Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani dominate initial All-Star Game vote
June 16 - Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani, who have combined to win five of the last eight Most Valuable Player awards, are lapping the rest of Major League Baseball in the first batch of All-Star Game balloting.
Judge, the New York Yankees' slugger who paces the majors in batting average (.378), on-base percentage (.473) and slugging percentage (.756) and shares the lead in homers (26), leads all players with 1,568,527 votes from fans.
Ohtani, who has amassed a MLB-best 73 runs to go with a .297 batting average, 25 homers and 11 steals, paces all National League players with 1,398,771 votes. The Los Angeles Dodgers' designated hitter is scheduled to pitch tonight against the San Diego Padres - his first mound appearance since Aug. 23, 2023, when he was still with the Los Angeles Angels.
This year's All-Star Game balloting process features two stages of fan voting. The current stage runs through Thursday, June 26. At that point, the top two vote-getters at each position (including six outfielders) in each league will engage in a run-off to determine which players will start July 15 at the Atlanta Braves' Truist Field.
Here are the top American League vote-getters at each position:
Catcher: Seattle's Cal Raleigh (1,043,168) and Toronto's Alejandro Kirk (370,460); First base: New York's Paul Goldschmidt (667,258) and Toronto's Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (614,726); Second base: Detroit's Gleyber Torres (535,079) and Baltimore's Jackson Holliday (440,093); Shortstop: the Athletics' Jacob Wilson (562,696) and Kansas City's Bobby Witt Jr. (519,984); Third base: Cleveland's Jose Ramirez (968,754) and Boston's Alex Bregman (397,581).
The top six American League outfielders are Judge, Detroit's Riley Greene (675,070), Los Angeles' Mike Trout (475,265), Cleveland's Steven Kwan (457,882), Detroit's Javier Baez (421,342) and New York's Cody Bellinger (416,858). Baltimore's Ryan O'Hearn (353,029) leads New York's Ben Rice (232,331) in the designated hitter category.
Ohtani and his Dodgers teammates are well-represented among the National League's top vote-getters at each position:
Catcher: Los Angeles' Will Smith (1,124,629) and Chicago's Carson Kelly (408,081); First base: Los Angeles' Freddie Freeman (1,136,389) and New York's Pete Alonso (895,900). Second base: Arizona's Ketel Marte (850,572) and Los Angeles' Tommy Edman (510,451); Shortstop: New York's Francisco Lindor (1,019,273) and Los Angeles' Mookie Betts (597,188); Third base: San Diego's Manny Machado (955,122) and Los Angeles' Max Muncy (415,750).
The top six National League outfielders are Chicago's Pete Crow-Armstrong (1,126,119) and Kyle Tucker (704,740), Los Angeles' Teoscar Hernandez (685,553), New York's Juan Soto (625,618), Arizona's Corbin Carroll (597,805) and Atlanta's Ronald Acuna Jr. (596,363). When Rafael Devers (796,382) was traded from the Boston Red Sox to the San Francisco Giants on Sunday, he bumped Chicago's Seiya Suzuki (358,138) out of the second spot in the DH balloting.
--Field Level Media
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NBC News
19 minutes ago
- NBC News
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani makes long-awaited return to the mound after elbow surgery
Shohei Ohtani gave up a pair of two-strike hits and a run in his Los Angeles Dodgers pitching debut against the San Diego Padres on Monday night, 21 months after the two-way superstar had elbow surgery. Ohtani threw 28 pitches — 16 for strikes — in the first inning as fans hung on every one of them. They oohed when a fastball was clocked at 100.2 mph — the second-hardest pitch thrown by a Dodgers hurler this season. Ohtani appeared to be laboring on the mound, his face sweaty. He warmed up to his usual music, Michael Bublé's version of 'Feeling Good.' After retiring Xander Bogaerts on a grounder for the third out, Ohtani walked over to an umpire who checked his hands and glove. He didn't enter the dugout. Instead, he put on his batting gloves and other equipment near the railing and walked to the on-deck circle to prepare to lead off the bottom of the inning. Ohtani struck out swinging against Padres starter Dylan Cease, but then tied the score at 1 with an RBI double to left-center in the third. 'He's ready, he's adamant, he feels good, strong, ready to pitch a major league game,' Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said before the game. 'I think everyone in that clubhouse, I think the fans, media, we've been waiting for this moment.' Ohtani faced Fernando Tatis Jr., Luis Arráez, Manny Machado, Gavin Sheets and Bogaerts in the first. Tatis flared a single to center field and went to second on Ohtani's wild pitch. Arráez singled and Machado's sacrifice fly scored Tatis. Sheets and Bogaerts grounded out. That was it for Ohtani on the mound. Anthony Banda replaced him in the second. 'I think I got the best seat in the house to watch it and to watch this guy start and then take an at-bat,' Roberts said. 'This is bananas. I'm thrilled.' Major League Baseball made the game available for free on streaming site The Japanese right-hander was pitching in a big league game about three weeks after facing hitters in simulated at-bats for the first time. All the while, Ohtani was still wielding his powerful bat in the lineup for the NL West leaders. 'It got to the point where, hey, it feels like we should take that next step and almost look to finish the rehab at the major league level because of the taxing nature of what he was doing,' Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said. Typically, pitchers returning from injuries go on minor league rehab assignments, but Ohtani is an exception. 'It's been really encouraging overall the way he's bounced back and been able to continue to feel good doing both,' Gomes said. Roberts said: 'You've got to hear the player and trust the player.' Roberts briefly considered not having Ohtani bat leadoff, but the slugger assured his manager he was fine with it. 'It could change going forward,' Roberts said, 'but right now he feels very comfortable with taking the mound and coming in the dugout and getting on his stuff to go take an at-bat.' Gomes acknowledged the team is in a unique situation, trying to balance Ohtani's offensive prowess with his pitching ability while erring on the side of caution. 'We don't know how he's going to come out, if his legs are going to be tired. We have to make sure that we're also keeping one of our best hitters in the lineup,' Gomes said. 'It has to be an ongoing conversation and making sure that Shohei is the one driving this conversation.' The three-time MVP began the night batting .290 with 25 homers, which led the National League, 41 RBIs and 11 stolen bases in the leadoff spot. While Ohtani won't be throwing deep into games at first, just his presence on the mound figures to bolster a staff that has been decimated by injuries. The Dodgers have eight starters, including Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell and Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki, and six relievers on the injured list. Roberts said he and the coaches would watch Ohtani's command, delivery, and ability to repeat his mechanics. 'Like he always does, he's going to give everything he has and we expect a high-quality outing,' Gomes said. Ohtani is already on the roster as the designated hitter, so the Dodgers are essentially adding an extra pitcher without having to make a corresponding roster move. 'It's not going to be a once-every-five-day situation, so there's going to be plenty of time to recover,' Roberts said. 'We also have the luxury of pitching him as much as we want as far as in a particular outing.' Ohtani helped the Dodgers win their eighth World Series title — and his first — last season, the first of a $700 million, 10-year contract. He earned his third MVP award and first in the National League. He hadn't pitched since 2023 with the Los Angeles Angels. He was 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA and 167 strikeouts in 23 starts that season. His last mound appearance was on Aug. 23, 2023, when he got hurt during an outing against Cincinnati. Ohtani had Tommy John surgery on Oct. 1, 2018, and is recovering from a second major operation on his right elbow Sept. 19, 2023. As a pitcher, he entered 38-19 with a 3.01 ERA and 608 strikeouts in 481 2/3 innings during his major league career. 'The main goal is obviously to have him strong down the stretch run and through October,' Gomes said.
Daily Mail
27 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
New York Yankees suffer major blow with key man out for the season
New York Yankees pitcher Jake Cousins' season is over as he prepares to undergo Tommy John surgery on his right elbow. Manager Aaron Boone told reporters over the weekend that Cousins, who is currently in his second season with the Yankees, would likely need to undergo the major operation this week. It is believed he will go under the knife on Wednesday, meaning he will not play for the team in 2025. The 30-year-old, sidelined all season, made minor league rehab appearances on June 3 and 7 for High-A Hudson Valley and felt discomfort. He first suffered a forearm strain as he geared up for the new season in Spring Training, before being placed on the 60-day injured list with a flexor tendon strain. Having briefly paused his rehab schedule due to pectoral discomfort, Cousins struggled when he resumed his program after damaging his Ulnar Collateral Ligament, an injury which requires Tommy John surgery. Recovery typically takes between 12 and 18 months for a full return to sport, though extra caution is often taken with baseball pitchers. Two-way LA Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani is only making his highly-anticipated return to the mound on Monday night after almost two years, having undergone the same surgery back in September 2023. Cousins, who is a cousin of NFL quarterback Kirk Cousins, was traded to the Yankees by the Chicago White Sox last year. Prior to his move to New York, the former Pennsylvania college star most notably spent three seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers. In better new for the Yankees, designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton is set to start against the Los Angeles Angels and bat fifth after missing their first 70 games because of inflammation in the tendons of both elbows. Stanton was three for 11 with four RBIs in three rehab games last week with Double-A Somerset, an assignment cut short by rainy weather. He worked out Sunday at Yankee Stadium while New York were getting swept at Boston. 'He feels good to go,' Boone said. 'Excited to get the big boy back.' Stanton has not played a full season since 2018, the first year after the Yankees acquired him from the Miami Marlins. Entering Monday, he had missed 364 of 940 games (39 percent) since the beginning of the 2019 season.
The Guardian
44 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Thunder move one win from first NBA title in 46 years after holding off Pacers
The Oklahoma City Thunder moved within one win of their first NBA championship in 46 years on Monday night, beating the Indiana Pacers 120–109 in Game 5 of the NBA finals to take a 3-2 series lead. Jalen Williams scored a career playoff-high 40 points and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 31 points and 10 assists as the Thunder's top two scorers carried the team to the brink of the franchise's first title since 1979. Oklahoma City pulled away in the fourth quarter after Indiana had cut an 18-point deficit to just two. Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 28 points. TJ McConnell added 18 off the bench, including 13 during a third-quarter run that helped Indiana close the gap despite limited production from Tyrese Haliburton, who was slowed by a leg injury. A pair of Siakam free throws made it 93–89 early in the fourth quarter and a three-pointer moments later trimmed Oklahoma City's lead to 95–93. But the Thunder roared back with an 11–2 run and never allowed the Pacers to get closer. Game 6 is Thursday night in Indianapolis. Oklahoma City are 7–3 on the road this postseason. Indiana are 9–1 at home. Teams that win Game 5 of a finals tied 2–2 have gone on to win the series 74% of the time. A Thunder win in Game 6 would clinch the franchise's first title since the team was known as the Seattle Supersonics. This is a developing story. More to follow.
