Ohtani Earns Most Votes in MLB All-Star Fan Ballot for First Time

Superstar Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers has earned the honor of receiving the most votes in the Major League Baseball (MLB) All-Star fan ballot across both leagues for the first time since his debut.

The MLB office announced today (June 26) that Ohtani received 3,341,257 votes, placing him first in total votes across the entire league in the first phase of the 2026 All-Star fan voting.

This marks the first time Ohtani has secured the top spot in total votes across both the American League (AL) and National League (NL) since he began his big league career in 2018.

With this result, Ohtani has secured his spot as the starting designated hitter for the National League, regardless of the outcome of the second phase of voting.

MLB grants the top vote-getter in each league from the first phase an automatic starting spot in the All-Star Game, exempting them from the final round of voting.

With this selection, Ohtani will make his sixth consecutive All-Star appearance since 2021, when he became the first player in MLB history to be selected as a two-way player.

He has also maintained his streak of being the top-voted designated hitter for five consecutive years.

Ohtani previously recorded the most votes in his respective league while in the AL in 2023 and in the NL in 2025.

Ohtani's performance this season has been stellar.

On the mound, he has made 13 starts, pitching 79⅔ innings with an 8-2 record and a 1.58 ERA.

At the plate, he has played in 77 games, posting a batting average of .295 with 81 hits, 17 home runs, 46 RBIs, and an OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) of .963.

Meanwhile, in the American League, Toronto Blue Jays infielder Ernie Clement was selected as the league's top vote-getter with 3,232,932 votes.

Clement, who delivered an outstanding performance during last fall's postseason, will make his first-ever All-Star appearance.

The MLB All-Star fan voting process confirms the starting lineup for the top vote-getters in each league during the first phase, while the top two players at each position (or top six outfielders) advance to a second phase of voting to determine the final starters.

The 2026 MLB All-Star Game will be held on July 15 at Citizens Bank Park, the home stadium of the Philadelphia Phillies.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.