The starters for this year’s MLB All-Star Game were announced yesterday, and with that, I’m excited to officially kick off something we’ll be doing every summer here on Binary News. Starting today and running right up until the All-Star game, we’re launching a yearly series of articles that we’re calling Binary Spotlight. Each Spotlight article will focus on the players who get voted in year after year—the fan favorites who define the Midsummer Classic for so many of us.
Up until 2016, I was one of the many fans who cast my votes every summer, carefully filling out ballots for my favorite players and clicking submit like it really mattered. But over the years, the process has started to feel hollow. There’s no real limit on voting—fans can vote up to five times per day, every day, for weeks—and that makes it feel less like a reflection of what fans truly want and more like a numbers game. When one player can rack up 14 million votes in a single day, it’s hard to believe the system isn’t being gamed. That’s not a dig at the players or even the fans; it’s just the reality of what online voting has become. So instead of starting to participate in a process that feels mostly symbolic again, I’ve decided to spend this time of year doing something that feels more meaningful: writing about the players I genuinely like or admire, the ones who make this game special year in and year out.
The inaugural article for the Binary Spotlight column will be about the life and career of former Chicago White Sox Closer and All-Star Bobby Jenks. The few artilces following that one will be reaction to the vote totals and starting lineups this year. Specifically about players who made it to the All-Star Game this year whether by sheer talent, popularity, or a mix of both. These are the players fans keep talking about on social media who will be wearing their teams jersey for the All Star game not just because they’re good, but because they’re part of the story of modern baseball. This column may also be about coaches and athletes from other sports, as well as non-sports figures from time-to-time.
Take Aaron Judge as an example. He’s once again the top vote-getter in the American League, and it’s no mystery why. The man is having another monster season, and when he’s healthy, he’s always in the mix for MVP. Fans gravitate to him because he plays hard, hits bombs, and carries the weight of Yankee expectations like he was built for it. He’s become an automatic All-Star, and his presence on that lineup card just feels right. Same goes for Shohei Ohtani, now in the National League with the Dodgers. It doesn’t matter what league he’s in—he’s a lock to be voted in, and for good reason. He’s doing things we’ve never seen before, and fans want to see that kind of magic showcased on the biggest stage.
Then there are guys like Javier Baez, who plays in a smaller market but has found his way back to the starting lineup for the All-Star Game because he’s consistently one of the best all-around players in the game. Or Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who captured fans’ attention early and hasn’t let go. His game has matured, and the fans have stuck with him. Then there’s someone like Manny Machado, who’s made the leap from rising star to perennial fixture. His path to the All-Star Game has crossed both leagues, and it’s a testament to how long he’s been playing at a high level. These are the players who will be featured in this series—not because they lead the vote every year, but because they belong in the All-Star conversation every year.
What’s especially interesting to me is how this whole process has changed over time. Voting used to happen on paper ballots you’d punch out at the ballpark. Now it’s something you do on your phone in line at the grocery store. That kind of access is a good thing, in theory, but it also means the line between fan enthusiasm and strategic ballot stuffing is blurrier than ever. And with leagues like MLB partnering directly with sports betting apps and fan engagement platforms, it’s hard not to feel like the All-Star vote is more about generating clicks and buzz than truly reflecting who deserves to be honored.
That’s another reason why this series exists. It’s a chance to focus on the players who did get an All-Star nod and sometimes the ones who may have been snubbed such as Seiya Suzuki. What makes them tick. What makes them loved. What makes them All-Stars in the truest sense of the word.
Over the next ten days, leading up to the All-Star Game, you’ll see a series of Binary Spotlight pieces. Each one will take a closer look at one of these All-Stars level players, digging into what they bring to the game, how they’ve evolved over time, and what their All-Star legacy means in a league that’s constantly shifting. This isn’t about reliving highlight reels or listing out accomplishments—it’s about reflecting on why these players have become such reliable parts of the All-Star tradition.
Here’s the thing, folks: Even if you didn’t vote this year—or if, like me, you’ve stopped voting years ago—I hope you’ll join me in appreciating the players who did get voted in. The All-Star Game may not carry the same weight it once did, but it’s still one of the best snapshots of where the game is and who’s shaping its future. And maybe, just maybe, Binary Spotlight can help bring a little more meaning back to the names on that lineup card.
Also, while the All-Star break gives us the perfect excuse to kick off Binary Spotlight, this series won’t only live in July. There will be other Binary Spotlight articles scattered throughout the year—and they won’t necessarily all be about baseball or even athletes. Sometimes it’ll just be about people who’ve captured the spirit of excellence in a way that’s worth sharing.
With that… my first piece on the 2025 All-Star Starters will land on Monday and be about Ohtani and Suzuki’s own teammates Kyle Tucker and Pete Crow-Armstrong who are all starting—led to Seiya being snubbed of an All-Star spot.
If you play with them, root for them, then root for them.