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Bryce Harper will start at 1B in All-Star Game after getting most votes in NL

Bryce Harper will start at first base in the MLB All-Star Game. (Grace Del Pizzo/Phillies Nation)

Bryce Harper received an NL-best 3.2 million votes in Phase 1 of MLB All-Star Game voting, and thus has secured the starting first baseman’s job for the senior circuit in next month’s midsummer classic.

This is Harper’s eighth selection to the All-Star Game, but just his second as a Phillie. He wasn’t selected in 2021, when he ended up winning the NL MVP. Harper was voted to the All-Star team in 2022, but wasn’t ultimately able to play in the game because he broke his left thumb in late June. So barring anything unforeseen, July 16 at Globe Life Field in Arlington will mark the first time Harper has represented the Phillies in the All-Star Game.

Harper entered the evening slashing .305/.402/.585 with 20 home runs, 57 RBIs and a .987 OPS, so there’s little question he’s earned being the top vote getter in the NL.

Meanwhile, Alec Bohm, Trea Turner, Brandon Marsh, Kyle Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto and Nick Castellanos were each among the top two vote getters at their respective positions (for outfield it’s top six), meaning they will move on to Phase 2 of voting, which opens at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday. Phase 2 will see the top two vote getters at each position go back to zero votes, with the winners of the second round of voting getting to start at their positions in the All-Star Game.

Bohm actually received the third-most votes overall in Phase 1, with just over 3.1 million. Only Aaron Judge (3.4 million) and Harper (3.2 million) got more votes.

Inevitably, the Phillies are going to have some players worthy of being All-Stars that get squeezed out by virtue of being on a team with some many deserving candidates. In addition to all the position players mentioned, Ranger Suárez, Zack Wheeler, Cristopher Sánchez, Jeff Hoffman and Matt Strahm all have put together All-Star candidates. If this was solely based on merit, all five would be in the All-Star Game. But with each team guaranteed an All-Star, the Phillies will likely have to settle for only three or four of those five pitchers being selected.

Both pitchers and reserve position players for the All-Star Game are picked through a combination of player ballots and “selections made by the commissioner’s office.”

All-Star Game starters will be announced on July 3 at 7 p.m. ET, with the full rosters slated to be unveiled on July 7 at 5:30 p.m. ET. Both announcements will come on ESPN.