Ranking All-Star Ballot finalist decisions, from toughest to easiest

We now have our finalists for Phase 2 of All-Star balloting, which begins Monday. Two players, we already know, are in: The Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani, at National League designated hitter, and the Blue Jays’ Ernie Clement, at American League second base. Congrats to those two … uh, very different players.

That means you, the voter, have 16 more decisions to make: choosing between the two finalists for the starter at catcher and each infield position and from six finalists for three outfield spots, in each league.

Some of these are difficult. Some of these are more clear-cut. Allow me to be your guide through this decisions, ranked from hardest to easiest.

1. NL first base
Finalists: Freddie Freeman (LAD), Matt Olson (ATL)

These two players will be forever linked, with Freeman having won a World Series with the Braves and Olson being the player (and Atlanta-area native) who replaced him. These are both such excellent players that there wasn’t even a spot for the Phillies’ Bryce Harper here. Just like we all learned when the Braves moved on from Freeman and acquired Olson, there really is no wrong answer here.

2. AL third base
Finalists: Junior Caminero (TB), Kazuma Okamoto (TOR)

Okamoto has come on to lead all AL third basemen in RBIs -- and of course he’s a Blue Jay, so he’s popular in the voting. But Caminero, who overtook Okamoto for the position lead in long balls after his three-homer day on Thursday, has in many ways been the avatar of a Rays team that has surprised … and is ahead of the Jays in the standings. No real wrong answer here, though it should be noted: Caminero had 45 homers last year. That’s number that will be tough for him to hit this time, but statistically, otherwise, his underlying numbers are in fact better in 2026.

3. NL outfield
Finalists: Andy Pages (LAD), Brandon Marsh (PHI), Ronald Acuña Jr. (ATL), Michael Harris II (ATL), Teoscar Hernández (Dodgers), Juan Soto (Mets)

This was the most dynamic category in the early rounds, with constant fluctuation, players dropping in and out of the final six, with big names like Soto barely making their way in. Acuña and Soto have the obvious brand recognition, and Soto has actually the highest OPS of anyone here. The thing is, this could have been an ever tougher call but for the players who didn’t make the cut: the Nationals’ James Wood, the Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong, the Diamondbacks’ Corbin Carroll and the Cardinals’ Jordan Walker.

4. NL catcher
Finalists: Drake Baldwin (ATL), Will Smith (LAD)

If you want to punish Baldwin for missing as many games as he has, you can, but he has looked like the reigning NL Rookie of the Year all season. And he hasn’t made an All-Star Game yet. Will Smith has made three in a row and is certainly worthy of a fourth.

5. AL first base
Finalists: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (TOR), Ben Rice (NYY)

If you’re just going off this year’s statistics, this one is pretty simple: Rice’s OPS is a full 250 points higher than Vlad Jr.’s. But the All-Star Game is more about “Who do the fans want to see?” than just statistics, and fans have shown they love Vlad Jr. If he wins, this would be his fifth time starting the Midsummer Classic, the most ever for a Blue Jays player. It’s reasonable if you want to see him reach that milestone.

6. NL shortstop
Finalists: CJ Abrams (WSH), Mookie Betts (LAD)

This one has some similarities to AL first base, with a budding star in Abrams going up against an established star in Betts, who has made multiple All-Star Games and someday may have his final total (currently eight) listed on his Hall of Fame plaque. Abrams is obviously having the better year. But Mookie is Mookie.

7. AL outfield
Finalists: Aaron Judge (NYY), Mike Trout (LAA), Byron Buxton (MIN), Cody Bellinger (NYY), Jesús Sánchez (TOR), Daulton Varsho (TOR)

This one gets a little harder with Judge sidelined, though you can of course still vote for him. (And I suspect a lot of you likely will.) Trout is hoping to be back for the All-Star Game, which you certainly hope will happen, particularly because it’s in his home area of Philadelphia. Buxton has a chance to showcase his potential trade value in this game (though the Twins have said he’s not going anywhere). All told, that Julio Rodríguez fell out of the top six makes this one a little bit easier, particularly with all those Blue Jays and Judge out.

8. NL second base
Finalists: Ozzie Albies (ATL), Bryson Stott (PHI)

Both of these players benefit from not having potential MVP candidate Brice Turang making the final two. That aside, you can very much see the case for rewarding Albies with his fourth All-Star nod. Albies is having a resurgent season for a resurgent Braves team, though Stott’s Phillies have gained some ground of late.

9. NL third base
Finalists: Max Muncy (LAD), Alec Bohm (PHI)

Muncy hasn’t made an All-Star Game since 2021, more because he has struggled with injuries than because he hasn’t been worthy. But he’s having his best season in nearly a decade for a team that relies on him perhaps as much as they ever have.

10. AL catcher
Finalists: Shea Langeliers (ATH), Alejandro Kirk (TOR)

This one might have been a little bit more difficult if the Tigers’ Dillon Dingler, who’s having a breakthrough year, had gotten in here over Kirk. But even then: Langeliers is one of the most exciting players in baseball and an excellent representative of everything the A’s are building.

11. AL shortstop
Finalists: Bobby Witt Jr. (KC), Andrés Giménez (TOR)

Guess which one of these players has been selected as an All-Star starter before? It is in fact Giménez, who was the second base pick in 2022 when he was with the Guardians. It’s probably time to get Witt his first start, no?

12. AL designated hitter
Finalists: Yordan Alvarez (HOU), George Springer (TOR)

Springer is a four-time All-Star and of course a World Series MVP. But Alvarez is probably your favorite for AL MVP right now. This one is not a tough call.