Major League Baseball said New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge and Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani finished as the leading vote-getters in the first phase of 2025 All-Star balloting, guaranteeing them starting roles in the midsummer classic. Judge collected 4.01 million votes to pace the American League, while Ohtani drew 3.97 million to top the National League. The selection marks Judge’s seventh career AL start and Ohtani’s fifth straight appearance—an MLB record for a designated hitter. The pair captained their respective leagues when the All-Star Game was played on 15 July at Truist Park in Atlanta. Batting leadoff as the NL’s designated hitter, Ohtani produced the contest’s first base hit off Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal and later scored on Ketel Marte’s two-run double. Ohtani finished 1-for-2 with a run before yielding to a pinch-hitter in the fifth inning. Ohtani’s selection came amid a season in which he leads the NL with 28 home runs, while Judge entered the break driving an AL-best 33 homers. The remainder of the All-Star rosters were filled out through a second round of fan voting, player balloting and Commissioner’s Office selections.