Honestly, the 2025 Midsummer Classic in Atlanta was kind of a fever dream for anyone who grew up watching a different era of baseball. We usually expect the big-market behemoths like the Yankees or Dodgers to just steamroll the ballot boxes. And yeah, Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani did their thing—clinched starting spots before anyone else even had a chance to breathe—but the mlb all star voting results 2025 actually told a much weirder, more localized story about where fans' heads are at right now.
If you weren't paying close attention to the Detroit Tigers or the Chicago Cubs this summer, you probably did a double-take when the final lineups dropped. Detroit, of all teams, basically staged a hostile takeover of the American League outfield. It’s wild.
The Judge and Ohtani Lockdown
Before we get into the chaotic stuff, we have to talk about the two guys who basically made Phase 2 of voting irrelevant for their positions. Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani. Total locks.
Judge ended Phase 1 with over 4 million votes, which is just an absurd number. He became the first player to repeat as the top overall vote-getter since A-Rod back in the mid-2000s. He’s essentially playing a different sport at this point, chasing a Triple Crown and putting up OPS numbers that look like they're from a video game.
Over in the National League, Ohtani was the designated hitter of choice. Surprise, surprise. Even though he was technically "within striking distance" of Judge for the overall lead, he secured his DH spot with nearly 3.9 million votes. It’s funny, really—at this point, voting for anyone else at DH in the NL feels like you’re just trying to be a contrarian.
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The Detroit Takeover and the "Big Dumper" Era
This is where the mlb all star voting results 2025 got interesting. The Tigers haven't exactly been the center of the baseball universe lately, but their fans clearly got the memo this year.
Riley Greene and Javier Báez both surged through Phase 2 to grab starting spots in the AL outfield alongside Judge. Seeing Javy Báez back in an All-Star starting lineup is sorta shocking given his struggles the last couple of years, but he’s had a massive defensive resurgence and the fans in Michigan clearly rewarded that.
Then you have Cal Raleigh in Seattle. "Big Dumper" didn't just win; he dominated. He put up over 1.9 million votes in Phase 1 and absolutely cruised past Alejandro Kirk in the finals. He's actually the first catcher in Mariners history to ever start an All-Star Game. Think about that for a second. In a franchise that had Ken Griffey Jr. and Ichiro, they’ve never had a starting catcher until now. He’s been hitting home runs at a historic pace for a backstop, and the voting reflected that respect.
American League Starters: The Official List
- Catcher: Cal Raleigh (Mariners)
- First Base: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Blue Jays)
- Second Base: Gleyber Torres (Tigers) - Another Tiger!
- Third Base: Jose Ramirez (Guardians)
- Shortstop: Jacob Wilson (Athletics)
- Outfield: Aaron Judge (Yankees), Riley Greene (Tigers), Javier Báez (Tigers)
- DH: Ryan O'Hearn (Orioles)
The Rookies Are Actually Taking Over
Usually, the All-Star Game is a "lifetime achievement award" for older stars. Not in 2025.
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Look at Jacob Wilson for the A's. The kid is a rookie and he beat out Bobby Witt Jr. for the starting shortstop spot in the AL. That is massive. Wilson has been hitting well over .330, and while Witt is arguably the better all-around player, the "new car smell" of Wilson's breakout season captured the fan vote.
And then there's Pete Crow-Armstrong for the Cubs. PCA didn't just make the team; he led all NL outfielders in votes at one point. He’s a 20-20 guy already, and his defense in center field is basically a nightly highlight reel. The Cubs also landed Kyle Tucker (who they snagged in that blockbuster trade with Houston) in the starting lineup.
Why the Juan Soto "Snub" Isn't What You Think
Social media went nuclear when Juan Soto didn't make the starting lineup. People were calling it the biggest snub in the history of the mlb all star voting results 2025. But if you look at the numbers, it’s a bit more nuanced.
Soto is a god at the plate, obviously. But the National League outfield was stacked with guys like Ronald Acuña Jr., PCA, and Tucker. Plus, Soto's defensive metrics—specifically Outs Above Average (OAA)—were among the worst in the league this half. In a year where fans seemed to value "excitement" and "all-around play," the pure-hitting DH-style outfielder took a backseat. He still made the team as a reserve, but the fans wanted the flash of Crow-Armstrong and the power of Tucker instead.
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National League Starters: The Final Cut
- Catcher: Will Smith (Dodgers)
- First Base: Freddie Freeman (Dodgers)
- Second Base: Ketel Marte (Diamondbacks)
- Third Base: Manny Machado (Padres)
- Shortstop: Francisco Lindor (Mets) - Finally getting his start!
- Outfield: Ronald Acuña Jr. (Braves), Pete Crow-Armstrong (Cubs), Kyle Tucker (Cubs)
- DH: Shohei Ohtani (Dodgers)
Pitching: The Skenes and Skubal Show
While the fans vote for the hitters, the players and MLB office handle the arms. And honestly? They nailed it.
Tarik Skubal (Tigers) and Paul Skenes (Pirates) were the clear choices to lead their respective staffs. Skubal has been the best pitcher in the AL for two years running now, but Skenes is the real story. Starting an All-Star Game as a sophomore (after his massive rookie debut in '24) is legendary stuff. He’s basically the face of pitching in the NL right now.
Surprising Names in the Reserves
The reserve list always feels like a "who's who" of guys who got robbed of a starting spot.
- Elly De La Cruz (Reds): He didn't start because Lindor has been on a tear, but Elly is the most exciting player in the league.
- Ryan O'Hearn (Orioles): He actually won the fan vote for DH in the AL. At 31, he’s a first-time All-Star. It’s a cool story for a guy who was basically a journeyman until he landed in Baltimore.
- Garrett Crochet (Red Sox): The trade to Boston worked out. He led the AL in strikeouts and earned a spot on the mound for the AL.
Insights for the Second Half
The mlb all star voting results 2025 show us that the "old guard" is shifting. If you're looking at the betting markets or just trying to figure out who’s going to win the World Series, keep an eye on these three trends from the voting:
- The Detroit Factor: The Tigers aren't just a fluke. Their young core (Greene, Skubal) is legit, and the fan energy behind them is real.
- The "New" Shortstop Era: Between Jacob Wilson, Bobby Witt Jr., and Elly De La Cruz, we are in a golden age of shortstops who can hit 30 homers and steal 40 bases.
- Contact is Back: Guys like Jacob Wilson and Steven Kwan (who was a finalist) are proving that fans still love a guy who just puts the ball in play.
Check the final roster updates on the official MLB app before the game starts in Atlanta to see if any injury replacements (like for Corbin Carroll or Jeremy Peña) change the dynamic of the lineups. Look for the "Legend Picks"—this year it was Clayton Kershaw for the NL—to see which veterans get that one last nod.