Bobby Witt Jr. advances to final phase of 2026 All-Star voting after AL-best 28 steals

Baseball’s 2026 All-Star starter race moved closer to resolution Thursday as MLB released the results of Phase 1 voting. The 2026 MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard is scheduled for July 14 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, and the league’s latest ballot update narrows the field for who will eventually be voted into the starting lineups.

Among the players elevated by the first round of fan balloting is Bobby Witt Jr., whose run on the bases is already among the storylines driving the voting conversation. MLB’s update credits Witt Jr. with 28 stolen bases, the best total in the American League, as he advances to the final phase of voting.

Phase 1 results were announced on MLB Network, and MLB’s process for the All-Star starters is built around fan participation. Per MLB’s release, the top two vote-getters in each league from Phase 1 move into the next round, tightening the field to determine the final starting options for the American League and National League.

Witt Jr.’s base-stealing total matters in the voting picture because the All-Star Game is not just about cumulative production, it is also a showcase for the kinds of in-game advantages that influence daily attention and highlight reels. A league-leading number of steals tends to put a player in front of fans, managers, and media across a long stretch of the season, and that visibility can translate into ballot momentum.

The Royals player’s path to the starting lineup is now aligned with the final phase of voting, which comes after MLB’s Phase 1 announcement. That final step is where fans have their last chance to solidify the starter roles, and it is also where late surges can still reshape results even if a player already won the first-round momentum.

For Royals fans, the immediate takeaway is straightforward: Witt Jr. has cleared the first voting hurdle and is positioned to be a central piece of the American League’s All-Star starter discussion. For the rest of the AL, the development raises the stakes for other high-profile position players and speed threats hoping to close the gap before the vote concludes in the final phase.

What to watch next is the final-phase leaderboard and the eventual selection of starters for the All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park. With the Phase 1 cutoff already completed, the remaining fan voting will determine whether Witt Jr.’s 28-steal pace remains a distinguishing feature in the closing vote or whether another player’s campaign overtakes him.