Four surprises after first round of 2021 MLB All-Star Game voting

MLB unveiled the first round of voting results for next month’s All-Star Game at Coors Field on Monday and there is plenty to analyze. It is a part of a two-stage voting process to determine the starters. Phase one is currently underway and will run until June 24 and it will tell us the top-three vote getters at each position and top nine outfielders.

As of right now, Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is leading the All-Star Game vote with 857,956 votes. The young infielder currently leads the majors in home runs with 22. He’s just one of the many surprises from the first round. We are going to take a look at some of the other positions both in the American and National League.

1. The third outfield spot in the NL

It seems as if Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. and Cincinnati Reds outfielder Nick Castellanos are on track to be starting in the 2021 MLB All-Star Game as they are the top-two vote getters at outfielder.

But the third spot might be up for grabs between Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jesse Winker and Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts. Winker currently occupies the third spot with 462,692, however, Betts is right behind him at 400,202. There are no other outfielders after Betts who have more than 200,000 votes. This will be an interesting race to watch as Winkler has been dominating at the plate, hitting .342 with 17 HRs and 41 RBI this season.

2. Salvador Perez

The Kansas City Royals catcher has been one of the best catchers in the majors and it is good to see the fans recognize his play. Perez leads all catchers in the American League with 697,410 votes, which is up there in the overall count behind Angels OF Mike Trout (706,503) and Blue Jays 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (857, 956). This season, he’s slashing .285/.316/.526 with 16 HRs and 43 RBI.

3. Second base in the NL

Heading into the voting, second base in the National League was wide open for a potential starter. Right now, Ozzie Albies is now the leading vote-getter at second base with 295,478 votes. But Adam Frazier of the Pirates is not too far behind at 201,886 votes. The veteran infielder is quietly having a nice season for the Pirates, slugging .332/.394/.469 with two home runs and 24 RBI.

The race for third spot is between Gavin Lux, Nico Hoerner, Jake Cronenworth, and Jean Segura. Between those four players, Segura could be make a furious push for the last spot before phase one wraps up.

4. Outfield in the AL

In the American League, there will be a lot of attention on who can capture the 7th, 8th, and 9th spots in All-Star game voting. Right now, Alex Verdugo, Randy Arozarena, and Michael Brantley hold those spots. But sitting on the outside looking in are Cedric Mullins and Andrew Benintendi, each with 3% of the votes.

Arozarena should be able to hold on to his spot and could possibly move up. Mullins, who has the been the Orioles’ second-best offensive player and having a career year at the plate. Meanwhile, Benintendi has established himself as a threat in the Kansas City Royals’ lineup behind the likes of Whit Merrifield and Salvador Perez.