By Kim Joo-hee Reporter = Japanese major leaguer Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim topped the American League (AL) in fan voting for the All-Star Game카지노사이트.
“Ohtani will play in the All-Star Game for the third consecutive year,” MLB.com said on Wednesday (23 June).
Ohtani was the AL’s top vote-getter in the first round of voting for the 2023 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, with 2,646,307 votes, announced today.
In the one-two punch of Major League Baseball’s All-Star voting, the top two vote-getters in both leagues in the first round of voting are selected to start the All-Star Game without a second round of voting.
Ohtani, the AL designated hitter nominee, also received the most votes and was named to the All-Star Game starting lineup.
“I would like to thank all the fans who voted for me, it is a great honour,” Ohtani said in a statement. “I will use this as motivation and continue to do my best on the field.”
Ohtani started the 2021 All-Star Game as the starting pitcher and designated hitter. It was the first time in Major League Baseball’s history that a player has appeared as both a pitcher and a hitter in the same year.
At last year’s All-Star Game, he did not take the mound, only batting.
“Ohtani was a well-deserved AL All-Star selection as he is coming off another MVP-calibre season,” MLB.com wrote.
Ohtani is 6-3 with a 3.13 ERA as a pitcher this year, while batting .292 with 24 home runs and 58 RBIs. He leads the major leagues in home runs and is tied for first in RBIs.
In the National League (NL), Ronald Acuna Jr. (Atlanta Braves) earned a starting spot in the All-Star Game.
Acuna Jr. topped the NL with 3.026 million votes. He is also first in all of Major League Baseball.
Acuna Jr. will start in the outfield for the NL All-Star team at this year’s All-Star Game.
The top two vote-getters at each position in this first round of voting (six outfielders) will advance to a second round of voting to determine the All-Star Game starters.
Meanwhile, NL Second Baseman of the Year nominee Ha Sung Kim (San Diego Padres) did not make the top two and did not advance to the second round of voting.
Luis Araujo (Miami Marlins) finished first with 1.448 million votes, while Arrieta (Atlanta) finished second with 1.357 million votes to battle it out on the second ballot.