Overview
- Ohtani led MLB first-stage fan balloting with 3,341,257 votes and was announced on Thursday as the National League’s starting designated hitter for the July 14 All‑Star Game.
- The vote marks his sixth consecutive fan-selected All‑Star appearance and is the first time he has received the most votes across all MLB players.
- Ohtani opened the week by pitching a strong game for the Los Angeles Dodgers in Minneapolis on June 24, earning his eighth win while averaging a 99.8 mph fastball and touching 101.7 mph in one pitch.
- He announced the birth of his second child on June 20 and has spoken about the challenge of balancing travel and family duties while continuing his season.
- Fellow Japanese player Kazuma Okamoto advanced to the All‑Star Final Vote for the July 29–July 2 window, and the next milestones to watch are the Final Vote results and the All‑Star Game roster on July 14.