MLB has released its first All-Star voting update, and a number of Yankees are in contention, with Ben Rice and Aaron Judge in good position to secure spots. As a refresher on how All-Star voting works, we’re currently in Phase 1, which runs through June 25th; the top overall vote-getter in each league after Phase 1 will automatically earn a starting spot at their position in the All-Star Game. The top two vote-getters at every other position proceed to a run-off in Phase 2.
Despite going down with
a right rib stress fracture, Judge is still tops among AL outfielders, and trails only Yordan Alvarez for most votes in the American League. His lead over the number-two outfielder, Mike Trout, is narrow, with Judge leading by 977,460 votes to 926,601 votes. Alvarez, a DH, isn’t far ahead of Judge at 1,015,768 votes, but Judge faces an uphill climb to catch Alvarez and earn an automatic slot, given he’ll be on the shelf at least the rest of the month.
Ben Rice is one of two other Yankees in position to proceed to Phase 2, as he’s second to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at first base, trailing by about 96,000 votes. Guerrero’s star power keeps him in the top spot, with Rice thoroughly outplaying the Blue Jay, Rice’s 172 wRC+ dwarfing Guerrero’s 108. The other is Cody Bellinger in the outfield, in third behind Judge and Trout. The top six outfielders advance in the voting, so Bellinger, in the midst of what’s been his best season since his 2019 MVP campaign, looks to be in a good spot.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. is also within striking distance of qualifying for the Phase 2 run-off. He’s only in fifth place among AL second basemen, but he’s not far behind the second slot, with the Rangers’ Ezequiel Duran in second at 287,996 and Chisholm at 230,846. After a terrible start, Chisholm has looked much more like himself the last several weeks, and could move up in the standings if he stays hot. Giancarlo Stanton is in fourth in the DH rankings, but has slim odds to catch up after suffering a setback in his recovery from a calf injury.
Other Yankees that received enough votes to show up in the rankings for their respective positions: José Caballero, in ninth at shortstop, Ryan McMahon (amusingly) at tenth at third base, and Austin Wells (even more amusingly) at tenth at catcher. You can check out the full lists, as well as the voting for the National League, here.
