MLB All-Star Voting Update

AMERICAN LEAGUE 

CATCHER
1. Salvador Perez, Royals: 420,268 votes
2. Welington Castillo, Orioles: 339,902
3. Brian McCann, Astros: 296,187
4. Gary Sanchez, Yankees: 267,683
5. Yan Gomes, Indians: 240,688

Perez is the league's standard for defense behind the plate and he's also been the best hitter at his position in the league, with 11 home runs, 29 RBIs and an .787 OPS entering Wednesday's games. Castillo has a .317/.339/.467 slash line, and McCann is enjoying his new home in Houston with six homers and a .360 on-base percentage.

Last year's rookie sensation, the Yankees' Sanchez, missed a month due to a strained right biceps but has four homers in 95 at-bats and is getting hot with the weather. Gomes has four homers and is a solid presence behind the plate for Cleveland.

FIRST BASE
1. Miguel Cabrera, Tigers: 326,952
2. Yonder Alonso, A's: 287,975
3. Carlos Santana, Indians: 270,816
4. Eric Hosmer, Royals: 225,989
5. Yuli Gurriel, Astros: 182,945

A .780 OPS with five homers and 22 RBIs isn't very Cabrera-like, but reputation goes a long way toward All-Star Game selection, and fans are clearly expecting Miggy to be Miggy again very soon. Alonso, meanwhile, is one of the true breakout stars of early 2017, with a 1.052 OPS, 14 homers and 31 RBIs.

Santana ranks tied for fifth among AL first basemen with 30 RBIs, Hosmer has posted a .299/.357/.438 slash line, and Gurriel has contributed to a formidable Astros attack with four homers in his first full Major League season.

SECOND BASE
1. Starlin Castro, Yankees: 516,268
2. Jose Altuve, Astros: 515,732
3. Jason Kipnis, Indians: 253,409
4. Robinson Cano, Mariners: 159,557
5. Jonathan Schoop, Orioles: 149,060
Yankees fans are turning up at the online polls in droves for Castro, who is hitting .322/.358/.477 with seven homers and 28 RBIs, building on a terrific 2016. Altuve is Altuve, with a .320/.383/.510 line, and Kipnis has come back from injury well, with six homers and 20 RBIs.

Cano is leading all AL second basemen with 10 homers and 34 RBIs and has an OPS of .877, while Schoop is as solid as ever with an OPS of .801 plus seven homers and 24 RBIs.

THIRD BASE
1. Manny Machado, Orioles: 369,069
2. Miguel Sano, Twins: 363,607
3. Jose Ramirez, Indians: 351,814
4. Josh Donaldson, Blue Jays: 221,350
5. Chase Headley, Yankees: 174,702

Machado hasn't gotten hot yet, but he does have 10 homers with 25 RBIs and the dynamic skillset that has voters believing he'll steam into July on a torrid streak. Sano, meanwhile, is becoming a star, with 12 homers, a .996 OPS and 39 RBIs, the most in the AL among those who play the hot corner.
Ramirez has an OPS of .860, Donaldson is a former AL Most Valuable Player who is just getting back on the field after missing more than a month with a lingering right calf strain, and Headley is getting lots of votes from Yankees fans who appreciate his presence in the lineup and at third base for a first-place club.

SHORTSTOP
1. Francisco Lindor, Indians: 602,238
2. Carlos Correa, Astros: 253,518
3. Xander Bogaerts, Red Sox: 252,379
4. Didi Gregorius, Yankees: 239,170
5. Jean Segura, Mariners: 169,487

Lindor finished second to his countryman Correa in AL Rookie of the Year voting two seasons ago, but he's well ahead of his fellow Puerto Rican star in this vote. Lindor leads AL shortstops with 11 homers and has a .276/.347/.531 slash line. Correa has rebounded from a slow start and is among the AL leaders at shortstop in batting average (.309) and leads in OPS (.895).
Bogaerts is batting .339 for the Red Sox, and Segura's batting average of .345 is tops in the AL among shortstops.

DESIGNATED HITTER
1. Nelson Cruz, Mariners: 457,050
2. Edwin Encarnacion, Indians: 282,837
3. Matt Holliday, Yankees: 276,855
4. Corey Dickerson, Rays: 216,350
5. Albert Pujols, Angels: 154,626

Cruz just keeps getting it done, with a .279/.364/.525 line, 12 homers and a position-best 42 RBIs, which has him comfortably ahead, at least for now, of second-place Encarnacion, who hasn't quite gotten it going as compared to years past.

Holliday is doing just fine for the Yankees, with 11 homers and 32 RBIs, and Dickerson has been brilliant for Tampa Bay, with a 1.006 OPS, 12 homers and 25 RBIs. Pujols sits one career homer from the magical 600 mark.

OUTFIELD
1. Mike Trout, Angels: 776,937
2. Aaron Judge, Yankees: 730,438
3. Mookie Betts, Red Sox: 337,473
4. Michael Brantley, Indians: 333,703
5. Andrew Benintendi, Red Sox: 327,047
6. Avisail Garcia, White Sox: 303,603
7. Adam Jones, Orioles: 236,481
8. Lonnie Chisenhall, Indians: 229,856
9. Abraham Almonte, Indians: 202,999
10. Jose Bautista, Blue Jays: 195,199
11. Brett Gardner, Yankees: 192,288
12. Jacoby Ellsbury, Yankees: 179,600
13. Carlos Beltran, Astros: 175,700
14. George Springer, Astros: 162,087
15. Kevin Pillar, Blue Jays: 160,484

It's amazing to consider that prior to his injury, Trout was having the best year of his career, with a 1.203 OPS, 16 homers and 36 RBIs plus 10 stolen bases. Judge has been a phenom in the Bronx, with 17 homers, many of which have been tape-measure moonshots, but also a 1.112 OPS. And Betts has been his stellar self, with nine homers, 32 RBIs and an .849 OPS.

Brantley has rebounded from the injuries that derailed his 2016 season and is batting .307 while driving in 22 runs. And Benintendi, who's among the candidates for AL Rookie of the Year honors, has 27 RBIs and seven stolen bases while batting .272.

NATIONAL LEAGUE 

CATCHER
1. Buster Posey, Giants: 559,428 votes
2. Willson Contreras, Cubs: 355,289
3. Yadier Molina, Cardinals: 303,857
4. Matt Wieters, Nationals: 177,957
5. Yasmani Grandal, Dodgers: 127,844

Posey, a three-time World Series champion and one-time NL Most Valuable Player Award winner, is always a popular choice, as is perennial Gold Glover Molina, who also happens to own a couple of World Series rings of his own. But Posey has also up a .963 OPS (entering play on Tuesday) with seven home runs.

Contreras has fared well as the Cubs' everyday backstop, and he's the co-leader, along with Grandal, in RBIs among NL catchers with 23. Wieters has been solid in his first foray in the NL, swatting four homers and driving in 17 for the Nationals.

FIRST BASE
1. Anthony Rizzo, Cubs: 452,620
2. Ryan Zimmerman, Nationals: 359,055
3. Freddie Freeman, Braves: 286,389
4. Paul Goldschmidt, D-backs: 205,828
5. Eric Thames, Brewers: 170,244

Rizzo is off to a slow start in batting average (.235), but he's got 12 homers and 30 RBIs, an OPS of .835, and the defending World Series-champion Cubs have a fan base that continues to flock to the online ballots and support their favorite players. Meanwhile, Zimmerman's incredible rebound year (1.120 OPS, 14 homers, 40 RBIs) has deservingly resounded loudly with fans.

The only thing that can stop Freeman, apparently, is the May 18 left wrist fracture that will have him sidelined for up to two months. Freeman had posted a .341/.461/.748 slash line with 14 homers and 25 RBIs at the time of his injury. Goldschmidt is getting his usual love for his usual consistency (11 homers, .998 OPS) and Thames' unexpected April heroics have resonated in lots of votes.

SECOND BASE
1. Daniel Murphy, Nationals: 669,643
2. Javier Baez, Cubs: 474,119
3. Brandon Phillips, Braves: 126,404
4. Kolten Wong, Cardinals: 118,416
5. DJ LeMahieu, Rockies: 113,889

Murphy's offensive dominance at the position continues. After an MVP-caliber 2016, he keeps raking, as evidenced by nine homers, 35 RBIs and a .929 OPS. Baez has eight homers and provides highlight-reel defense, as much of America learned last October, and Phillips seems to be enjoying his new team in Atlanta. He's hitting .301.

Wong is chipping in to the Cardinals' attack with a .378 on-base percentage and .792 OPS, and LeMahieu, last year's NL batting title champ and a Gold Glove winner, has a .354 OBP to help pace the first-place Rockies' attack.

THIRD BASE
1. Kris Bryant, Cubs: 632,900
2. Nolan Arenado, Rockies: 392,051
3. Justin Turner, Dodgers: 220,029
4. Jedd Gyorko, Cardinals: 182,950
5. Anthony Rendon, Nationals: 137,767

Bryant, the reigning NL MVP Award winner, has Cubs Nation firmly behind him, and he has a .930 OPS, 11 homers and 23 RBIs. Arenado is a Gold Glover at the hot corner with a .913 OPS, 12 homers and 34 RBIs.

A recent right hamstring injury has derailed the consistent Turner, who was batting .379 when he got hurt. Gyorko (.927 OPS, eight homers) has been brilliant for St. Louis, and Rendon (.910 OPS, nine homers, 32 RBIs) is off to a great start.

SHORTSTOP
1. Corey Seager, Dodgers: 399,347
2. Addison Russell, Cubs: 379,640
3. Zack Cozart, Reds: 264,516
4. Chris Owings, D-backs: 219,287
5. Trea Turner, Nationals: 180,184

Seager finished third in the NL MVP Award voting in 2016, and he's done nothing to slow down this year. He is second among NL shortstops with seven homers, has driven in 24 runs and has an OPS of .856.

Russell's 19 RBIs have been a bright spot for the Cubs, and Cozart's blistering start to 2017 (.344/.422/.569, five homers, 25 RBIs) has him squarely on the All-Star radar. Owings (.841 OPS, six homers, 27 RBIs) is in the midst of a breakout offensive season, and Turner has five homers and 23 RBIs and hasn't even gotten hot yet.

OUTFIELD
1. Bryce Harper, Nationals: 900,079
2. Charlie Blackmon, Rockies: 520,479
3. Jason Heyward, Cubs: 344,166
4. Ben Zobrist, Cubs: 327,231
5. Kyle Schwarber, Cubs: 305,449
6. Matt Kemp, Braves: 284,420
7. Marcell Ozuna, Marlins: 255,945
8. Giancarlo Stanton, Marlins: 232,329
9. Yoenis Cespedes, Mets: 229,401
10. Jay Bruce, Mets: 180,970
11. Dexter Fowler, Cardinals: 180,888
12. Ryan Braun, Brewers: 143,587
13. Jayson Werth, Nationals: 127,511
14. Yasiel Puig, Dodgers: 125,149
15. Carlos Gonzalez, Rockies: 117,944

Harper is healthy and hammering the ball once again. The charismatic Nationals star has posted a .331/.443/.663 slash line with 15 homers and 41 RBIs, putting him right at the top of the NL MVP Award conversation. Blackmon continues to prove his versatility and value to a tough Rockies team, slashing .329/.364/.625 with 13 homers and a league-leading 46 RBIs.

Heyward has rebounded offensively, with five homers and 21 RBIs while providing his usual Gold Glove defense. Zobrist (.816 OPS, six homers) and the popular Schwarber (seven homers) round out the top five.

Fans may cast votes for starters at MLB.com and all 30 club sites -- on computers, tablets and smartphones -- exclusively online using the 2017 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Ballot until Thursday, June 29, at 11:59 p.m. ET. On smartphones and tablets, fans can also access the ballot via the MLB.com At Bat and MLB.com Ballpark mobile apps. Vote up to five times in any 24-hour period for a maximum of 35 ballots cast.

(MLB Media)