Ohtani Headlines NL All-Stars, More Asian Stars Eye Selection
By James Moreau | 04 Jul, 2025

Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani will lead the Asian contingent on the 2025 All-Star roster for which Tommy Edman, Steven Kwan, Yusei Kikuchi and Kodai Senga are also in the running.

Superstar Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers has been named the National League’s starting designated hitter for the 2025 MLB All-Star Game after leading all NL players in Phase 1 of fan voting.  This is his 5th consecutive All-Star selection.

The 3-time MVP currently leads the NL with 30 home runs and a 1.015 OPS.  Ohtani’s performance has helped the defending World Series champion Dodgers to a league-best 55 wins.

In this, his 8th season, the 6’3” Japanese star has accumulated 255 career home runs. That pace puts him in statistical company with legendary sluggers Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth.

The 30-year-old signed one of the largest contracts in sports history in 2023. The 10-year $700 million deal was met with a mix of awe and scrutiny as over 97% of the payments are deferred until 2034 to 2043. The Dodgers’ strategic team-friendly deal has been admired for its innovation and criticized for exploiting a “loophole” in the league’s deferral rules.

Ohtani’s Korean-American teammate Tommy Edman was seeking his first All-Star appearance but lost out to fellow second baseman Ketel Marte of the Arizona Diamondbacks in the second round of voting.  The San Diego native etched his name in the record books last year earning the NLCS MVP during the Dodgers’ World Series run.  After their championship season Edman signed a 5-year $74 million contract extension. In his 7th year the 30-year-old is currently batting .244 with 10 home runs.

Guardians’ left fielder Steven Kwan failed to nab an All-Star starter slot after earning the honor for the first time last year.  Kwan was named a gold glover in each of his first 3 seasons, and this year leads all left fielders with 169 putouts and 8 assists.  The 27-year-old is also batting .292, 20th best in the Bigs.  Playing under a 1-year deal with Cleveland worth over 4 million, his performance this year could set up a big contract in the offseason.  Kwan is a Bay Area native of Chinese and Japanese descent.

Both Kwan and Edman remain in contention for the All-Star reserves through either player ballot or Commissioner’s Office selection which will be announced on Sunday, July 6th, along with pitchers.

Japanese starting pitchers Yusei Kikuchi of the Los Angeles Angels and Kodai Senga of the New York Mets are in the running for the Midsummer Classic.

Kikuchi is in his 7th year currently with a 2.81 ERA, the best of his career.  He also has thrown 106 strikeouts, tied for 9th best in the AL. The 34-year-old scored an All-Star selection in 2021, and is in his first year of a 3-year contract worth over $63 million.

Through 13 starts this season for the New York Mets Senga posted an astonishing 1.47 ERA, picking up 7 wins in the process.   Unfortunately, for the second straight year he’s battling injuries. Currently he’s on the 15-day IL with a strained right hamstring.  Senga may yet be named to the All-Star team but a replacement would likely be named as well.  The 32-year-old was an All-Star pick during his first MLB season in 2023 and is currently on a 5-year $75 million contract.

The 95th MLB All-Star Game will be held on Tuesday, July 15, at Truist Park in Atlanta.