Smith, Freeman to join Ohtani as NL starters in 2025 All-Star Game

LOS ANGELES -- One-third of this year's National League All-Star starting nine will be wearing Dodger blue.

Will Smith and Freddie Freeman won the fan vote at their respective positions and will join Shohei Ohtani in the starting lineup for the 2025 All-Star Game on July 15 in Atlanta. Smith beat out the Cubs' Carson Kelly at catcher, while Freeman outdrew the Mets' Pete Alonso at first base.

Because Ohtani led the league in Phase 1 votes, he was named the NL's starting designated hitter last week. (Although he's back to his two-way duties, Ohtani is not expected to pitch in the All-Star Game.)

"I think they've all had great first halves, and it's great to know that three guys are starting," said manager Dave Roberts, who will also be at the helm of the NL All-Stars. "And so hopefully we get two or three more."

The Dodgers have three fan-elected starters for the second time in the last three seasons, their most in an All-Star Game since 1980, when Steve Garvey, Davey Lopes, Bill Russell and Reggie Smith were all elected to represent L.A. in the Midsummer Classic.

Tommy Edman, Mookie Betts, Max Muncy, Andy Pages and Teoscar Hernández were also NL finalists, but none were elected to the starting lineup after the conclusion of Phase 2 voting. They could still potentially receive an All-Star nod when reserves and pitchers are announced on Sunday.

Smith was also named to the All-Star team in 2023 and '24, though this was his first time being elected the NL's starting catcher. The 30-year-old has not only been one of the most impactful hitters on the Dodgers, but also in baseball at large.

Entering Wednesday, Smith's .950 OPS is the fourth-highest mark in the Majors, behind only Aaron Judge, Cal Raleigh and Ohtani. He also leads the NL with a .320 average and provides immense value behind the plate as the Dodgers' starting backstop.

The overall numbers are impressive, but Smith has been especially good in the clutch. His .419 average with runners in scoring position ranks tops among qualified Major Leaguers, and his 1.191 OPS in such situations is second only to teammate Max Muncy (1.227).

Freeman, meanwhile, made his ninth All-Star team and was elected to start for the fifth time. The 35-year-old has made many returns to Atlanta since signing with the Dodgers ahead of the 2022 season, but this will mark a unique opportunity to be an All-Star in the place where he spent the first 12 years of his big league career.

While Freeman has maintained that his swing hasn't felt quite right since mid-May -- and he has indeed cooled down after a red-hot start to the season -- he has still been one of the top first basemen in the Majors in the first half. He entered Wednesday with a .308 average, second only to the Rays' Jonathan Aranda among big league first basemen, and an .883 OPS, which ranks fourth behind Alonso, the Cubs' Michael Busch and Aranda.

Ohtani, Smith and Freeman will likely be joined by at least a couple more Dodgers representatives when the full All-Star rosters are announced on Sunday. Although Muncy and Pages were not elected by fans, they probably have the best cases of the team's remaining position players. Both were able to put season-opening slumps behind them and are now performing on par with the top players at their respective positions.

On the pitching side, Yoshinobu Yamamoto seems poised to make his first MLB All-Star team. His 2.51 ERA ranks third among qualified NL pitchers, and his emergence as the Dodgers' ace has helped stabilize a rotation that has been hit hard by injuries.