MLB All-Star voting finalists: Ronald Acuña Jr., Shohei Ohtani in, ballot thins out

The finalists for the 2023 MLB All-Star Game have been revealed, and Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. and Los Angeles Angels two-way player Shohei Ohtani became automatic starters.

The 2023 MLB All-Star Game is less than a month away, and the baseball world will gather in Seattle, Washington for the festivities. Recently, the voting process opened up, allowing fans to vote for their favorite players. Earlier this week, there was an update that showed the top 10 vote-getters for each position, allowing fans to step things up to ensure their player of choice gets in.

On Thursday, MLB Network hosted a special to reveal the finalists for the All-Star Game after Phase 1 of voting. The overall top vote-getter in each league will earn an automatic spot in the starting lineup.

Los Angeles Angels two-way player Shohei Ohtani and Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. received the most votes in the American and National Leagues, respectively. With that, Ohtani is the starting designated hitter for the AL team, while Acuña is the starting outfielder for the NL team.

MLB All-Star Game voting finalists revealed

The Toronto Blue Jays and Texas Rangers have received a lot of love in the voting process, as they each have five finalists. Toronto has first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., second baseman Whit Merrifield, third baseman Matt Chapman, shortstop Bo Bichette, and Kevin Keirmaier. Texas, meanwhile, has catcher Jonah Heim, second baseman Marcus Semien, shortstop Corey Seager, third baseman Josh Jung, and outfielder Aroldis Garcia remaining on the ballot.

Below are the finalists for the American League.

As for the National League, the Atlanta Braves have a staggering six finalists remaining on the ballot not named Acuña. Catcher Sean Murphy, first baseman Matt Olson, second baseman Ozzie Albies, third baseman Austin Riley, shortstop Orlando Arcia, and outfielder Michael Harris II all remain on the ballot. The Los Angeles Dodgers have four finalists in outfielder Mookie Betts, catcher Will Smith, designated hitter J.D. Martinez, and first baseman Freddie Freeman.

Important to note that there are only four outfield finalists. That’s because Acuña received an automatic bid in the starting lineup.

Here is the full list of finalists for the National League team.

Phase 2 of voting for the MLB All-Star Game will begin on Monday, June 26 at noon ET and conclude on Thursday, June 29 at noon ET. The starting lineups for the American and National League teams will be revealed on June 29 at 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.