Dubbed the Midsummer Classic, the MLB All-Star Game is a must for all baseball fans. Marking the middle of the MLB season, the All-Star game is a celebration of the top players in the MLB. As a fan, you have an important job ahead of the All-Star game, as you can take part in the fan’s vote and pick eight of the players in the roster. The 32 top stars from the National League and American League then will go ahead and face each other in the following MLB All-Star Game.
The All-Star Game dates back to 1933 and has been held continuously. Between 1959 and 1962 there were two All-Stage Games each season, which helped raise money to go to the players’ pension fund. Historically, the MLB All-Star Game evolved from benefit games that clubs made to raise money for the families of players who had died. Back in 1911, there was such a benefit game that was held for the family of Addie Joss from the Cleveland Naps, and it raised $12,914 for the late pitcher’s family. The MLB All-Star game is not a charity in itself, but it often partners with various charitable organizations and initiatives. A portion of the ticket revenue goes to local charities in host cities, as does a portion of the mech sales.
Though it is, for all purposes, a friendly fixture and does not have the same consequences as an MLB regular season or playoff game, the All-Star Game still gains a lot of attention from baseball fans. The game is broadcast on the FOX network, so if you have a local FOX affiliate or the FOX sports app, you can watch the game. Alternatively, you can subscribe to MLB.TV and stream the game live there.
How Does the Fan Voting Work?
The MLB All-Star Ballot works in two phases. In the first phase, you can vote for 9 players in the American League and 8 (or sometimes 9) players in the National League. This includes the First Baseman, Second Baseman, Third Baseman, Short Stop, Catcher, Designated Hitter, and three Outfielders for the American League. For the National League, you can pick the First Baseman, Second Baseman, Third Baseman, Shortstop and 3 Outfielders. In some seasons you can also vote for the Designated Hitter for the National League, but this is not always the case. You can vote up to 5 times in a day, every day. The fan vote starts on June 5 and ends on June 27.
After the first phase is complete, the vote for the starters begins on June 30 and ends on July 3. The fans can pick 3 Outfielders, 4 Infielders and a Catcher for either League, and when the voting period closes, the winners are announced on social media. You can vote up to 4x a day every day in the second phase. The winners of the ballot are usually announced on the same day the ballot closes.
When the voting period starts, you can make your votes at the MLB All-Star Vote Ballot site.
MLB All-Star Game Rosters
The American and National League All-Star teams have 32 players each, made up of 12 pitchers and 20 position players. The fans vote for 9 players. Players vote for 16 players and the remaining pitchers and position players are voted for by the managers and MLB Commissioner’s Office.
| Position | National League Team | American League Team |
|---|---|---|
| First Baseman | Fans Vote | Fans Vote |
| Second Baseman | Fans Vote | Fans Vote |
| Third Baseman | Fans Vote | Fans Vote |
| Shortstop | Fans Vote | Fans Vote |
| Catcher | Fans Vote | Fans Vote |
| Outfielders | Fans Vote | Fans Vote |
| Designated Hitters | Fans Vote | Fans or Manager Vote |
| Starting Pitchers | Players Vote (5 pitchers) | Players Vote (5 pitchers) |
| Relief Pitchers | Players Vote (3 pitchers) | Players Vote (3 pitchers) |
| Position Players | Managers/Commissioners Vote (7-8 Additional Players) | Managers/Commissioners Vote (7-8 Additional Players) |
The teams are managed by the coaches who competed in the World Series in the previous year. Their job is to pick the batting and pitching order for the teams, and in some cases, the National League managers also pick the Designated Hitter.
Where the Game Takes Place
The venue for the All-Star Game changes every year, rotating among the 30 MLB team home ballparks. Generally, cities with new ballparks or those that have not hosted an All-Star Game are picked. They alternate between the American and National League MLB teams each year, with the AL teams hosting All-Star Games in odd-numbered years and NL teams hosting the event in even-numbered years.
The MLB All-Star Game
Ties occasionally occur at the All-Star Game, and sometimes the games are called due to rain or bad weather. But there have only been 2 ties at the All-Star Game, one in 1961 and the other in 2002. The American League has won the All-Star Game 47 times whereas the National League has only won it 44 times to date. These games are extremely difficult to predict as there is no telling whether it is going to be a high-scoring game or whether the teams will only notch a few runs each. For the most part, it is the former, with the All-Star players bringing their A-game and giving it their all. At the end of the game, the best players in the AL and NL teams win the prestigious All-Star Game MVP Award.
Betting Possibilities on the MLB All-Star Game
As with any other MLB game, you can place bets on the All-Star Game. These include moneylines, runline spreads, total runs, and a series of player bets. The statistics and historical data does not really help in this category, as it is virtually impossible to predict how the players from the different teams will gel together. Plus, the game usually falls on the second week of July, right in the middle of the MLB season when the pressure rides high. But that converts to excellent value on MLB All-Star Game betting markets.
Neutrals will love this game as it is a perfect taster of top quality MLB talent. Bettors can benefit greatly from the long odds and the diverse variety of betting markets that sportsbooks take on this game. At BettingTools, we cover the MLB All-Star Game with betting predictions and insights.
