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Shohei Ohtani has been voted a starter for the 2026 MLB All-Star Game after leading all National League players in Phase 1 fan voting, per Dodger Blue. Ohtani’s totals were dominant enough to bypass Phase 2 entirely, locking him in as a guaranteed starter for the Midsummer Classic. Toronto’s Ernie Clement did the same on the American League side, but the Dodgers story here is straightforward: Ohtani is the first confirmed NL starter.

This is the kind of thing that barely qualifies as surprising anymore. Ohtani has been one of the most popular and productive players in baseball since he arrived in the majors with the Angels in 2018, and his move to the Dodgers before the 2024 season only amplified his profile. The ten-year, $700 million deal was the largest in professional sports history, and he’s backed it up. His 2024 campaign — 54 home runs, 59 stolen bases, an MVP award — was historic even by his own absurd standards. In 2025, he added pitching back into the mix after recovering from UCL surgery, and now in 2026 he’s continued to be a fixture near the top of every offensive leaderboard in the National League. Fan voting reflects both popularity and performance, and Ohtani has both in surplus.

The Phase 1 voting system rewards sustained visibility and consistent production. Players who lead their respective leagues by a wide enough margin after the first phase skip the runoff entirely. That Ohtani cleared that bar tells you where he stands relative to the rest of the NL — not just as a brand, but as a player fans genuinely want to see start the game. He’s done this before, of course, earning multiple All-Star selections during his time in Anaheim, but doing it as a Dodger hits differently. The fan base here is enormous, engaged, and fiercely loyal. When the voting totals came in, it wasn’t close.

For us, this is validation of what we already know. Ohtani is the face of this franchise right now, and arguably the face of the sport. Getting voted in as a starter — not selected by managers, not added as a replacement, but voted in outright by fans — is the cleanest version of that recognition. It also means he’ll be front and center at the All-Star Game, which matters for the Dodgers’ visibility on a national stage (not that we need help there).

I’d expect more Dodgers to join him on the NL roster when the full selections are announced. This team has several guys putting up All-Star-caliber numbers. But Ohtani being the first one locked in, and as a starter no less, feels right. He earned it.

Source(s): Staff (Dodger Blue) | First reported: June 26, 2026 1:05 PM UTC

God Bless and Go Dodgers