Five players who need your All-Star vote right now
The Major League Baseball All-Star game is just around the corner. On July 12, the American League and National League will go at it in San Diego to determine home field advantage in the World Series.
If you want to have any influence over the contest, now is the time to act. All-Star voting ends Thursday at 11:59 p.m. ET. Yes, we are officially less than 24 hours away from the end of the voting period.
With that in mind, we thought it might be useful to highlight five players who deserve your vote during the final day. If you want to see the latest vote update, so you can see which players are trailing, go here.
Since players rarely campaign for themselves these days, we figured it would be fun to present their case in the form of political ads. These players might be down, but they are not out. If you want to support their cause, make sure to head over to MLB.com and vote before it’s too late.
MIGUEL CABRERA, AMERICAN LEAGUE 1B, DETROIT TIGERS
Hey there, Miguel Cabrera here. Remember me? I’m only one of the finest hitters of my generation, and I’m still producing at an elite level. As of the last voting update, I was roughly 600,000 out of the lead at first base. This season, I’m hitting .301/.375/.542, with 18 home runs, through 339 plate appearances. My 139 wRC+, an advanced stat that measures offensive performance, ranks first among all AL first baseman. Eric Hosmer, my competition, is having a fine season, I admit. While he barely bests me in batting average, I have an edge in on-base percentage and slugging percentage. I’ve started All-Star game for you in the past, and I’ve never let you down. Sometimes it can be tiring to vote for the same person year after year, but my track record speaks for itself. Vote for me!
MICHAEL SAUNDERS, AMERICAN LEAGUE OF, TORONTO BLUE JAYS
Hello, I’m Michael Saunders. I might be new to this whole All-Star thing, but change can be a good thing. For too long, we’ve seen the same names voted into the All-Star game year after year. If you’re tired of the norm, I’m your guy. You’ll find that while I don’t have the longest track record, my success this season is more than enough for your vote. Through 293 plate appearances, I have a .293/.369/.560 slash line. My 145 wRC+ is second in the AL among outfielders, behind Mike Trout. Despite this, I’m only 12th in the AL outfield voting. Together, we can start an All-Star game revolution. I’m Michael Saunders, and I approve this message.
COREY SEAGER, NATIONAL LEAGUE SS, LOS ANGELES DODGERS
Hey everyone, Corey Seager here. I don’t want to make this weird, but how am I not the leading NL shortstop in the All-Star vote? Have you seen my numbers this season? I’m hitting .296/.355/.531, with 16 home runs, in 338 plate appearances. I’m only 22 years old, and I came into the season as the No. 1 overall prospect in baseball. What more do I have to do at this point? No disrespect to my competitors Addison Russell and Trevor Story, but I’ve been a much better player this year. Last I checked, I was in third place, and roughly 700,000 votes out of first. It’s not looking great for me, but maybe a late push can make me a starter. In a world without Manny Machado, I might already be the best shortstop in baseball. I deserve to be an All-Star starter. You can make it happen!
MARCELL OZUNA, NATIONAL LEAGUE OF, MIAMI MARLINS
Look, I get it. I play for the Marlins. We’re not as popular as the Chicago Cubs or the New York Mets and people hate our owner. But you shouldn’t take it out on me. With Giancarlo Stanton going into an early funk, I’ve carried the Marlins on offense. I have a .319/.372/.564 slash line, with 16 home runs, through 309 plate appearances. My 148 wRC+ is the best among NL outfielders. Despite that, I’m 14th at my position in the All-Star voting. Did I mention I would be a great story too? My owner didn’t want me and tried to trade me during the offseason. Last year, I spent weeks in the minors and I’m still not sure why. After all that, I’m now one of the best young outfielders in baseball. Help me out, even though I play for the Marlins.
RYAN BRAUN, NATIONAL LEAGUE OF, MILWAUKEE BREWERS
I know, I know … I’m not the most likable guy on the ballot. I’ve been involved in some former scandals that threatened to end any chance of me being an All-Star starter again. Those scandals are behind me now, and I’m still putting up exceptional offensive numbers. Through 64 games, I have a .325/.381/.557 slash line, with 13 home runs. I’m not going to win the popular vote, and I’ll never be able to get a certain segment of fans back after what I did a few years ago, but the numbers speak loudly. If you saw my stat line, but didn’t know it was me, you would think I was a pretty good choice to start the All-Star game. Don’t vote with your emotions, vote logically.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
