'Minor League Kim Hye-seong' ranks 4th, while 'Batting Average 2nd Place' Lee Jung-hoo falls to 20th... The 'amazing Dodgers effect' sparks mixed reactions in All-Star voting [MLB]

*This content was translated by AI.

Is this the power of the Los Angeles Dodgers, the most popular team in Major League Baseball (MLB)? Kim Hye-seong (27, LA Dodgers), who is currently playing in the minor leagues, received more votes in the All-Star fan voting than Lee Jung-hoo (28, San Francisco Giants), who holds the second-highest batting average in the major leagues.

The MLB office announced the mid-point results of the 2026 MLB All-Star fan voting on the 16th (Korean time). What is surprising is Kim Hye-seong's performance. Kim Hye-seong received 345,924 votes and secured 4th place in the National League (NL) second baseman category.

Only three players finished ahead of Kim Hye-seong: Aj Albis (Atlanta, 517,147 votes), Bryson Stott (Philadelphia, 399,729 votes), and Bryce Turlington (Milwaukee, 373,656 votes).

Kim Hye-seong, who signed a contract worth up to $22 million (approximately 33.1 billion won) for a 3+2-year deal last year to move to the major leagues, posted a batting average of 0.259 (116 at-bats, 30 hits), 1 home run, 11 RBIs, 16 runs scored, and an OPS of 0.651 in 43 games this season, falling short of last year's performance. He was sent to the Triple-A Oklahoma City Comets on May 30.

This makes the result even more surprising, as he has not returned to the major leagues since then. In contrast, 1st place Albis played 71 games with a batting average of 0.279, 10 home runs, 37 RBIs, 45 runs scored, and an OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage) of 0.772; 2nd place Stott played 66 games with a batting average of 0.230, 6 home runs, 33 RBIs, 22 runs scored, 12 stolen bases, and an OPS of 0.674; and 3rd place Turlington played 65 games with a batting average of 0.261, 10 home runs, 42 RBIs, 53 runs scored, 12 stolen bases, and an OPS of 0.835. Each of them has received more opportunities than Kim Hye-seong and has been performing consistently.

While there is a general consensus among fans that Kim Hye-seong is not at the level of the minor leagues, the fact that he is receiving so many votes despite somewhat disappointing batting statistics is also due to his love from many fans thanks to his speed and versatile defensive abilities.

However, a more accurate interpretation would be the "Dodgers effect," as the Dodgers are the most popular team in the world. Designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, first baseman Freddie Freeman, third baseman Max Muncy, and outfielder Andy Pages are all ranked 1st, while shortstop Mookie Betts and catcher Will Smith are also ranked 2nd. Excluding outfielders, where multiple players can be candidates, the Dodgers hold the lowest positions in each category.

On the other hand, Lee Jung-hoo, who is achieving his best results since entering the major leagues, has a voting ranking that raises questions. Lee Jung-hoo has played 64 games this season with a batting average of 0.331, 3 home runs, 24 RBIs, 35 runs scored, 3 stolen bases, an on-base percentage of 0.364, a slugging percentage of 0.445, and an OPS of 0.809, heading toward a career high. In particular, his batting average ranks 2nd overall in the major leagues, trailing only Otto Lopez (Miami, 0.339).

Despite this, Lee Jung-hoo received only 166,215 votes and failed to make the top 20 in the NL outfielder category. Considering the position's characteristic of selecting three players, this is a very disappointing position.

This is a result directly linked to team performance and popularity. While the Dodgers are in 2nd place in the NL West with an 8-game lead, the San Francisco Giants are in 4th place, trailing by 16.5 games.

This is not just a problem for Lee Jung-hoo. "Batting machine" Luis Arraez is also showing hot hitting with a batting average of 0.319, but he is also ranked behind Kim Hye-seong in the second baseman category. There is a gap of five times compared to 1st place outfielder Pages (800,496 votes).

Kim Ha-seong (31, Atlanta Braves), who has returned from injury but is suffering from severe slumps, is also benefiting significantly from his team's effect. He is struggling with a batting average of 0.089 in 17 games this season, yet he has received 153,077 votes and ranked 6th in the NL shortstop category.

Meanwhile, the top vote-getter in the NL is undoubtedly the Dodgers' Ohtani. He received 1,165,133 votes, showing a gap of nearly 200,000 votes from the league's 2nd place catcher, Drake Baldwin (Atlanta, 972,813 votes).

In the American League (AL), Houston Astros' Jordan Alvarez secured 1,015,768 votes and is leading overall. The player with the most votes in the league will be automatically selected as an All-Star without a second round of voting.

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*This content was translated by AI.