Fan voting to select a fielder to start the Major League Baseball All-Star Game in July began on June 7, Japan time, and Shohei Ohtani of the Angels, who has been voted on by fans for the second consecutive year, was nominated in the American League designated hitter category.
Fan voting for the All-Star Game began on the official MLB website, and three outfielders were nominated for each position, one from all 30 teams.
Among the Japan players, Ohtani was nominated in the American League designated hitter category, and in the outfielder category, Masanao Yoshida of the Red Sox, who has a batting average of over 1% so far in his first year in the big leagues, was nominated.
In the National League, Seiya Suzuki of the Cubs and Lars Nootbar of the Cardinals, who played for the WBC = World Baseball Classic Japan National Team, are candidates in the outfielder category.
If Ohtani is selected for the All-Star Game, it will be the third time in three consecutive years, and if Suzuki, Yoshida and Nootvar are selected, it will be the first time.
Online fan voting will be conducted in two stages, with each player receiving the league's highest number of votes in the first round of voting until June 3, Japan time, to qualify for the All-Star Game without waiting for the final vote. The top two players at each remaining position, and up to the top six outfielders, will advance to the final ballot, which will be held June 1-3 Japan time.
The final voting will be held without carrying over the results of the first ballot, and the top two or three outfielders at each position will start the All-Star Game.
Pitchers will be selected by a vote among the players, and all players will be available on July 3, Japan time, along with the reserve fielders.
This year's All-Star Game will be held on July 3, Japan time, at the Mariners' home stadium in Seattle, with the annual home run competition scheduled the day before.