Aaron Judge and Ronald Acuna Jr. dominate 2022 All-Star Phase 1 voting, confirmed as the first starters of their respective leagues
Aaron Judge and Ronald Acuna Jr. were just named All-Star starters in the 2022 MLB All-Star Game. The midway point of the Major League Baseball season is quickly approaching. We are now just three weeks out from the All-Star Game, and phase one voting complete. The All-Star finalists are in and ready to begin phase two.
This year, the person who got the most amount of votes in each league automatically obtains a starting spot. Aaron Judge and Ronald Acuna Jr. got the nod for their respective leagues.
The NL field is almost set. ⬇️ https://t.co/RWJ00Jqf8w
"The NL field is almost set." - MLB
The position player All-Star finalists were also announced for each league. The second vote which will decide who wins the starter spot will be held on July 5. The pitchers will soon follow, and then the coaches will decide on who the All-Star reserves will be. Then, the rosters for the 2022 All-Star game will be set.
The AL finalists. ⬇️ https://t.co/9iMBRIOX63
"The AL finalists." - MLB
This will not go without controversy, however. Many fans around the MLB believe they should get rid of fan voting because it is unfair. For example, Fernando Tatis Jr. has received thousands of votes despite not appearing in a single game this season. People think coaches should ultimately decide who makes the All-Star Game.
However, there was no controversy regarding Aaron Judge or Ronald Acuna Jr. Both have been absolutely dominating in their respective leagues and deserve to be starters. They have been making the game of baseball look easy this season.
An inside look of Aaron Judge's dominant 2022 MLB season
Aaron Judge is truly having a season for the history books. So far this year, Judge is hitting .290, slugging .636, totaling up to a 1.001 OPS. Judge already has 29 home runs in just 74 games played, which is the most in the MLB. He is also on pace to be the first player since the steroid era to hit 60+ home runs in a single season.
Each league's top vote-getter is now automatically an ASG starter.
#AllRise for @TheJudge44, his 4th ASG nod. https://t.co/SUjxEgxmH5
"Each league's top vote-getter is now automatically an ASG starter. #AllRise for @TheJudge44, his 4th ASG nod" - MLB
Not only are Aaron Judge's numbers dominant, he has also been a great leader on a powerful New York Yankees squad. The Yankees currently have the best record in baseball. They have a 56-20 record on the year, which puts them 13 games ahead of the second-placed Boston Red Sox. The Yankees are also in the hardest division in baseball. The AL East has four teams who are legit playoff contenders.
Ronald Acuna Jr. is still dominating despite the late start
Ronald Acuna Jr. suffered a horrific injury last summer. It caused him to miss the remainder of the 2021 season, including the Braves' magical World Series Championship run. He did not return to the MLB until late May, but he has had an excellent year since then.
.@ronaldacunajr24 gets the nod.
The NL’s leading vote-getter is heading to the ASG for the 3rd time. https://t.co/e1mb3XQbFB
"@ronaldacunajr24 gets the nod. The NL’s leading vote-getter is heading to the ASG for the 3rd time." - MLB
So far this season, Ronald Acuna Jr. is batting .281 with seven home runs. He has also turned the Atlanta Braves around from a mediocre team to a top competitor in the National League East. The Braves have been slowly creeping up on the New York Mets for the top spot in the division and could overtake them. If Ronald Acuna Jr. and the Braves stay hot, they will undoubtedly be successful later in the year.