The Decision Behind The Move
The 96th MLB All-Star Game is scheduled for Tuesday, July 14, at Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park, home of the Phillies. Fan voting for the starting position players and designated hitters for both the American and National League teams is now open, with the first phase running through noon ET on June 25.
Teams have nominated one player for each infield position and DH, plus three for each outfield spot. Fans can vote up to five times per day during the initial phase via MLB.com/vote, team websites, the MLB App, and MLB Ballpark App, with a sixth vote available through the mobile platform.
The list looks clean on paper; the hard part is everything that happens after it is printed.
The Job Ahead
After the first phase concludes, the eligible pool narrows to two infielders and DH per league, and six outfielders. The leading vote-getter in each league automatically earns a starting spot. The second phase runs from noon ET on June 29 through noon ET on July 2, during which fans get one vote per day for each open position.
The fan-selected starting lineups will be revealed on July 2, with the full 32-player rosters — including 23 reserves and pitchers — announced on July 6. By rule, each of MLB's 30 teams must be represented at least once. Starting pitchers will be chosen by the respective managers: Dave Roberts of the Los Angeles Dodgers for the National League and John Schneider of the Toronto Blue Jays for the American League.
The Pressure That Remains
The weeklong festivities begin with the HBCU Classic on July 10, followed by the MLB Draft on July 11, the Futures Game on July 12, and the Home Run Derby on July 13.
The two-phase voting structure is designed to build momentum toward July 2, when the first wave of starters is unveiled. It also gives the commissioner's office a narrower window to work with when filling out the remaining roster spots. Each league's manager handles both the pitching staff and batting order, which adds another layer of strategic coordination to an event already heavy on fan participation.