Voting for the All-Star Game is underway. With the second newsletter from Phase 1 announced on Monday, we know how the different positions are going, in which the first three will advance to Phase 2 (nine outfielders).
Remember: All votes are erased after Phase 1, so advancing to Phase 2 is a significant thing. It’s a fresh start for those players. That’s why it’s so important that we do a good job in Phase 1. And that’s what this column is about.
The results of Phase 1 will be announced on Sunday, June 27 by MLB Network. Phase 2 will last four days, ending Thursday, July 1 at 2 pm That same night, the All-Star Game headlines will be announced at 9 pm on ESPN.
Fans can vote online and via mobile at MLB.com and LasMayores.com, the 30 team pages, the MLB At Bat and MLB Ballpark apps, and on Google Search in the United States and Canada until voting ends for Phase 1 on Thursday at 4pm
There are seven players who deserve a little more (or in some cases, a lot more) support on the ballot than they have received so far. Not all of them should be part of the starting lineup, but they all have arguments to advance to Phase 2.
Cedric Mullins, BAL, OF
Current ranking: 9th
Mullins should be among the three outfielders to start the game. The once-switch hitter and now exclusively left-handed has the best fWAR (3.3) among all rangers on the Young Circuit, as well as the best wRC + (157.057% better than average). His WAR is third best among all position players.
Adam Frazier, PIT, 2B
Current ranking: Dropped out of the top 10
Frazier should be the voting leader and now he’s down. Obviously, it has been affected by the Pirates’ place in the table, but their .839 OPS, 137 wRC + and 1.9 fWAR were among the best in their position as of this writing. Frazier, who is just 5’10 and 185 pounds, has been one of the best stories of 2021. He’s one of those old-school-style players who always make contact and strike out very little. Players like that are needed in the All-Star Game.
Jesus Aguilar, MIA, 1B
Current ranking: 5th
If you are looking for a possible replacement for Max Muncy, who is disabled due to an oblique problem, Aguilar of Venezuela could be a good option. He has a .269 / .332 / .471 line, 12 homers and 50 RBIs. His 121 wRC + was second-best among NL first basemen with at least 250 plate trips. And his fWAR of 1.0 was third among his peers from the first pad on the Old Circuit. At worst, Aguilar deserves better than being fifth in the voting.
Matt Olson, OAK, 1B
Current ranking: 5th
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. deserves to be shredding the vote the same way he is shredding opposing pitches. That said, Olson deserves his share of support. It carries a line of .205 / .386 / .617. His .998 OPS and 167 wRC + are only behind Guerrero’s marks at that position. His 20 home runs and 50 RBIs rank him in the top 10 in the majors in both departments.
José Ramírez, CLE, 3B
Current ranking: 4th
Ramírez has 16 homers, .890 OPS, 137 wRC + and 2.6 fWAR. The point here is that, for now, Ramírez deserves to be above Alex Bregman, within the best three and advance to Phase 2 of the voting, because no one should be surprised that when the process ends he is leading the third basemen of the American League in various categories.
Brandon Crawford, SF, SS
Current ranking: 4th
Barring some injury, which is now a possibility, Dominican Fernando Tatis Jr. will deservedly open the All-Star Game for the National League in the short stops. But Crawford is second behind Tatis among his league shortstop in wRC + (135). For now, the Cubs ‘Javier Báez (second) and the Dodgers’ Corey Seager (third) are ahead of him in the voting.
** Will Smith, LAD, C
** Current ranking: 4th, 11% of the votes
It’s hard to come up with arguments against Buster Posey, but you have to think about Phase 2 and right now Smith is battling head-to-head with the Cubs’ Willson Contreras for third and final place among the finalists. Smith, with a wRC + of 130 and fWAR of 2.2, has the better arguments between the two.
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