Two Orioles Sluggers Lead All-Star Game Voting at Their Position

Phase two voting continues through Wednesday, which will determine which Baltimore Orioles are in the starting lineup for the All-Star Game.

Jun 29, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman (35) scores in the eighth inning against the Texas Rangersat Oriole Park at Camden Yards. / Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Two of the Baltimore Orioles’ young starters, shortstop Gunnar Henderson and catcher Adley Rutschman, lead their position after the first day of phase two voting for the All-Star Game.

This round of voting, which ends at noon on Wednesday, will determine the remainder of the starting lineups for both the American League and National League.

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge and Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper are already in the AL and NL starting lineups, respectively, after they were the top vote-getter in their respective leagues in the first phase of voting.

Both Henderson and Rutschman have sizeable leads, even though first phase voting didn’t carry over into the second phase.

Henderson has 67% of the vote at shortstop, putting him at a 2-to-1 advantage over Kansas City’s Bobby Witt Jr.

Witt would probably make the team as a reserve, based on his body of work this season, if he’s not able to catch up.

Henderson is seeking his first All-Star Game berth and has already announced that he will participate in the Home Run Derby on July 15 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. The All-Star Game is the following day.

Rutschman has a bigger lead on Kansas City’s Salvador Perez at catcher, where Rutschman has 72% of the vote.

Among the other four Orioles trying to crack the lineup, designated hitter is the closest race. Baltimore’s Ryan O’Hearn is at 49%, just short of Houston’s Yordan Alvarez, a two-time All-Star. They’re vying for the right to replace Shohei Ohtani, who was the starter at DH in the AL for three straight years.

The next closest race is for the final two outfield spots. Baltimore’s Anthony Santander has 26% of the vote, just behind New York Yankees slugger Juan Soto at 29% and Cleveland’s Steven Kwan at 28%. Houston’s Kyle Tucker has 16%. There are only two remaining spots because Judge is already a starter.

At first base, Baltimore’s Ryan Mountcastle is running behind Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr., as the Blue Jays star has 57% of the vote. At third base Jordan Westburg is running behind Cleveland’s José Ramírez, as the Guardians star has 59% of the vote.

The only AL race that doesn’t involve an Orioles player is at second base, where Houston’s Jose Altuve is running ahead of Texas’ Marcus Semien with 56% of the vote.

The winners and the starting lineups will be announced at 7 p.m. eastern Wednesday on ESPN. The reserves and the pitching staffs will be announced this weekend. Those selections are based on a player vote and selections by MLB.