Shohei Ohtani will start at designated hitter for the National League in the 2025 MLB All-Star Game, the league announced on Thursday. Seven other Dodgers position players made it past the first round of voting, and are still in contention to start the midsummer classic.

Catcher Will Smith, first baseman Freddie Freeman, shortstop Mookie Betts, third baseman Max Muncy, outfielders Teoscar Hernández and Andy Pages, and second baseman Tommy Edman are also finalists, with that round of voting coming next week.

Finalists are the top two at each position except for outfield, which is the top six. They all move onto the second phase of voting, in which the totals are reset. The second phase of voting runs from 9 a.m. PT Monday to 9 a.m. on Wednesday to determine the starting position players for each league, which will be announced at 4 p.m. PT on Wednesday, July 2 on ESPN.

The one sure thing is that Ohtani will start at designated hitter, as he has in each of the previous four seasons. He bypassed the second round of voting by virtue of having the most All-Star votes (3,967,668) among all National League players. Same for Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge in the American League.

Smith received the most votes by far among National League catchers at 3,428,856, with Carlon Kelly of the Cubs the other backstop finalist at 1,183,100 votes.Smith was an All-Star in each of the last two seasons and has been even better this year, including leading the NL in on-base percentage (.422) and batting average (.325).

The only Dodgers catcher to start an All-Star Game in this century was Russell Martin in 2007.

Freeman led all NL first baseman with 3,392,751 votes, outpacing fellow finalist Pete Alonso of the Mets (2,186,338). Freeman is an eight-time All-Star, including each of the last six All-Star Games, and has started four times. He made the team last year as a reserve.

Francisco Lindor led all National League shortstops with 2,296,443 votes, with Betts a close second at 2,094,921.

Betts has been an All-Star in each of the last eight season’s there was a midsummer classic, and has started five times. He made the National League All-Star team last year as a shortstop, but did not play due to a broken left hand.

Muncy has been hot since the end of April, and hit two grand slams in the last week. He’s in second place at third base with 1,665,829 votes. Padres third baseman Manny Machado led at the position with 2,495,554 votes in the first round of voting.

Muncy previously made the All-Star team in 2019 and 2021, and started the game at designated hitter in 2021. The last Dodger to start an All-Star Game at third base was Ron Cey in 1977.

Teoscar Hernández is a two-time All-Star, including starting the game last year in his first year with the Dodgers. He also won the Home Run Derby last July, the first Dodger to win the event. Hernández was in second place among NL outfielders, with teammate Andy Pages in fifth place. The top six outfielders go to the second round of voting, with the top three in that round of voting tabbed as starters.

NL outfielders, first round of voting

Pete Crow-Armstrong: 3,021,265 votes
Teoscar Hernández: 2,343,058
Ronald Acuña Jr.: 1,888,867
Kyle Tucker: 1,794,776
Andy Pages: 1,789,553
Juan Soto: 1,490,489

Edman received 1,868,693 votes at second base, second in the NL at the position to Ketel Marte of the Diamondbacks (2,534,002 votes). If Edman makes the midsummer classic, it would be his first All-Star nod.

Voting totals reset for the second round, which begins Monday at 9 a.m. PT.