Yankees’ Aaron Judge, Ben Rice and Cody Bellinger earn enough votes to move to MLB All-Star Phase 2

MLB’s first phase of fan voting for the 2026 All-Star Game has concluded, and it produced a familiar storyline for the New York Yankees. Aaron Judge, Ben Rice and Cody Bellinger each earned enough votes to move on to Phase 2, MLB announced on MLB Network. The three-player advance keeps a significant share of the Yankees’ fan momentum on full display heading into the next voting window.

The voting process matters because Phase 2 is when the field gets narrower, increasing the urgency for fans to push their selections through to the final ballot. With the next round still to come, each of the three Yankees’ advancement spots becomes a platform for further campaigning rather than a finish line. For the players, it also means their names stay front and center in the All-Star conversation, where visibility can influence late-cycle fan support even when the regular-season performance is already drawing attention from the broader baseball audience.

Aaron Judge’s advancement is notable even beyond the Yankees fandom because he has become one of the league’s most recognizable figures in marquee moments. While fan voting is not a substitute for on-field results, the early-round success indicates that his support base remains large and active, likely ensuring continued pressure in Phase 2 as the final starters and reserves come into focus.

Ben Rice’s presence in the voting advance is a key part of why this announcement feels different. Rice’s trip through the first voting phase highlights how fan support can attach to newer or breakout profiles in a way that often gives them a realistic pathway to the mid-summer showcase. As Phase 2 begins, the question becomes whether that momentum persists as voting becomes more consequential and the ballot reaches a smaller set of choices.

Cody Bellinger also moving forward ties the result to another roster component fans typically associate with production and versatility. For the Yankees, having three hitters advance on the same first-phase ballot is a statement about sustained turnout and broad appeal across different player profiles, from established superstars to more recent fan favorites.

What to watch next is straightforward: Phase 2 will determine which names stay in contention through the closing stages of the voting process. If Yankees fans continue to match or exceed the early voting strength that carried these players into the next round, New York could end up with multiple representatives on the final All-Star roster, a factor that can shape how the team is perceived during the season’s title and playoff-building stretch.