Shohei Ohtani and Ernie Clement secured automatic starting spots for the Midsummer Classic after Major League Baseball finalized Phase 1 of the fan voting on Thursday.
Ohtani led all players with 3,341,257 votes. He will start at designated hitter for the National League, marking his sixth consecutive All-Star appearance. The Los Angeles Dodgers star is currently batting .295 with a .963 OPS, along with an 8-2 record and a 1.58 ERA on the mound.
Clement generated a late fan surge to capture the American League lead with 3,232,932 votes. He bypassed perennial superstars like Aaron Judge and Mike Trout in the final tallies. The Toronto Blue Jays infielder, who is batting .292 and tied for the AL lead in doubles with 20, earns his first career All-Star nod and will start at second base.
The achievement caps an incredible career turnaround for Clement. He was waived by both the Guardians and Athletics in 2022 before catching on with Toronto, eventually setting a single-postseason record with 30 hits during the Blue Jays’ 2025 playoff run.
The remaining roster spots are now up for grabs. The top two vote-getters at the remaining infield positions, along with the top six outfielders per league, advance to Phase 2, according to the official Phase 1 voting totals. That voting window runs from June 29 to July 2. Heavyweights including Judge, Trout, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. all advanced to this final voting phase.
The 2026 All-Star Game is scheduled for July 14 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.