WASHINGTON – Voting for the 2025 All-Star Game starting lineups opened Wednesday afternoon. And the Cubs’ offense has been so good that the team has a chance of sending multiple hitters to the Midsummer Classic for the first time since 2022, when Willson Contreras and Ian Happ represented the club.
Fans choose the starters through two phases of voting via MLB.com/vote, any of the clubs’ websites, the MLB app or the MLB Ballpark app.
Phase 1 runs through June 26. Then with the pool narrowed to the top-two vote-getters at each position (top six outfielders) in each league, Phase 2 will last three days, from June 30 to July 2, when the winners will be announced.
Reserves and pitchers are chosen via player ballot and commissioner’s office selections, set to be revealed on July 6.
The game, hosted by the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park, will be July 15th.
While Cubs players appear on the fan ballot at every position, here are the players with the strongest All-Star cases:
Outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong
Crow-Armstrong has the most obvious case to be named a starter, between his popularity and his on-field play.
He entered Wednesday leading the entire National League in WAR (3.6), as calculated by FanGraphs.
On the defensive side, he led the majors in fielding run value (10) and all outfielder in outs above average (9), according to Statcast.
On offense, he ranked among the top four qualified National League outfielders in slugging percentage (.562), OPS (.880), and weighted runs created plus (143). With 15 home runs and an NL-leading 21 stolen bases, he was the only major-leaguer already in the 15-15 club this year.
Crow-Armstrong is expected to earn his first All-Star selection, in his second full major-league season.
Outfielder Kyle Tucker
Entering Wednesday, Tucker led qualified National League outfielders in on-base percentage (.394) and ranked second in OPS (.918), behind only the Nationals’ James Wood (.952), compiling a compelling case to start the All-Star Game.
Tucker was named an American League All-Star as an Astro in each of the last three seasons.
Tucker was out of the lineup for the second consecutive game Wednesday with a jammed finger on his right hand. But he’d started 59 straight games for the Cubs before this week, and manager Craig Counsell said Wednesday that he was “optimistic” that he could be available Thursday. Though Tucker was still feeling discomfort Wednesday afternoon, the injury had improved and he hit in the batting cage.
Catcher Carson Kelly
Among the National League catcher candidates, Kelly ranked first in slugging (.538), second in OBP (.389), and third in fWAR (1.5) entering Wednesday.
His bat has cooled a bit since a red-hot start, but Kelly was one of the hottest hitters in the majors in March and April. He’s still on pace for a career year. Kelly debuted in September of 2016 and has yet to be named an All-Star.
Second baseman Nico Hoerner
Hoerner may not have flashed much power at the plate so far this season, but he ranks second among qualified National League second basemen in batting average (.300), wRC+ (103) and fWAR (1.6).
Honorable mentions: Designated hitter Seiya Suzuki, first baseman Michael Busch
Suzuki (.878 OPS, 14 home runs) has had an impressive start to the season and entered Wednesday leading the National League with 53 RBI. But as a DH, he’s competing with Shohei Ohtani, Kyle Schwarber and Marcell Ozuna.
Busch (.896 OPS, 152 wRC+) is faced with a similar uphill battle at first base. The field includes Freddie Freeman and Pete Alonso.
