The New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge became the first player to be elected as a starter for the American League by fans for the July 15 All-Star game at Truist Park in Atlanta.
Judge racked up 4,012,983 votes, edging Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani (3,967,668) to lead all of Major League Baseball. With that, Judge becomes the first player officially locked in to start for the AL on July 15 at Truist Park in Atlanta, while Ohtani was the first starter elected to start for the National League.
What Does It Mean for Aaron Judge?
The Yankee outfielder was picked for his seventh AL start (2017, 2018, 2021-25), but 2025 will be his sixth start because he missed the 2023 All-Star game due to a sprained right big toe.
It’s yet another nod from the fans for Judge, reinforcing his dominance to emerge as a fan favorite, not just in the AL but throughout MLB. He was also the leading vote-getter during the first phase in 2022 and 2024.
This will be Aaron Judge’s sixth season starting the All-Star Game
That will tie Bill Dickey for 6th-most seasons as an All-Star starter in Yankees history, behind only:
Mickey Mantle: 11 (13g)
Yogi Berra: 10 (11g)
Joe DiMaggio: 9
Derek Jeter: 9
Dave Winfield: 7 https://t.co/fRiZtnG0Dm— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) June 26, 2025
His team, the Yankees, though closely followed by the Tampa Bay Rays, are still the favorites to win the AL East crown. Judge’s elite presence both at the plate and in right field has been crucial for the New York side.
Another presence at the Midsummer Classic reinforces Judge as a cornerstone of the franchise, adding to his legacy in the pinstripes. He has now tied Bill Dickey for the sixth-most seasons as an All-Star starter in Yankees history. Mickey Mantle still leads the list by an impressive 11 times.
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Judge is putting together yet another MVP-caliber campaign, leading the AL with a career-best slash line of .361/.461/.719. He’s already hit 28 home runs and driven in 63 RBIs, putting him on pace to surpass the 50-homer, 120-RBI mark once again.
When Will Phase 2 of the All-Star Voting Begin and End?
The voting for Phase 2 will begin at noon ET on Monday, June 30, and end at noon ET on Wednesday, July 2. For the American League, fans voted for each position in Phase 1, with the top two players at each infield and DH position, plus the top four outfielders, advancing to Phase 2.
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Why not the top six outfielders? That’s because Judge received the most votes in the entire AL, which means he’s already locked in as one of the three starting outfielders. So the next four AL outfielders will compete for the final two outfield spots in Phase 2.
American League All-Star Voting Phase 2 Finalists
It all comes down to the final set of players, from whom fans will vote and pick the AL All-Star starting lineup.
- Catcher: Cal Raleigh (Seattle Mariners), Alejandro Kirk (Toronto Blue Jays)
- First Base: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Toronto Blue Jays), Paul Goldschmidt (New York Yankees)
- Second Base: Gleyber Torres (Detroit Tigers), Jackson Holliday (Baltimore Orioles)
- Third Base: José Ramírez (Cleveland Guardians), Alex Bregman (Boston Red Sox)
- Shortstop: Jacob Wilson (Oakland Athletics), Bobby Witt Jr. (Kansas City Royals)
- Outfield: Riley Greene (Detroit Tigers), Javier Báez (Detroit Tigers), Mike Trout (Los Angeles Angels), Steven Kwan (Cleveland Guardians)
- Designated Hitter: Ryan O’Hearn (Baltimore Orioles), Ben Rice (New York Yankees)
Will Fans Vote for the American League All-Star Team’s Pitchers?
No, baseball fans cannot vote and pick the pitching staff for the All-Star game. Instead, they are decided by a combination of player ballots and selections from the MLB Commissioner’s Office.
I think if anything what the numbers would tell us is that the ERA + Volume pick is Fried, the best performing-pitcher is Skubal.
Tarik Skubal is still the AL Favorite. https://t.co/gwoIEDWVuw pic.twitter.com/0IS78vo2ZY
— Ryan Garcia (@RyanGarciaESM) June 26, 2025
Player ballot: Players, coaches, and managers vote to select eight pitchers (five starters and three relievers), as well as one backup for each position, including designated hitter.
The commissioner’s office: Selects six additional players for each league (four pitchers and two position players) to complete the roster and ensure every AL team is represented.
The results of the Phase 2 winners will be announced on Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET, live on ESPN.
