Yankees captain leads MLB in fan voting, with ohtani close behind and key position races heating up

New York Yankees leader Aaron Judge is topping this year’s Major League Baseball AllStar fan vote, narrowly outpacing Los Angeles Dodgers legend Shohei Ohtani.

As the first phase of voting wraps up on Thursday, June 26 (noon ET), both sluggers seem destined to secure starting roles for the July 15 Midsummer Classic in Atlanta.

According to MLB’s official update on X, Judge has racked up 2,699,483 votes, making him the overall leader, while Ohtani isn’t far behind with 2,521,718, keeping pace as the top National League candidate.

Beyond the headline duel, the American League‘s outfield race is shaping up tightly. Detroit Tigers‘ Riley Greene has amassed 1,370,098 votes, positioning himself as the next-closest contender to Judge.

Meanwhile, at first base in the AL, the Toronto Blue Jays‘ Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has overtaken Yankees veteran Paul Goldschmidt, leading 1,192,604 to 1,118,501 votes. Both stand to advance to Phase 2, but Guerrero holds momentum.

The designated hitter spot is tightly contested as well. Baltimore‘s Ryan O’Hearn has surged past Tampa Bay‘s Ben Rice with 937,205 to Rice‘s 409,336 votes; meanwhile, former All-Star Brent Rooker is right behind Rice, within about 13,000 votes, threatening Rice‘s chance to proceed.

Tightening races around the league

As the countdown to phase one’s close continues, some of the closest battles include AL second base-Jackson Holliday vs. Jose Altuve (separated by about 11,000 votes)-and AL shortstop, where Oakland‘s rookie Jacob Wilson leads. Those top two in each category will move into the Phase 2 runoff.

The importance of the fan vote

Winning the initial fan vote grants Judge and Ohtani automatic starting berths-a first-phase tradition since 2022.

If Judge holds top spot in the AL, only five other outfielders can advance to Phase 2; without him, six would qualify.

Their seasons underscore the fan fascination: Judge leads MLB with a remarkable slash line (currently batting around .364-.367) while pacing the AL in average, OBP, and slugging.

Ohtani has also excelled, topping NL charts with 77 runs, around 26-27 home runs, a .291 batting average, and providing his rarified two-way impact.

Judge‘s dominance is historic: if he repeats as overall vote leader, he’ll be the first since Alex Rodriguez (2007-2008).

Looking ahead to phase 2

Phase 2, the positional runoff, kicks off June 30 and runs through July 2. Fans will then select starters among finalists at each position.

The AllStar Game itself is set for July 15 at Truist Park in Atlanta, followed by full rosters confirmed by the commissioner’s office.