Phase 1 of 2026 MLB All-Star fan voting ends, with finalists to be announced tonight

Phase 1 of fan voting for the 2026 KONAMI eBaseball MLB All-Star Ballot has ended, with the league now preparing for the next step in how fans and the wider baseball world determine the game’s early starters. The voting window concluded at noon ET on Thursday, and the league is set to reveal the Phase 2 finalists later tonight, with the announcements scheduled for 6 p.m. ET on MLB Network.

The All-Star process has a two-phase structure. In Phase 1, fans cast votes to help identify the pool of players who will advance. Once the league closes the first window and compiles results, Phase 2 becomes the decisive fan-driven stage that influences who gets starting roles for the All-Star Game presented by Mastercard.

For the 2026 edition, the game itself will be played July 14 at Citizens Bank Park, the home of the Philadelphia Phillies. That matters for fans in the host market because the starters are usually the most visible representation of broad fan participation, and the early lineup often becomes a focal point for local attention around the event week.

The league’s timing also shapes attention across the sport. By ending Phase 1 at midday and moving quickly into the Phase 2 announcement process, MLB effectively compresses the period during which fans can focus purely on voting. The result is a pivot point for campaigns, as supporters who helped carry players into the Phase 2 finalist pool now shift their energy to the next voting window to influence the starting lineup.

While the league has not changed the fundamentals of the process, the announcement of Phase 2 finalists tonight provides the clearest near-term answer fans want: which names advanced after Phase 1’s close. From there, Phase 2 will determine the starting selections, and those selections are expected to be among the first roster announcements that fans treat as settled for the July event.

The All-Star Game presented by Mastercard remains a major showcase for MLB’s marquee talent. The voting structure is designed to balance the league’s star power with the public’s preferences, which means the Phase 2 lineup can differ from what casual observers might guess based on season performance alone, depending on how voting blocs form around players during the campaign.

For fans and teams alike, the next watch item is simple: confirmation of the Phase 2 finalists at 6 p.m. ET on MLB Network, followed by the Phase 2 fan voting window that will set the starters. After that, the focus will shift to the rest of the All-Star roster and how managers shape lineups at Citizens Bank Park.