All-Star Fan Vote
Andy Pages, Guerrero Jr. Lead MLB All-Star Voting; Fan Support Elevates Unexpected Players
Key Points
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s All-Star fan vote lead is occurring despite a down offensive season: he’s hitting .280 with only three home runs, a .366 slugging percentage, and a .737 OPS—more than 100 points below his career .853 mark. TSN also notes he’s ninth on Toronto in homers and his OPS is far below his typical output.
Ernie Clement’s late-ballot momentum is tied to a breakout stat line in 2026: he’s slashing .304/.324/.460 with seven home runs, 28 RBI, and a league-leading 20 doubles (TSN’s update frames this as his best offensive season so far).
Toronto’s voting surge is explicitly described as “hardly scientific,” with George Springer used as an example of fans lifting players regardless of on-field performance. Newsweek reports that Springer’s .205 batting average ranks 11th among AL DHs with 100+ plate appearances and that, if voting ended today, he’d still be in a runoff due to his team’s voting bloc.
Dodgers’ fan support may be boosting even underperforming players: Newsweek says second baseman Hyeseong Kim was recently optioned to Triple-A with a .651 OPS (84 OPS+) but still ranked fourth in fan voting—ahead of other (more statistically deserving) starters at the position.
Pages’ NL outfield lead comes with a broader “runoff group” snapshot: Newsweek lists the top-six outfield vote-getters currently as Andy Pages, Teoscar Hernández, Ronald Acuña Jr., Michael Harris, Jordan Walker, and Philadelphia’s (listed as) outfielder contingent—highlighting how many Dodgers are positioned to advance into the June 25 runoff.
Andy Pages leads all National League outfielders in the first 2026 MLB All-Star fan vote update, part of a six-player Dodgers wave that reflects the team's massive global fan base. Shohei Ohtani tops the entire ballot with 1,165,133 votes, while Yordan Alvarez leads all American League position players with 1,015,768 votes, according to MLB.com.
Phase 1 voting runs through June 25. The top vote-getter at each position earns an automatic starting spot. The top two at each position — plus the top six outfielders — advance to a June 29 runoff that fills the rest of the starting lineup, MLB.com reports.
Andy Pages Tops NL Outfield Despite Rookie Status
Pages, a Dodgers rookie, leads NL outfielders with a .273 average, 15 home runs, and a league-high 56 RBI, according to Sports Illustrated. Manager Dave Roberts called him one of the "top three or four" center fielders in the game. Five other Dodgers are also positioned to advance to the Phase 2 runoff, driven by the team's loyal and massive fan base.
The Dodgers' dominance extends to a player who isn't even on the active roster. Second baseman Hyeseong Kim ranks fourth in NL second base voting despite a .651 OPS and a recent demotion to Triple-A, Newsweek reports. His 84 OPS+ is well below average, yet Dodgers fans kept him ahead of statistically stronger starters at the position.
Blue Jays' Voting Bloc Lifts Underperforming Stars
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. leads AL first basemen with 603,014 votes — nearly 100,000 ahead of the Yankees' Ben Rice. But his 2026 numbers tell a different story. He's hitting .280 with just three home runs and a .737 OPS, more than 100 points below his career .853 mark, according to TSN. Ben Rice, meanwhile, is posting a .998 OPS.
Toronto's push goes beyond Guerrero. George Springer sits in the DH runoff group despite a .205 batting average — ranking 11th among AL designated hitters with 100-plus plate appearances, Newsweek reports. TSN admits the Blue Jays' surge is "hardly scientific," calling it pure regional loyalty from Canada's only MLB team. The same pattern lifted catcher Alejandro Kirk to second place despite him appearing in just seven games after fracturing his thumb.
Ernie Clement's Breakout Season Is the Real Deal
Not every Toronto leader is a feel-good-only story. Ernie Clement leads AL second basemen with a genuinely strong 2026 line: .304/.324/.460, seven home runs, 28 RBI, and a league-leading 20 doubles, according to TSN. TSN frames this as his best offensive season so far. He ranks third overall among AL position players in votes.
Two-Phase Structure Rewards Coordinated Fan Bases
MLB's voting format gives organized fan groups an outsized edge. Phase 1 ends June 25, when the top vote-getter at each position automatically becomes a starter. That means a team with a disciplined voting bloc can lock in a starter before most casual fans even pay attention. Phase 2 opens June 29 and runs until July 2, when final starters are announced ahead of the July 14 All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, per MLB.com.
The stakes of this structure are clear. A player like Kirk — with seven games played all season — could start the All-Star Game simply because Toronto fans voted early and often. Newsweek notes that if voting ended today, Springer would still advance to the runoff despite his weak numbers. Critics at FanSided labeled Guerrero's lead over Rice "downright criminal," arguing his reputation is carrying him while his performance remains far below his best.
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