Phase one of voting for the 2022 MLB All-Star Game in Los Angeles is complete.
There will be a second phase beginning today, July 1.
But for now, phase one is complete and we’ve got a little more clarity on who will be in the All-Star starting lineups for the American League and the National League.
Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees and Ronald Acuna Jr. of the Atlanta Braves have been guaranteed starting spots on their respective All-Star rosters.
ESPN’s top MLB insider Jeff Passan announced the news on Twitter and reminded everybody that the finalists for each position will face another round of voting.
Guaranteed All-Stars
Judge and Acuna are two guys who have had some recent injury struggles.
Judge has been hurt off and on several times since his Rookie of the Year campaign in 2017.
Acuna went down last year with a torn ACL and missed the rest of the season.
So, it’s good that these guys have come back, returned to form, and been given spots on the All-Star rosters, much less in the starting lineups.
These are All-Star caliber players when healthy and guys who are capable of putting up MVP type numbers.
Now, both of them are assured a starting spot on their All-Star rosters.
The 24-year-old Acuna has hit seven home runs and is hitting .281 with 18 RBI.
Judge has been the one carrying the load for the Yankees.
The 30-year-old MVP candidate is hitting .286 and has already hit 29 home runs and driven in 59 runs.
These are two guys who have returned to form and are leading the way for their respective ballclubs.
We’ll see what the next round of voting brings for the remaining candidates.
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