Cal Raleigh is on track for his first All-Star appearance, and fans are taking notice! As of Monday, Raleigh led the American League catchers in votes with over a million, specifically 1,043,168. He stands second overall among AL players, trailing only New York Yankees star Aaron Judge, who has 1,568,527 votes.
Julio Rodríguez isn’t far behind, sitting ninth among AL outfielders with 316,626 votes. The All-Star Game is scheduled for July 15 at 5 p.m. in Atlanta’s Truist Park. Phase 1 of voting ends on June 26, and only the top players will advance to Phase 2.
In the voting ranks, here’s how the Mariners are faring:
- Catcher: Cal Raleigh – 1st place – 1,043,168 votes
- First base: Rowdy Tellez – 10th place – 74,492 votes
- Second base: Dylan Moore – 8th place – 131,311 votes
- Third base: Ben Williamson – 10th place – 86,467 votes
- Shortstop: J.P. Crawford – 9th place – 142,123 votes
- Designated hitter: Jorge Polanco – 8th place – 101,019 votes
- Outfield: Julio Rodríguez – 9th place – 316,626 votes; Randy Arozarena – 15th place – 189,284 votes
The voting update shows Cal Raleigh is a solid pick among AL catchers, but there’s potential for others like Rodríguez and Crawford to gain more traction. For example, Rodríguez has a wins above replacement (fWAR) of 2.5, placing him second among AL outfielders. Yet, he’s 105,000 votes behind Javier Báez. Meanwhile, Mike Trout remains popular despite a lower batting average and minimal play time, highlighting the quirks of fan voting.
As for Crawford, his stats indicate he’s fourth among AL shortstops with a solid 2.2 fWAR. However, catching up to the top two in votes seems unlikely. This reflects a competitive landscape for shortstops in the AL, where celebrations are often reserved for big power hitters, even if a player’s on-base skills shine just as brightly.
Expert opinions suggest that while fan voting adds excitement, it sometimes overlooks deserving players like Crawford and Rodríguez due to less flashy stats. Recent MLB studies show that fan engagement shifts the focus to popular names over consistent performance, impacting how players are recognized each season.
As the final vote tally approaches, it will be interesting to see how these dynamics play out, showing both the delightful chaos of fan involvement and the challenges of reflecting true player value.
For full results and updates, check MLB’s official site here.
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