Freeman, Smith join Ohtani to give Dodgers 3 All-Star starters for first time since 1980

NEW YORK (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers will have three fan-elected starters in the All-Star Game for the first time in 45 years, with first baseman Freddie Freeman and catcher Will Smith joining designated hitter Shohei Ohtani as winners in final ballot totals announced Wednesday.

Detroit will have three fan-picked starters for the first time since 2007 after second baseman Gleyber Torres along with outfielders Riley Greene and Javier Báez were voted in at their positions for the July 15 game at Atlanta’s Truist Park.

Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Tucker of the Chicago Cubs were picked for the NL outfield along with Ronald Acuña Jr. of the host Braves.

Arizona second baseman Ketel Marte, New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor and San Diego third baseman Manny Machado also were voted NL starters.

Seattle catcher Cal Raleigh, Toronto first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson. Cleveland third baseman José Ramírez and Baltimore designated hitter Ryan O’Hearn were picked as AL starters.

Wilson edged Kansas City’s Bobby Witt Jr. 52% to 48% and will become just the second rookie shortstop to start an All-Star Game after Baltimore’s Ron Hansen, who started both games in 1960. Wilson’s father, Jack, was an All-Star for Pittsburgh in 2004.

There will be nine first-time starters for the second time in three years. Wilson will be joined by Greene, O’Hearn, Raleigh and Torres in the AL lineup and Crow-Armstrong, Lindor, Smith and Tucker in the NL lineup.

Báez edged the Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout 26% to 24% in the closest vote, winning the third AL outfield slot.

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge earned a starting spot last week as the top vote-getter in the first round, when Ohtani was picked as NL DH with the top total in his league. Under rules that began in 2022, voting is split into two stages, and the second phase ran from Monday to Thursday.

Los Angeles hadn’t had this many starters since first baseman Steve Garvey, second baseman Davey Lopes, shortstop Bill Russell and center fielder Reggie Smith in 1980 at Dodger Stadium.

Detroit’s three elected starters for the 2007 game at San Francisco were catcher Iván Rodríguez, left fielder Magglio Ordóñez and second baseman Plácido Polanco.

Freeman is the senior All-Star, picked for the ninth time and his fifth as a starter. He will return to Atlanta, where he starred from 2010-21.

Machado and Judge were both selected for the seventh time — Judge all as a starter.

Guerrero, Judge, Marte, Ohtani and Ramírez were holdovers from last year’s elected starters.

Pitchers and reserves will be announced Sunday.