MLB All-Star Game voting is a bit more complicated than the days when ushers handed out paper ballots at the ballpark and fans spent the next few innings poking little holes in them, leaving the stands strewn with tiny paper dots.
The first portion of this year's outcomes was revealed Thursday, when the leading vote-getter in each league was identified and the finalists for the other starting spots were announced. The Phase 1 winners were no surprise: Shohei Ohtani in the American League (as a DH) and outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. in the National League were selected as automatic starters on July 11 in Seattle.
Now it's time for Phase 2. Beginning today, fans have four days to vote among the finalists at each non-pitching position. Fans can vote once per day, and now that we are on to Phase 2, the Phase 1 vote totals have been reset at zero. The results from Phase 2, which closes Thursday at noon ET, will be revealed that evening on ESPN (7 ET), giving us our 2023 All-Star Game starters.
So where do things stand? Let's take it position by position, looking at who made Phase 2, who was left out, how we might consider the finalists and what the Phase 1 results tell us.
First, a caveat: In judging players, we're focusing solely on the current season and what we've seen over the first three months. To pull in results from last year, while a reasonable approach, just doesn't strike the right chord. This is the 2023 All-Star Game, and it should reflect the 2023 season.
This also gives us a chance to look at some standouts who are driving the narratives of the season in various ways and who may -- or may not -- have been overlooked in the fan balloting.