The races to determine who will advance to Phase 2 of the fan voting for the 2021 MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard are starting to take shape.
On Monday, Major League Baseball provided the first standings update since Phase 1 of the voting launched on June 3, revealing the top 10 vote getters at each position, plus the top 15 in the outfield, in both the American League and the National League.
The top three vote getters at each position, plus the top nine outfielders, in each league will advance to the second phase of the voting, which will ultimately determine the starters for this year’s All-Star Game at Coors Field in Denver.
With close races at every position, there’s still time for you to ensure that your favorite players make it to the next phase. Fans can cast their votes exclusively online and via mobile devices at MLB.com, all 30 club websites, the MLB At Bat and MLB Ballpark mobile apps and on Google Search in the U.S. and Canada until the voting period for Phase 1 concludes at 4 p.m. ET on Thursday, June 24.
The final Phase 1 results will be announced on Sunday, June 27, at noon p.m. ET on the 2021 Google MLB All-Star Ballot Finalists Show on MLB Network. Phase 2 will last for four days, concluding on Thursday, July 1, at 2 p.m. ET. Later that night, the starting teams will be announced at 9 p.m. ET on the 2021 Google MLB All-Star Starters Reveal on ESPN.
The first thing that jumps out in the first standings update is the number of new faces who are leading their positions. Mike Trout and Ronald Acuña Jr. are the only two positional leaders who also won in 2019, the last time All-Star voting was held.
Three of the four leading vote getters are 23 years old or younger, including overall leader Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who has received 857,956 votes. Acuña ranks second with 834,287 votes, followed by Trout (706,503) and Fernando Tatis Jr. (701,251).
Remember, though, just because a player has a sizable lead at his position now doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll end up as the starter when Phase 2 is done. The vote tallies reset after Phase 1, and anything can happen once the finalists are given a clean slate.
The power is in the hands of the fans, not only to determine who starts but also to decide who remains in contention at the end of Phase 1. So keep voting. (Fan voting determines the starters at first base, second base, third base, shortstop, catcher and the three outfield spots in each league, plus the designated hitter spot in the AL. Pitchers and reserves for both teams will be determined through a combination of Player Ballot choices and selections made by the Commissioner’s Office.)
Here’s a look at the current standings.
AL
1. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., TOR, 51%
2. José Abreu, CWS, 9%
3. Yuli Gurriel, HOU, 8%
Next up: Jared Walsh, LAA, 7%; Trey Mancini, BAL, 5%
In the midst of an exceptional breakout season, Guerrero has garnered more than 50% of the votes cast for AL first basemen and is the leading vote getter overall. The 22-year-old may have a huge lead, but the AL first-base field is far from decided, with Abreu, Gurriel and Walsh all grouped closely together.
NL
1. Max Muncy, LAD, 23%
2. Freddie Freeman, ATL, 16%
3. Anthony Rizzo, CHC, 12%
Next up: Eric Hosmer, SD, 10%; Jesús Aguilar, MIA, 7%
Muncy went on the 10-day injured list with a strained right oblique on Saturday, but he’s built an impressive résumé over the first two-plus months of this season, leading the Dodgers in wins above replacement, according to Baseball-Reference. He’s the top vote getter among NL first basemen ahead of Freeman, the ’20 NL MVP and the NL’s starting first baseman in the past two All-Star Games, and Rizzo, who started at DH in ‘15 and first base in ‘16. Hosmer, the AL’s starting first baseman in ‘16, trails Rizzo by a couple percentage points.
AL
1. Marcus Semien, TOR, 34%
2. Jose Altuve, HOU, 20%
3. DJ LeMahieu, NYY, 9%
Next up: Nick Madrigal, CWS, 8%; Whit Merrifield, KC, 6%; David Fletcher, LAA, 6%
One of two Blue Jays who are leading their position, Semien made the move to second base after signing a one-year deal with Toronto in the offseason and has been a terrific addition. Semien finished in third place in the AL MVP voting as the A’s shortstop in 2019, but he’s never been an All-Star. He’s followed in the standings by Altuve and LeMahieu, who have combined to start the last five All-Star Games for the AL at second base (four starts by Altuve, one by LeMahieu). Madrigal’s right hamstring tear increases LeMahieu’s chances of advancing to Phase 2, but Merrifield and Fletcher still have time to make a charge.
NL
1. Ozzie Albies, ATL, 17%
2. Adam Frazier, PIT, 12%
3. Gavin Lux, LAD, 10%
Next up: Nico Hoerner, CHC, 10%; Jake Cronenworth, SD, 9%
This is one of the closest races of any position — less than 7,700 votes separate Lux, Hoerner and Cronenworth. It’s looking likely that we’ll have a first-time starter at this spot, as none of players in the top five spots has started an All-Star Game before.
AL
1. Rafael Devers, BOS, 28%
2. Yoán Moncada, CWS, 13%
3. Alex Bregman, HOU, 12%
Next up: José Ramírez, CLE, 9%; Anthony Rendon, LAA, 7%
Neither Devers nor Moncada has made an All-Star team, much less started one, but they have grabbed control of the top two spots among AL third basemen. Bregman, who started for the AL in ‘19, has a hold on the third spot, with Ramírez, the AL’s starting third baseman in ‘17 and ‘18, in fourth.
NL
1. Kris Bryant, CHC, 29%
2. Nolan Arenado, STL, 14%
3. Justin Turner, LAD, 12%
Next up: Manny Machado, SD, 11%; Austin Riley, ATL, 11%
In the past four All-Star Games, it’s been either Bryant (2016) or Arenado (‘17-19) starting at third base for the Senior Circuit, and the new NL Central rivals hold the top two spots in this race. The last spot could come down to the wire, as Turner and Machado are separated by less than 10,000 votes, while Riley trails Machado by roughly 7,200.
AL
1. Xander Bogaerts, BOS, 31%
2. Bo Bichette, TOR, 15%
3. Tim Anderson, CWS, 11%
Next up: Carlos Correa, HOU, 10%; Adalberto Mondesi, KC, 8%
The consistently excellent Bogaerts has made two All-Star teams and started once (2016), while Bichette and Anderson both are vying for their first All-Star selection. A gap of roughly 13,400 votes separates Anderson and Correa, who started for the AL in 2017 but hasn’t been back to the All-Star Game.
NL
1. Fernando Tatis Jr., SD, 40%
2. Javier Báez, CHC, 13%
3. Corey Seager, LAD, 9%
Next up: Brandon Crawford, SF, 7%; Trea Turner, WSH, 6%
The NL West is well represented here, with three of the top four coming from the division. That includes Tatis, the Padres’ 22-year-old wunderkind and MLB’s fourth-leading vote getter overall. This would be his first All-Star nod. Seager has been sidelined since mid-May due to a fractured right hand, but there’s a chance he’ll be back before the All-Star break. He leads Crawford, who is putting together the best offensive season of his career at age 34, in the race for the third spot. Seager is vying for his first All-Star Game start, while Crawford has one start (in 2018) under his belt.
AL
1. Mike Trout, LAA, 15%
2. Aaron Judge, NYY, 11%
3. Byron Buxton, MIN, 8%
4. Adolis García, TEX, 7%
5. Teoscar Hernández, TOR, 5%
6. Randal Grichuk, TOR, 4%
7. Alex Verdugo, BOS, 4%
8. Randy Arozarena, TB, 4%
9. Michael Brantley, HOU, 3%
Next up: Cedric Mullins, BAL, 3%; Andrew Benintendi, KC, 3%
Trout and Judge have started multiple All-Star Games, but Buxton, García, Hernández, Grichuk, Verdugo and Arozarena would all be first-time All-Stars. Brantley, who was the AL’s starting left fielder in 2019 and has made four All-Star teams altogether, has a slim lead for the ninth and final spot. Less than 21,000 votes separate Brantley and Mullins.
NL
1. Ronald Acuña Jr., ATL, 16%
2. Nick Castellanos, CIN, 11%
3. Jesse Winker, CIN, 9%
4. Mookie Betts, LAD, 8%
5. Juan Soto, WSH, 4%
6. Chris Taylor, LAD, 4%
7. Bryce Harper, PHI, 3%
8. Trent Grisham, SD, 3%
9. Ketel Marte, ARI, 3%
Next up: Joc Pederson, CHC, 2%; Christian Yelich, MIL, 2%; Tyler O’Neill, STL, 2%
Acuña got the start for the NL in center field at the 2019 Midsummer Classic, and he’s currently the NL’s leading vote getter. Fans also have shown their support for the Reds’ powerful duo of Castellanos and Winker, neither of whom has made an All-Star team before. We have an incredibly tight race for the ninth spot, as Marte leads Pederson by roughly 2,300 votes and Yelich and O’Neill by less than 8,100.
AL
1. Salvador Perez, KC, 43%
2. Yasmani Grandal, CWS, 9%
3. Martín Maldonado, HOU, 7%
Next up: Christian Vázquez, BOS, 6%; Kurt Suzuki, LAA, 6%
Perez missed 2019 following Tommy John surgery, and it snapped a streak of five straight All-Star Game starts for the Royals backstop. He’s returned to his slugging ways over the past two years and has grabbed the No. 1 spot among AL catchers. Just 12,000 votes separate Maldonado and Vázquez for the third spot.
NL
1. Buster Posey, SF, 30%
2. Yadier Molina, STL, 16%
3. Willson Contreras, CHC, 11%
Next up: Will Smith, LAD, 11%, William Contreras, 6%
It’s been a strong showing for the old guard among NL catchers. Posey, Molina and Willson Contreras have combined to make nine of the past 11 All-Star Game starts behind the plate for the Senior Circuit. Smith, still searching for his first All-Star Game appearance, is less than 14,000 votes away from taking the No. 3 spot away from Contreras.
1. Shohei Ohtani, LAA, 33%
2. J.D. Martinez, BOS, 18%
3. Yordan Alvarez, HOU, 9%
Next up: Yermín Mercedes, CWS, 8%
What more can you say about Ohtani’s two-way brilliance this season? He’s been the unstoppable force and the immovable object, posting an OPS+ and an ERA+ over 150. Ohtani, Martinez and Alvarez all have rebounded from rough and/or injury-plagued 2020 seasons to grab the top three spots in the AL DH standings, although the rookie Mercedes trails Alvarez by less than 11,000 votes.