MLB Announces Yankees Star in Danger of Losing All-Star Starting Spot

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Kristie Ackert | Last updated Jun 23, 2025 2:24 PM ET

Paul Goldschmidt had the early edge. Now, he’s playing catch-up.

The New York Yankees’ seven-time All-Star first baseman, who was leading all American League first basemen in the initial All-Star ballot returns last week, has slipped to second behind Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr. heading into the final stretch of Phase 1 voting. Guerrero now holds 1,192,604 votes, just ahead of Goldschmidt’s 1,118,501, according to MLB.

Guerrero has won three of the last four fan elections at first base. Goldschmidt, who earned three starting nods in the National League before joining the Bronx Bombers, is trying to become the first Yankees first baseman to win a fan election since Mark Teixeira in 2009.

Meanwhile, Aaron Judge is doing what Aaron Judge does—setting the pace.

The Yankees captain leads all of Major League Baseball with 2,699,483 votes and is positioned to bypass Phase 2 entirely.

If Judge finishes Phase 1 as the American League’s top vote-getter, he’ll lock in an automatic starting spot for the fifth consecutive All-Star Game.

The reigning AL MVP could join elite company: Only Derek Jeter (9) and Dave Winfield (7) have more fan-elected starts as Yankees.

Though Judge’s June numbers have dipped, his overall production and popularity remain elite. A third league-wide vote title would place him alongside legends like Ichiro Suzuki, Rod Carew, and Ken Griffey Jr.

Cody Bellinger is also in the mix. The two-time All-Star ranks sixth among AL outfielders with 712,153 votes—within range of Phase 2.

Voting for Phase 1 ends Thursday at noon ET. The top two at each position (and top six outfielders) advance unless they finish first overall. Final results will be revealed Thursday night on MLB Network.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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