Bryce Harper finished third among first basemen in the first phase of fan voting for the All-Star Game. He is not in line to start, but he can still reach his ninth All-Star Game as a reserve if player balloting breaks his way.
Harper Falls Behind Freeman, Olson
The first phase left Harper behind Freddie Freeman and Matt Olson at the position. That ranking sends him to the next stage instead of giving him an automatic starting place.
He entered Thursday night with an.877 OPS and 17 homers, which put him in the same discussion as other NL first basemen. Freeman had an.859 OPS and 13 homers, while Olson had a.870 OPS and 20 homers.
Phillies Still Have Starting Chances
Harper was not the only Phillies player moving through the vote. Brandon Marsh advanced by collecting the second-most votes among outfielders, Bryson Stott finished second at second base, and Alec Bohm placed third at third base. Kyle Schwarber ran second among designated hitters.
Shohei Ohtani locked up a starting spot by getting the most votes of any NL player. The rest of the roster still has to sort itself out through the final stages, and Harper would need player balloting to join the National League roster as a reserve.
July 4 Roster Reveal
Voting resumes at noon Monday on MLB.com and on the MLB app, then closes at noon next Thursday. MLB will announce the All-Star rosters, including starters, on July 4 at 7:30 p.m.
That leaves Harper in a narrow lane: he no longer controls a starting spot through fan voting, but he can still force his way onto the roster before the All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park on July 14. If he gets there, it will be his ninth All-Star Game, and the Phillies could still send a strong group into Philadelphia.
