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Major League Baseball released their latest update on the NL All Star Game vote totals last night.
Catcher:
| Player | June 16 | June 23 | % Change |
| Yadier Molina | 2,003,557 | 2,600,853 | 30% |
| Jonathan Lucroy | 1,138,212 | 1,911,745 | 68% |
| Buster Posey | 1,414,363 | 1,709,685 | 21% |
| Evan Gattis | 774,409 | 1,055,119 | 36% |
| Devin Mesoraco | 537,165 | 679,745 | 27% |
First Base:
| Player | June 16 | June 23 | % Change |
| Paul Goldschmidt | 1,291,052 | 1,962,386 | 52% |
| Adrian Gonzalez | 1,049,222 | 1,239,509 | 18% |
| Freddie Freeman | 920,361 | 1,112,465 | 21% |
| Mark Reynolds | n/a | 1,067,419 | n/a |
| Matt Adams | n/a | 1,021,846 | n/a |
Second Base:
| Player | June 16 | June 23 | % Change |
| Chase Utley | 1,678,843 | 2,090,110 | 24% |
| Neil Walker | 997,347 | 1,328,959 | 33% |
| Dee Gordon | 898,226 | 1,129,759 | 26% |
| Rickie Weeks | n/a | 849,316 | n/a |
| Brandon Phillips | 574,300 | 798,784 | 39% |
Shortstop:
| Player | June 16 | June 23 | % Change |
| Troy Tulowitzki | 2,593,387 | 3,287,460 | 27% |
| Jean Segura | 786,529 | 1,272,273 | 62% |
| Brandon Crawford | 899,641 | 1,089,457 | 21% |
| Jhonny Peralta | n/a | 851,613 | n/a |
| Hanley Ramirez | 667,162 | 821,934 | 23% |
Third Base:
| Player | June 16 | June 23 | % Change |
| Aramis Ramirez | 814,627 | 1,279,902 | 57% |
| David Wright | 1,051,640 | 1,260,895 | 20% |
| Pablo Sandoval | 973,221 | 1,194,607 | 23% |
| Matt Carpenter | 692,745 | 1,049,472 | 51% |
| Nolan Arenado | 895,905 | 1,019,161 | 14% |
Outfielders
| Player | June 16 | June 23 | % Change |
| Yasiel Puig | 1,942,701 | 2,468,376 | 27% |
| Andrew McCutchen | 1,727,534 | 2,461,722 | 42% |
| Carlos Gomez | 1,628,401 | 2,409,860 | 48% |
| Giancarlo Stanton | 1,659,430 | 2,130,519 | 28% |
| Ryan Braun | 1,386,578 | 1,974,845 | 42% |
| Charlie Blackmon | 1,352,564 | 1,608,755 | 19% |
| Angel Pagan | 1,055,707 | 1,261,458 | 19% |
| Michael Morse | 1,051,431 | 1,260,419 | 20% |
| Justin Upton | 1,003,943 | 1,203,302 | 20% |
| Hunter Pence | 936,528 | 1,146,060 | 22% |
This may not be the most popular opinion, but I'm not a big fan of stuffing ballots with only players on the team one supports. I mean, I don't really care that much. The All Star game doesn't mean anything or, at least, it shouldn't, anyway. It's a silly exhibition. But if it has any import at all, the best players or most popular players in the league should be represented at the game.
Which category player should be in the game is totally up to different people. It's like the MVP vote. Is it the best player in the league, end of discussion? Is it player who actually contains the most value to his team? Is it the best player on a winning team? No answer is wrong, really. It's how you choose to interpret it. Similarly, I don't care if people vote for Yadier Molina over Jonathan Lucroy. If they're doing it because they feel his long-term success and name recognition is more important to them than Lucroy being the best catcher in the National League this year, then fine. That's their prerogative.
But I think it's silly to vote only for your own team's players. Mark Reynolds is awesome and has been a steal for the Brewers but he should absolutely not be in the All Star Game. The home run derby, maybe. Mariners fans voting for Michael Saunders, Cubs fans for Luis Valbuena. Those are wastes of votes that could be used to get the correct player in based on whatever criteria you prefer. Then, sometimes, guys like Reynolds actually have an outside shot to knock someone more deserving out of the lineup. It's strange to me.
Again, I don't care terribly much. I'm not sitting here angrily typing with a furrowed brow or anything. If you want to vote all Brewers, knock yourself out. I'll enjoy rooting for them in the game. Again, the ASG is not really a big deal, and I'm certainly not going to go crazy to preserve the sanctity of the game more. Hell, I'd prefer total chaos. But we don't get chaos.
All that being said, holy cow the Brewers fans voting for the All Star game are not joking around, and that's pretty awesome.
The three biggest percent changes in vote totals in the NL since the last update were Jonathan Lucroy, Jean Segura and Aramis Ramirez -- all Brewers. In fact, the Brewers had five of the top nine largest changes. There would probably be even more Brewers in the top-10 if I could count Mark Reynolds and Rickie Weeks, both of whom entered the top-5 for the first time.
That's crazy! I still doubt Lucroy overtakes Molina, but for the first time there is a little doubt in my mind of that conviction. Mark Reynolds and Rickie Weeks have no shot at the starting lineup, but dammit they somehow made their way to the top-5. The fact that Segura is the most highly-voted shortstop non-Tulo category is amazing, too.
For now, the Brewers have two players who would start in the All Star game if these rankings hold. Carlos Gomez gets in over Giancarlo Stanton in the outfield and Aramis Ramirez is just eking by at third base. Ramirez is a direct result of the Brewers' fan voting surge. It's not that he isn't deserving at all, but he's not the most deserving (Todd Frazier), nor does he hold the most name recognition (David Wright).
The Brewers have the best record in the NL. They also have the best voting contingent in the MLB.
A voting contingent that still has until July 3 to make an even bigger mark.
