MLB All Star Game Voting: Who Should I Vote For on the AL and NL?

There is less than a month until the MLB All-Star Game takes place, and voting ends on Thursday, which means time is running out for fans to vote for their favorite players to participate in the event. Upon heading to MLB.com to cast a ballot for this year's All-Stars, fans have a chance to vote for one catcher, one first baseman, one second baseman, one third baseman, one shortstop, three outfielders, and one designated hitter from the American League and National League.

For those of you who are uncertain of who to vote for, this article can be used as a guide to determine the deserving candidates at each position. Along with making a case for position players to start at the 2025 MLB All-Star Game, we'll also discuss who should get the nod to start the contest on the mound for each league.

All stats come from FanGraphs and Baseball Savant unless noted otherwise.

2025 MLB All Star Game: Who Should I Vote For?

Starting Pitchers

American League: Tarik Skubal (DET)
National League: Zack Wheeler (PHI)

It shouldn't come as any surprise to see Tarik Skubal as the most deserving candidate to start at pitcher for the AL, as the talented southpaw leads all qualified pitchers in SIERA (2.45) and WHIP (0.85) with an impressive 8-2 record. Skubal's dominance on the bump is one of the many reasons why the Detroit Tigers currently boast the league's best record (49-30) and third-shortest odds to win the World Series (+850).

Paul Skenes and Logan Webb are other starters in the NL who have posted formidable metrics up to this point, but Zack Wheeler is pacing the National League in SIERA (2.66) while also registering the highest strikeout rate (32.9%) among all qualified pitchers. Wheeler continues to be one of the most consistent starters in baseball, and the Philadelphia Phillies currently have the third-best record (47-31) in the league.

Catchers

American League: Cal Raleigh (SEA)
National League: Will Smith (LAD)

One of the easiest decisions to make for this year's All-Star game involves voting in Cal Raleigh to start at catcher for the AL. Along with leading the entire league in HRs (31), Raleigh is sporting the second-best wOBA (.434), second-best wRC+ (191), best ISO (.384), and second-best WAR (5.1) among all hitters.

Although Hunter Goodman is certainly making a push for a spot on this year's NL All-Star squad, Will Smith is registering the fourth-best wOBA (.416) and fourth-best wRC+ (171) in all of baseball, and he's tallied the second-best WAR (3.1) at the catcher position. Playing for the reigning champions and getting to consistently hit behind the likes of Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman certainly doesn't hurt Smith's output.

First Base

American League: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (TOR)
National League: Pete Alonso (NYM)

No one has separated themselves from the pack at first base for the AL All-Star team, but Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has remained one of the steadiest hitters in the league this season. While Vlad has the lowest ISO (.163) of his career since his rookie campaign in 2019, he still has a solid .360 wOBA, 135 wRC+, and 14.1% strikeout rate while his 14.3% barrel rate and 54.2% hard-hit rate suggest his power metrics will trend upward at some point.

Even though Freddie Freeman and Bryce Harper are popular names to vote for at first base in the NL, Pete Alonso is posting the fifth-best wOBA (.402), fifth-best wRC+ (160), and the third-most RBIs (64) this season. Alonso is also in the 97th percentile or better in xSLG (.625), average exit velocity (94.5 MPH), barrel rate (20.5%), and hard-hit rate (54.8%), putting him on track for the fourth season of his career where he's totaled 40-plus HRs and 100-plus RBIs.

Second Base

American League: Gleyber Torres (DET)
National League: Ketel Marte (ARI)

Similar to first base, there isn't a standout option at second base in the American League, making me lean toward giving Gleyber Torres the honors in his first year with the Tigers. Of the second basemen with 100-plus plate appearances in 2025, Torres has the third-best wOBA (.358), second-best wRC+ (133), and fourth-lowest strikeout rate (12.3%) -- which is a career-best mark for the former Bronx Bomber.

While Ketel Marte has missed some time due to injuries, his numbers rival the elite sluggers across the league, as the switch-hitting infielder is logging the 4th-best wOBA (.426), 5th-best wRC+ (175), and 13th-best ISO (.272) among batters with 100-plus plate appearances. After being named the starting second baseman for the NL in 2024, Marte is having an even better first half to the 2025 campaign.

Third Base

American League: Jose Ramirez (CLE)
National League: Eugenio Suarez (ARI)

Jose Ramirez remains one of the most underrated players in baseball, with the veteran third baseman ranking in the 95th percentile in xBA (.306) and 96th percentile in strikeout rate (10.9%) while already posting 13 HRs and 20 SBs in his first 313 plate appearances. Junior Caminero is another worthy candidate at third base in the AL, but I don't believe he's done enough to prevent Ramirez from starting in back-to-back All-Star Games.

Despite Manny Machado being the current favorite to start on the corner for the NL squad, Eugenio Suarez deserves some recognition for what he's done this season. On top of Suarez tallying the fourth-most HRs (25) and most RBIs (67) in baseball, he has the second-best wOBA (.376), third-best wRC+ (140), and best ISO (.318) among all qualified third basemen.

Shortstop

American League: Jacob Wilson (ATH)
National League: Elly De La Cruz (CIN)

Bobby Witt Jr. has the numbers to earn the start at shortstop on the AL All-Star team, but rookie Jacob Wilson has been extremely impressive at the plate for the Athletics. While Wilson doesn't have nearly the stolen base total that Witt has, he's accruing the 2nd-lowest strikeout rate (6.4%), 14th-best wOBA (.385), 13th-best wRC+ (151), and 13th-best WAR (3.1) in the entire league.

At the moment, Francisco Lindor and Mookie Betts are the favorites to start at shortstop for the National League, but Elly De La Cruz has simply been better than both of those guys up to this point. To go along with the fourth-most SBs (21) of all the players in the league, Elly owns the fifth-best wOBA (.358), best ISO (.228), most HRs (17), and most RBIs (52) at the shortstop position.

Outfielders

American League: Aaron Judge (NYY), Riley Greene (DET), Byron Buxton (MIN)
National League: Pete Crow-Armstrong (CHC), Kyle Tucker (CHC), James Wood (WSN)

Aaron Judge is another easy choice for the AL All-Star team, with the two-time MVP leading the entire league in wOBA (.491) and wRC+ (225) by a decent margin while swatting the second-most HRs (27) and fifth-most RBIs (61). Riley Greene is another member of the Tigers who should get a shot at starting in this year's MLB All-Star Game, especially with him posting the fourth-best wOBA (.376), fourth-best wRC+ (145), fifth-best ISO (.240), and third-best WAR (2.6) among AL outfielders.

Although injuries have plagued Byron Buxton once again this season, he has the 10th-best wOBA (.391), 9th-best wRC+ (155), and 8th-best ISO (.289) in all of baseball. Buxton is on pace for 20-plus SBs for the first time in his career since 2017, and we all have our fingers crossed that he can remain healthy the rest of the way due to his stellar two-way production whenever he's available.

As for the NL, the Chicago Cubs figure to have some representation in the outfield for the All-Star festivities, with Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Tucker being the primary suspects. PCA is logging the sixth-most HRs (21), fifth-most RBIs (61), and second-most SBs (23) in the league, while Tucker is sporting the eighth-best wOBA (.393), eight-best wRC+ (156), and eighth-best WAR (3.4).

Even though Juan Soto and Corbin Carroll are likely going to get more attention among fans, I'd give the last outfield spot to James Wood, who is amid a breakout season for the Washington Nationals. Wood has been nothing short of spectacular so far this year, notching the 6th-best wOBA (.398), 7th-best wRC+ (157), and 10th-best ISO (.279) in the league while residing in the 98th percentile or better in xwOBA (.417), xSLG (.606), barrel rate (18.9%), and hard-hit rate (57.8%).

Designated Hitter

American League: Ryan O'Hearn (BAL)
National League: Shohei Ohtani (LAD)

There is only one designated hitter who will start for each league in the MLB All-Star Game, and the recent trade of Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants makes Ryan O'Hearn the clear favorite to start for the AL. Despite playing for a Baltimore Orioles team that sits at the bottom of the AL East with a disappointing 33-44 record, O'Hearn is recording the best wOBA (.378), best wRC+ (148), and best WAR (1.9) among qualified designated hitters in the American League.

Owning the shortest NL MVP odds on FanDuel Sportsbook, Shohei Ohtani is basically a lock to start in the 2025 MLB All-Star Game. Ohtani has started pitching again for the first time since 2023, and the hard-hitting lefty is producing the third-best wOBA (.422), third-best wRC+ (175), third-best ISO (.333), and third-most HRs (26) out of the leadoff spot for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.