the part of the season where arguments get loud—and. for one night in July at Citizens Bank Park. the results will finally turn those arguments into a lineup.

2026 MLB All-Star voting Phase 1 deadline Citizens Bank Park July 14 Midsummer Classic All-Star starters fan voting guide