Phase 1 of MLB All-Star Game voting is in, and the Los Angeles Dodgers are looking at as many seven players getting the honor this year.
In addition to superstar Shohei Ohtani, who got the most overall votes in Phase 1 and thus has already locked down a starting spot in the Midsummer Classic, six Dodgers got enough votes to move onto Phase 2.
They are:
- Will Smith
- Freddie Freeman
- Max Muncy
- Mookie Betts
- Teoscar Hernandez
- Andy Pages
In addition, manager Dave Roberts is helming the National League squad.
Will the Dodgers get all seven players into the All-Star Game?
Several of the Dodgers who’ve made it to Phase 2 did so without having their best season.
Smith, for example, is on the injured list with neck pain. Even before his injury, though, he hadn’t performed at his best.
That said, he could still garner the most votes and be the NL’s starting catcher for the second season in a row, explained Theo DeRosa of MLB.com.
“Smith has just six homers and a career-low .720 OPS, but he could be the first NL backstop to start consecutive All-Star Games since Willson Contreras in 2018 and 2019 if he can beat out [Atlanta Braves catcher Drake] Baldwin,” DeRosa said.
Another example is the shortstop Betts, who hit his 300th career home run on Wednesday but otherwise has struggled at the plate this season, which included a long stint on the injured list with a strained oblique.
“Betts hasn’t performed great overall (.705 OPS), but he still has a chance to represent the NL in the Midsummer Classic — and even to start, if he can beat out [Washington Nationals shortstop CJ] Abrams in Phase 2,” DeRosa wrote.
When is Phase 2 voting?
Voting for Phase 2, a three-day period, begins Monday at 9 a.m. PT and ends at 9 a.m. PT on Thursday, July 2.
The players who get the most votes during that three-day period will be starters in the All-Star game, which is July 14 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.
You can cast your votes on the MLB website, the MLB app and the websites of all 30 clubs.
