ST. PETERSBURG — Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero advanced to the final phase of All-Star starter voting after finishing among the top two vote-getters at his position in Phase 1 results announced Thursday on MLB Network.
Caminero, who started last season’s All-Star Game at third base as a replacement for the injured José Ramírez after a 45-homer, 110-RBI season, now has a shot to earn a starting nod outright through the fan vote. In 2026, Caminero has increased his on-base percentage by more than 60 points while batting a career-high .279 and drawing 45 walks — four more free passes than he took in all of 2025.
He faces Toronto’s Kazuma Okamoto, who has posted a .779 OPS and leads the Blue Jays with 17 home runs in his first MLB season after starring for the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball from 2015-25. Phase 1 vote totals do not carry over to Phase 2, meaning both players start fresh.
Phase 2 opens at noon ET Monday and closes at noon ET Thursday, July 2. Fans can vote once per 24-hour period by filling out a 2026 KONAMI eBaseball MLB All-Star Ballot at MLB.com/vote, on all 30 club sites and on the MLB and MLB Ballpark apps.
Of the millions of votes cast in Phase 1, the Blue Jays’ Ernie Clement was the American League’s top overall vote-getter with 3,232,932 votes, earning an automatic starting spot at second base. The Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani led the National League with 3,341,257 votes and locked in a start at designated hitter. Ohtani carries a .295/.414/.549 slash line with 17 home runs and a 1.58 ERA with 86 strikeouts in 79 2/3 innings pitched.
Other notable AL Phase 2 matchups include Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., who leads the league with 4.3 bWAR, 28 steals and a +16 Outs Above Average rating, against Toronto’s Andrés Giménez. At first base, the Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr. — who collected nearly 2.5 million Phase 1 votes despite a career-low .723 OPS and just four home runs — faces the Yankees’ Ben Rice, who ranks second in the majors with a .972 OPS and fourth with 22 home runs.
The AL outfield race features six finalists, including Yankees captain Aaron Judge (.907 OPS, 17 homers) and Angels outfielder Mike Trout, though both are currently on the injured list. Twins center fielder Byron Buxton is tied with Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez for the AL home run lead at 25, putting him on pace for 53. Alvarez collected 2,911,655 Phase 1 votes. Phase 2 winners will be announced July 4 on FOX, along with pitchers and reserves.