The first phase of MLB All-Star voting concluded last week, and two finalists at each position (six outfielders) advanced to phase two, where fans are voting to determine the starting lineup for both the American League and National League.
There will undoubtedly be some close races in the second phase of All-Star voting, with some position battles expected to go down to the wire. Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge have already cemented their status as All-Star starters, having garnered the most votes in their respective leagues.
With voting set to close Wednesday, let’s take a look at some of the toughest decisions facing voters.
American League
First Base – Vladimir Guerrero Jr. vs. Paul Goldschmidt
The battle at first base comes down to Toronto Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and New York Yankees veteran Paul Goldschmidt.
Offensively, Guerrero has been the superior performer in 2025, logging a .840 OPS with 12 home runs and 44 RBIs. He has 47 walks and just 49 strikeouts on the year, showing terrific discipline at the plate. His defense, however, has been somewhat lackluster, as his six errors at first base are tied for the MLB lead.
As for Goldschmidt, his steady bat and glove at first base have provided some much-needed stability in New York's lineup. While he's cooled off a bit at the plate, he's a reliable defender and still an elite contact hitter at 37 years of age. Goldschmidt has a .767 OPS and a 115 OPS+ while logging eight home runs, 32 RBIs and five steals.
Phase one voting results: Vladimir Guerrero - 2,089,666 votes, Paul Goldschmidt - 1,588,603 votes
Shortstop – Jacob Wilson vs. Bobby Witt Jr.
The emergence of Jacob Wilson has been one of the biggest surprises of the first half of the season, as the Athletics shortstop has been one of MLB's best hitters. He even garnered more votes than 2024 AL MVP runner-up Bobby Witt Jr. during phase one.
Wilson is slashing .339/.380/.473 in his first full big-league season, having been one of the few bright spots for the flailing A’s. He has just 26 strikeouts in 81 games and his 108 hits trail only Aaron Judge.
As for Witt, his numbers have dipped from his prolific 2024 season, but he's still having a great year. He boasts a .825 OPS with a league-leading 29 doubles to go with 11 home runs, 45 RBIs and 21 steals.
Phase one voting results: Jacob Wilson - 1,801,528 votes, Bobby Witt Jr. - 1,306,825 votes
National League
Shortstop – Francisco Lindor vs. Mookie Betts
Much like in the AL, the NL's starting shortstop battle is tightly contested. Two of MLB’s biggest stars are competing, as Mookie Betts of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Francisco Lindor of the New York Mets topped phase one of voting.
By their standards, Lindor and Betts are having something of down years. But they've still been among the best at their position in the league. Lindor has a .775 OPS, his lowest since his first year with the franchise, along with 16 home runs, 43 RBIs and 13 stolen bases. They aren't world-beating numbers, but he's been plenty productive and could be in line to start the All-Star Game for the first time.
As for Betts, the Dodgers shortstop has a career low .707 OPS. He's never previously recorded an OPS below .812, so he's certainly been performing well below his usual production. Still, he's hit nine home runs with 41 RBIs and has struck out just 35 times in 78 games.
Phase one voting results: Francisco Lindor - 2,296,443 votes, Mookie Betts- 2,094,921 votes
Third Base – Manny Machado vs. Max Muncy
Muncy and Machado have both been off to strong starts to the year, and the NL West rivals could see their battle to start at third base go down to the wire.
Machado has had his best year at the plate since 2022. He's batting .293 and has a .831 OPS with 13 home runs and 47 RBIs. He's hit 20 doubles and has eight steals, all while playing prolific defense at the hot corner.
As for Muncy, he got off to a slow start but has heated up with the weather. The veteran infielder was on fire in June, when he logged a 1.113 OPS with seven home runs, 24 RBIs and 19 walks in 25 games. He's now got a .845 OPS on the season with 13 home runs and 55 RBIs, which ranks tied for 10th in the NL.
Phase one voting results: Manny Machado - 2,495,554 votes, Max Muncy- 1,665,829 votes
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as MLB All-Star Game Position Battles: A Look at the Toughest Choices in Fan Voting.