FOUR PLAYERS MOVE INTO POSITION TO ADVANCE TO FINALISTS PHASE AS SEVERAL RACES COMING DOWN TO WIRE IN LATEST SCOTTS MLB ALL-STAR BALLOT UPDATE

Just Under 48 Hours Remain Until Phase 1 Voting Ends on Thursday at 12:00 p.m. (ET);

Acuña Jr., Ohtani Remain Leading Vote-Getters in Each League;
Perez, Merrifield, Springer Move Up to Compete for Starting Assignment in AL;
Olson Surpasses Alonso, Harris II Closing in on Tatis Jr. in Close NL Races;

MLB Network to Announce Finalists on Thursday at 6:00 p.m. (ET);

ESPN to Unveil Starters on Thursday, June 29^th; Full Rosters on Sunday, July 2^nd

With just under 48 hours remaining in Phase 1 voting, several races in both the American and National Leagues are coming down to the wire for the right to advance to Phase 2, where starting assignments for the 2023 MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard will be determined.

The 2023 Scotts MLB All-Star Ballot, which is available exclusively online and via mobile devices at MLB.com/vote, all 30 Club web sites, the MLB App and the MLB Ballpark App, will be accessible until the voting period for Phase 1 concludes at 12:00 p.m. ET on Thursday afternoon. During the initial voting period, fans can submit up to five ballots per 24-hour period on MLB platforms. On Thursday, the top two vote-getters at each position (and the top six outfielders) in each League will be revealed on MLB Network at 6:00 p.m. (ET), and they will advance to the second phase of voting to determine who starts for each League. In addition, the leading vote-getter in each league during the first phase of voting will once again receive an automatic starting assignment at the All-Star Game and bypass the second phase of voting. (Note: if an outfielder is a league’s leading vote-getter, Phase 2 voting at the position will still take place to determine the remaining two starters among the next four outfield finalists)

In the closest race in the AL, Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez (645,650) has surpassed Texas Rangers backstop Jonah Heim (643,471) for second place and the right to advance to the Finalists Phase alongside Adley Rutschman of the Baltimore Orioles (895,217). Perez, a seven-time All-Star, has earned four fan elections during his career, including three straight from 2015-17 (also 2021). Rutschman, who would become the first Orioles catcher to win a fan election since Matt Wieters in 2009, and Heim, who would be the first Rangers catcher to draw a start since Mike Napoli in 2012, are both bidding for their first All-Star selections.

Perez is one of three AL players who moved up in the standings to be on pace to advance to Phase 2, joining Toronto Blue Jays teammates Whit Merrifield and George Springer. Merrifield (715,967), a former teammate of Perez in Kansas City, overtook Jose Altuve of the Houston Astros (623,829) for second place at second base, while Springer (630,313) leapfrogged Adolis García of the Texas Rangers (594,440) to move into the sixth overall spot in the AL outfield. Merrifield, a two-time All-Star, joins positional leader Marcus Semien of the Rangers, who has received the fourth-highest vote total in the AL overall with 1,414,056.

Other highlights of the AL Ballot include:

Elsewhere in the AL outfield, Randy Arozarena of the Tampa Bay Rays (1,116,525) surpassed Yordan Alvarez of the Houston Astros (1,092,322) to move into the top three at the position alongside Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees (1,584,254) and Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels (1,174,001). Toronto’s Kevin Kiermaier (712,166), who ranks fifth, rounds out the AL outfielders currently in position to advance to Phase 2.

Two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani of the Angels has a commanding lead at designated hitter with 1,885,144 votes to remain the AL’s leading vote-getter. Ohtani is followed in the AL rankings by Judge in the race to receive an automatic starting bid following Phase 1 voting. Brandon Belt of the Blue Jays (497,887) ranks second at DH with a comfortable lead over Robbie Grossman of the Rangers (270,223) for the right to advance.

Toronto teammates Matt Chapman and Bo Bichette continue to lead a pair of Rangers on the left side of the infield. Chapman (929,590) is followed at third base by rookie Josh Jung (879,096) and Rafael Devers of the Boston Red Sox (444,689), while Bichette (1,561,426) ranks ahead of Corey Seager (827,499) and Tampa Bay’s Wander Franco (478,952).

Rounding out the AL leaders is another Blue Jays infielder – first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (1,195,052), who is joined atop the leaderboard at the position by Tampa Bay’s Yandy Díaz (1,124,166). The duo has a comfortable advantage over third-place Anthony Rizzo of the Yankees (512,833). Guerrero is aiming to become the first AL first baseman to win three consecutive fan elections since Hall of Famer Frank Thomas (1994-96).

In the NL, Atlanta Braves first baseman Matt Olson has surpassed Pete Alonso of the New York Mets for second place behind positional leader Freddie Freeman of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Freeman has a commanding lead with 1,649,166 total votes while Olson (638,984) leads Alonso (633,498) by just over 5,000 votes as the NL East rivals contend to advance to the Finalists Phase. Freeman’s vote total ranks second overall in the NL behind his former Braves teammate Ronald Acuña Jr., who continues to pace the Majors with 2,201,468 votes to line himself up for an automatic starting assignment following Phase 1 voting. Acuña Jr. would become the first Braves player (and third overall) to lead the Majors in voting since Dale Murphy in 1985 (also: Hall of Famer Hank Aaron in 1970 and 1971).

In the closest race across the Majors, Acuña’s outfield teammate Michael Harris II (493,282) is less than 2,000 votes behind Fernando Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres (495,231) for the sixth and final outfield spot, however if Acuña receives the automatic start as the Phase 1 leader, the remaining two starting outfield spots will be determined between the next four outfielders in the standings following Acuña. Those positions are currently held by Mookie Betts of the Dodgers (1,411,557), Corbin Carroll (673,880) and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (672,779) of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Juan Soto of the Padres (600,962).

Other highlights of the NL Ballot include:

St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (936,057), bidding for his eighth All-Star selection and fifth fan election, has begun to slightly separate himself from Atlanta’s Austin Riley (832,996) and Max Muncy of the Dodgers (629,180) after the trio was separated by just over 50,000 votes a week ago.

Up the middle of the infield, second baseman Luis Arraez of the Miami Marlins (1,056,439) and shortstop Orlando Arcia of the Braves (1,060,559) continue to lead at their respective positions. Arraez ranks ahead of Atlanta’s Ozzie Albies (884,328), while Nolan Gorman of the Cardinals is third with 382,285 votes. Arcia is pacing Francisco Lindor of the Mets (508,168) and San Diego’s Xander Bogaerts (422,702).

J.D. Martinez of the Dodgers (879,474) remains atop the leaderboard at designated hitter as Bryce Harper of the Phillies (722,285) is close behind with Atlanta’s Travis d’Arnaud still in striking distance with 568,343 votes.

Braves catcher Sean Murphy (1,320,838) and Dodgers backstop Will Smith (836,754) continue to have a comfortable advantage behind the plate ahead of Philadelphia’s J.T. Realmuto (352,806), rookie Francisco Alvarez of the Mets (335,043) and Elias Díaz of the Colorado Rockies (305,304).

AMERICAN LEAGUE BALLOTING LEADERS
Position	Player	Team	Vote Total	2023 Stats
C	Adley Rutschman	Orioles	895,217	.280, 10 HR, 32 RBI, 11 2B, 35 R, .824 OPS
1B	Vladimir Guerrero Jr.	Blue Jays	1,195,052	.279, 9 HR, 42 RBI, 14 2B, 31 R, 3 SB, .778 OPS
2B	Marcus Semien	Rangers	1,414,056	.277, 10 HR, 54 RBI, 22 2B, 2 3B, 60 R, 7 SB, .802 OPS
3B	Matt Chapman	Blue Jays	929,590	.260, 9 HR, 34 RBI, 23 2B, 36 R, 2 SB, .787 OPS
SS	Bo Bichette	Blue Jays	1,561,426	.317, 14 HR, 46 RBI, 16 2B, 1 3B, 38 R, 3 SB, .856 OPS
OF	Aaron Judge	Yankees	1,584,254	.291, 19 HR, 40 RBI, 10 2B, 42 R, 3 SB, 1.078 OPS
OF	Mike Trout	Angels	1,174,001	.257, 15 HR, 39 RBI, 13 2B, 46 R, 1 SB, .843 OPS
OF	Randy Arozarena	Rays	1,116,525	.288, 13 HR, 48 RBI, 8 2B, 1 3B, 45 R, 9 SB, .889 OPS
DH	Shohei Ohtani	Angels	1,885,144	.300, 24 HR, 58 RBI, 14 2B, 3 3B, 49 R, 10 SB, 1.016 OPS
NATIONAL LEAGUE BALLOTING LEADERS
Position	Player	Team	Vote Total	2023 Stats
C	Sean Murphy	Braves	1,320,838	.287, 12 HR, 42 RBI, 14 2B, 33 R, .920 OPS
1B	Freddie Freeman	Dodgers	1,649,166	.324, 13 HR, 46 RBI, 25 2B, 1 3B, 59 R, 9 SB, .958 OPS
2B	Luis Arraez	Marlins	1,056,439	.400, 2 HR, 35 RBI, 15 2B, 1 3B, 31 R, 1 SB, .940 OPS
3B	Nolan Arenado	Cardinals	936,057	.275, 15 HR, 49 RBI, 10 2B, 2 3B, 33 R, 2 SB, .812 OPS
SS	Orlando Arcia	Braves	1,060,559	.341, 6 HR, 25 RBI, 9 2B, 31 R, 1 SB, .890 OPS
OF	Ronald Acuña Jr.	Braves	2,201,468	.325, 15 HR, 45 RBI, 21 2B, 1 3B, 63 R, 30 SB, .964 OPS
OF	Mookie Betts	Dodgers	1,411,557	.264, 17 HR, 43 RBI, 15 2B, 1 3B, 54 R, 5 SB, .878 OPS
OF	Corbin Carroll	D-backs	673,880	.304, 16 HR, 39 RBI, 19 2B, 3 3B, 55 R, 19 SB, .982 OPS
DH	J.D. Martinez	Dodgers	879,474	.257, 16 HR, 48 RBI, 18 2B, 2 3B, 32 R, .879 OPS

Overall, 11 different Major League Clubs are represented among the 18 positional leaders, while 16 of the 30 Major League Clubs are represented among the players on pace to advance to the Finalist Phase of 2023 Scotts MLB All-Star Balloting. Six of the 18 positional leaders (33.3%) are internationally-born, while 11 of the 18 leaders (61.1%) come from diverse backgrounds.

Phase 2 will begin at 12:00 p.m. (ET) on Monday, June 26^th, with fans voting among the finalists at each position during a four-day window that concludes at 12:00 p.m. (ET) on Thursday, June 29^th. Later that night, the winners will be announced on ESPN at 7:00 p.m. (ET). Fans have the opportunity to vote once per day during this second phase of voting, with daily voting limits resetting each day at 12:00 a.m. (ET). During Phase 2, vote totals will reset (i.e., vote totals from Phase 1 do not carry over) and the winner at each position (including three outfielders per League) will be named a starting position player for the 2023 Midsummer Classic.

The AL All-Star Team, which will be managed by Dusty Baker of the defending World Series Champion Houston Astros, and the NL All-Star Team, led by Rob Thomson of the defending NL Champion Philadelphia Phillies, will have nine elected starters via the fan balloting program. The pitchers and reserves for both squads – totaling 23 for each side – will be determined through a combination of “Player Ballot” choices and selections made by the Commissioner’s Office. The balance of the All-Star rosters will be announced on Sunday, July 2^nd at 5:30 p.m. (ET) on ESPN.

During each phase of voting, the 2023 Scotts MLB All-Star Ballot will offer audio CAPTCHA functionality for visually impaired fans. Spanish-language ballots will also be available to fans via LasMayores.com/vota on the official Spanish-language web site of Major League Baseball.

Fans will once again have the opportunity to participate in the official voting for the Ted Williams All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet. During the Midsummer Classic, fans can vote exclusively at MLB.com and the 30 Club sites – online or via their mobile devices – with the 2023 All-Star Game MLB.com MVP Vote, and their collective voice will represent 20 percent of the official vote determining this year’s recipient of the Arch Ward Trophy.

MLB All-Star Week includes the MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard (July 11^th), Gatorade All-Star Workout Day featuring the T-Mobile Home Run Derby (July 10^th), All-Star Saturday featuring the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game and the All-Star Celebrity Softball Game presented by Corona (July 8^th), the MLB Draft (July 9^th-11^th), the HBCU Swingman Classic presented by T-Mobile (July 7^th), and Capital One All-Star Village, which includes Capital One PLAY BALL PARK (July 8^th-11^th). The 93^rd Midsummer Classic will be televised nationally by FOX Sports; in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and TVA Sports; and worldwide by partners in 209 countries. FOX Deportes will provide Spanish language coverage in the United States. ESPN Radio will provide exclusive national radio coverage of the All-Star Game, while Univision will provide Spanish language coverage on radio. MLB Network, MLB.com and SiriusXM also will provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information about MLB All-Star Week, please visit All-StarGame.com and follow @MLB on social media.

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2023 AMERICAN LEAGUE ALL-STAR BALLOTING UPDATE #2
Tuesday, June 20^th

CATCHERS				FIRST BASEMEN
#	*Player*	*Club*	*Votes*	#	*Player*	*Club*	*Votes*
1.	Adley Rutschman	Orioles	895,217	1.	Vladimir Guerrero Jr.	Blue Jays	1,195,052
2.	Salvador Perez	Royals	645,650	2.	Yandy Díaz	Rays	1,124,166
3.	Jonah Heim	Rangers	643,471	3.	Anthony Rizzo	Yankees	512,833
4.	Alejandro Kirk	Blue Jays	588,544	4.	Nathaniel Lowe	Rangers	386,023
5.	Martín Maldonado	Astros	285,469	5.	Ty France	Mariners	261,874
6.	Matt Thaiss	Angels	264,235	6.	José Abreu	Astros	252,636
7.	Christian Bethancourt	Rays	261,655	7.	Jared Walsh	Angels	184,974
8.	Cal Raleigh	Mariners	246,964	8.	Ryan Mountcastle	Orioles	174,722
9.	Jose Trevino	Yankees	193,465	9.	Josh Naylor	Guardians	119,829
10.	Yasmani Grandal	White Sox	121,023	10.	Joey Gallo	Twins	84,169

SECOND BASEMEN				THIRD BASEMEN
#	*Player*	*Club*	*Votes*	#	*Player*	*Club*	*Votes*
1.	Marcus Semien	Rangers	1,414,056	1.	Matt Chapman	Blue Jays	929,590
2.	Whit Merrifield	Blue Jays	715,967	2.	Josh Jung	Rangers	879,096
3.	Jose Altuve	Astros	623,829	3.	Rafael Devers	Red Sox	444,689
4.	Brandon Drury	Angels	324,489	4.	José Ramírez	Guardians	371,656
5.	Gleyber Torres	Yankees	303,164	5.	Alex Bregman	Astros	337,895
6.	José Caballero	Mariners	216,579	6.	Isaac Paredes	Rays	306,853
7.	Brandon Lowe	Rays	192,950	7.	Anthony Rendon	Angels	281,916
8.	Adam Frazier	Orioles	179,263	8.	Eugenio Suárez	Mariners	248,490
9.	Zach McKinstry	Tigers	102,027	9.	DJ LeMahieu	Yankees	226,434
10.	Andrés Giménez	Guardians	101,572	10.	Ramón Urías	Orioles	171,541

SHORTSTOPS				DESIGNATED HITTERS
#	*Player*	*Club*	*Votes*	#	*Player*	*Club*	*Votes*
1.	Bo Bichette	Blue Jays	1,561,426	1.	Shohei Ohtani	Angels	1,885,144
2.	Corey Seager	Rangers	827,499	2.	Brandon Belt	Blue Jays	497,887
3.	Wander Franco	Rays	478,952	3.	Robbie Grossman	Rangers	270,223
4.	Jeremy Peña	Astros	302,382	4.	Harold Ramírez	Rays	269,941
5.	Zach Neto	Angels	266,814	5.	Corey Julks	Astros	206,059
6.	J.P. Crawford	Mariners	235,165	6.	Giancarlo Stanton	Yankees	191,525
7.	Anthony Volpe	Yankees	198,163	7.	Miguel Cabrera	Tigers	151,997
8.	Jorge Mateo	Orioles	145,928	8.	Gunnar Henderson	Orioles	149,549
9.	Javier Báez	Tigers	90,916	9.	Justin Turner	Red Sox	148,073
10.	Enrique Hernández	Red Sox	87,071	10.	AJ Pollock	Mariners	120,270

OUTFIELDERS
#	*Player*	*Club*	*Votes*	#	*Player*	*Club*	*Votes*
1.	Aaron Judge	Yankees	1,584,254	11.	Julio Rodríguez	Mariners	427,437
2.	Mike Trout	Angels	1,174,001	12.	Josh Lowe	Rays	405,167
3.	Randy Arozarena	Rays	1,116,525	13.	Leody Taveras	Rangers	347,274
4.	Yordan Alvarez	Astros	1,092,322	14.	Kyle Tucker	Astros	290,728
5.	Kevin Kiermaier	Blue Jays	712,166	15.	Austin Hays	Orioles	280,480
6.	George Springer	Blue Jays	630,313	16.	Jarred Kelenic	Mariners	272,222
7.	Adolis García	Rangers	594,440	17.	Hunter Renfroe	Angels	246,803
8.	Masataka Yoshida	Red Sox	547,576	18.	Harrison Bader	Yankees	239,123
9.	Daulton Varsho	Blue Jays	506,774	19.	Cedric Mullins	Orioles	234,422
10.	Ezequiel Duran	Rangers	434,822	20.	Teoscar Hernández	Mariners	223,644

*If an outfielder finishes as the leading vote-getter in the AL and receives the automatic starting assignment, then only the next four outfielders would advance to Phase 2 for the remaining two starting outfield spots.

2023 NATIONAL LEAGUE ALL-STAR BALLOTING UPDATE #2
Tuesday, June 20^th

CATCHERS				FIRST BASEMEN
#	*Player*	*Club*	*Votes*	#	*Player*	*Club*	*Votes*
1.	Sean Murphy	Braves	1,320,838	1.	Freddie Freeman	Dodgers	1,649,166
2.	Will Smith	Dodgers	836,754	2.	Matt Olson	Braves	638,984
3.	J.T. Realmuto	Phillies	352,806	3.	Pete Alonso	Mets	633,498
4.	Francisco Alvarez	Mets	335,043	4.	Paul Goldschmidt	Cardinals	330,767
5.	Elias Díaz	Rockies	305,304	5.	Trey Mancini	Cubs	159,312
6.	Gabriel Moreno	D-backs	203,603	6.	Jake Cronenworth	Padres	156,526
7.	Willson Contreras	Cardinals	191,624	7.	Kody Clemens	Phillies	136,839
8.	Yan Gomes	Cubs	147,046	8.	LaMonte Wade Jr.	Giants	129,482
9.	Austin Nola	Padres	124,407	9.	Rowdy Tellez	Brewers	128,864
10.	William Contreras	Brewers	115,501	10.	Carlos Santana	Pirates	104,642

SECOND BASEMEN				THIRD BASEMEN
#	*Player*	*Club*	*Votes*	#	*Player*	*Club*	*Votes*
1.	Luis Arraez	Marlins	1,056,439	1.	Nolan Arenado	Cardinals	936,057
2.	Ozzie Albies	Braves	884,328	2.	Austin Riley	Braves	832,996
3.	Nolan Gorman	Cardinals	382,285	3.	Max Muncy	Dodgers	629,180
4.	Miguel Vargas	Dodgers	328,608	4.	J.D. Davis	Giants	443,199
5.	Thairo Estrada	Giants	220,337	5.	Manny Machado	Padres	429,390
6.	Ketel Marte	D-backs	218,916	6.	Alec Bohm	Phillies	190,054
7.	Jeff McNeil	Mets	214,765	7.	Brett Baty	Mets	157,630
8.	Ha-Seong Kim	Padres	200,453	8.	Patrick Wisdom	Cubs	126,628
9.	Bryson Stott	Phillies	199,825	9.	Josh Rojas	D-backs	86,436
10.	Jonathan India	Reds	156,358	10.	Brian Anderson	Brewers	81,426

SHORTSTOPS				DESIGNATED HITTERS
#	*Player*	*Club*	*Votes*	#	*Player*	*Club*	*Votes*
1.	Orlando Arcia	Braves	1,060,559	1.	J.D. Martinez	Dodgers	879,474
2.	Francisco Lindor	Mets	508,168	2.	Bryce Harper	Phillies	722,285
3.	Xander Bogaerts	Padres	422,702	3.	Travis d’Arnaud	Braves	568,343
4.	Matt McLain	Reds	394,865	4.	Jorge Soler	Marlins	339,478
5.	Trea Turner	Phillies	340,321	5.	Christopher Morel	Cubs	219,941
6.	Chris Taylor	Dodgers	326,167	6.	Andrew McCutchen	Pirates	209,035
7.	Dansby Swanson	Cubs	323,390	7.	Joey Meneses	Nationals	149,030
8.	Geraldo Perdomo	D-backs	265,521	8.	Joc Pederson	Giants	144,262
9.	Willy Adames	Brewers	139,505	9.	Matt Carpenter	Padres	139,446
10.	Brandon Crawford	Giants	136,796	10.	Evan Longoria	D-backs	126,208

OUTFIELDERS
#	*Player*	*Club*	*Votes*	#	*Player*	*Club*	*Votes*
1.	Ronald Acuña Jr.	Braves	2,201,468	11.	Seiya Suzuki	Cubs	341,667
2.	Mookie Betts	Dodgers	1,411,557	12.	James Outman	Dodgers	329,253
3.	Corbin Carroll	D-backs	673,880	13.	Lars Nootbaar	Cardinals	303,990
4.	Lourdes Gurriel Jr.	D-backs	672,779	14.	Jason Heyward	Dodgers	302,315
5.	Juan Soto	Padres	600,962	15.	Kyle Schwarber	Phillies	295,618
6.	Fernando Tatis Jr.	Padres	495,231	16.	Brandon Nimmo	Mets	263,902
7.	Michael Harris II	Braves	493,282	17.	Brandon Marsh	Phillies	249,830
8.	Nick Castellanos	Phillies	452,508	18.	Bryan Reynolds	Pirates	216,867
9.	Marcell Ozuna	Braves	426,991	19.	Randal Grichuk	Rockies	205,143
10.	Cody Bellinger	Cubs	346,792	20.	TJ Friedl	Reds	195,480

ALL-STAR BALLOTING ANNOUNCEMENT SCHEDULE
*Date*	*Announcement Details*
Thursday, June 22^nd	Phase 1 Balloting Ends at 12:00 p.m. (ET)
Thursday, June 22^nd	Finalists Announced at 6:00 p.m. (ET) on MLB Network
Monday, June 26^th	Phase 2 Voting Begins at 12:00 p.m. (ET)
Thursday, June 29^th	Phase 2 Voting Ends at 12:00 pm. (ET)
Thursday, June 29^th	All-Star Game Starters Announced at 7:00 p.m. (ET) on ESPN
Sunday, July 2^nd	Full All-Star Rosters Announced at 5:30 p.m. (ET) on ESPN