Shohei Ohtani is a global superstar. He’s among the planet’s most recognizable athletes, having sparked a global surge of MLB popularity since his arrival stateside. So it’s no surprise that he was the leading vote-getter for the National League All-Star team, stamping his ticket to the game following Phase 1 voting, and skipping Phase 2 altogether.
But amongst a jury of his peers, It was Kyle Schwarber -- not Ohtani -- who garnered top billing for the NL’s DH spot. Schwarber received 554 player votes for the position, while Ohtani finished with 536. Ohtani though, as aforementioned, will start the game thanks to the fan vote.
Kyle Schwarber's respect around MLB was evident in player All-Star voting
For Schwarber, the vote count marked a massive testament to the respect that the lefty garners leaguewide, but also the fear he strikes in opponents’ hearts. And it has to be a feel-good moment for a four-time All-Star who will welcome the game to his home park for the first time.
Since last year’s All-Star break, no man has mashed more homers than Schwarber (567), whose mammoth moonshots have earned their own nickname: Schwarbombs. Schwarber is currently leading baseball in homers this year as well, with 31, while he’s fifth in slugging percentage (.570) and sixth in OPS (.940).
Schwarber, who finished 2025 with 56 homers, can eclipse 60 this year, while he’s 29 away from reaching 400 for his career. Should he accomplish both feats this year, he’ll cement his already quickly-rising name in the upper echelons of Philly's greatest power hitters.
Schwarber joins Bryce Harper and Brandon Marsh as Phillies players named to the game for their offensive exploits, while pitchers Cristopher Sánchez, Jesús Luzardo and Jhoan Duran made the cut as well. With Luzardo's late addition, the Phillies passed the Braves for the most representatives in the Midsummer Classic with six, while the number marked their second-most in team history (behind eight in 2024).
Sánchez has a chance to start the game with Jacob Misiorowski out, while Harper has shown how elite his bat still is: His 20 homers are second-highest in the first half since 2019. But Schwarber is the man who’s paced Philly’s offense all season.
He ranks in 95th percentile or higher in several offensive categories according to Savant, including average bat speed (77.1 mph, 96th percentile), average exit velocity (93.6 mph, 96th percentile) and batting run value (34, 100th percentile).
Comparing Schwarber to Ohtani is like comparing apples to oranges. No one is really comparable to Ohtani, because no one plays both sides of the ball besides him. But Schwarber’s damage at the plate is in a class of its own, and his fellow Major Leaguers’ voting total evidences that point.
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