Detroit Tigers catcher Darren Dingler might be feeling a bit snubbed after the latest round of MLB All-Star Game voting. Despite leading several key metrics like WAR and fielding runs value, Dingler didn’t make it past Phase 1 of the voting process, which means he won’t be starting in the July 14 midseason classic in Philadelphia.
With 924,766 votes, Dingler ended up third among catchers, trailing the Athletics’ Shea Langeliers and Toronto’s Alejandro Kirk. What’s surprising here is that Kirk, who hasn’t exactly set the world on fire this season with a .191 average in 13 games and a minus-0.1 WAR, managed to secure 564,022 more votes than Dingler. Talk about a head-scratcher.
Here’s how the top five catchers fared in Phase 1 voting:
- Shea Langeliers (Athletics) – 2,077,756 votes
- Alejandro Kirk (Blue Jays) – 1,488,788 votes
- Darren Dingler (Tigers) – 924,766 votes
- Adley Rutschman (Orioles) – 572,287 votes
- Ryan Jeffers (Twins) – 527,412 votes
Dingler’s stats this season speak volumes. Heading into Thursday, he led all qualified catchers in RBI (56) and OPS (.884), while ranking third in home runs (18) and batting average (.272). The 2025 AL Gold Glove winner also homered on Thursday, and by Friday, he was slashing .268/.336/.543.
Langeliers, for his part, has made a compelling case for himself with 19 home runs and a 125 OPS+ on a team that’s been struggling. He ranks second among catchers with a 2.3 WAR. But Dingler tops the list with a 3.7 WAR and leads his peers with a plus-nine fielding runs value.
Meanwhile, Dodgers’ two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani and Toronto’s Ernie Clement dominated the voting, each earning over 3 million votes and securing their starting spots.
Phase 2 of the voting kicks off on Monday and runs through July 2, with the All-Star Game starters being announced on July 4. Unfortunately for Dingler, despite being one of only two hitters alongside Houston’s Yordan Alvarez to notch at least 19 home runs, 55 RBI, and a .540 slugging percentage, he won’t be among those starters.
So, was Dingler dissed? The numbers certainly make a strong case that he was.