Rangers Struggling for Potential Starters in All-Star Game Voting

Major League Baseball released updated phase one voting for the MLB All-Star Game and the Texas Rangers had two players crack the Top 10 at their positions.

Phase one of All-Star voting comes to a close at the end of the week. The top two at each position will move onto phase two to determine who the starter will be in the All-Star Game with the exception of outfielders. All positions in the outfield are voted on together, so six of them will advance to phase two. 

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Designated hitter Joc Pederson and shortstop Corey Seager were the only two Rangers to crack the Top 10. Neither is likely to move on to phase two. But it is Pederson — who is currently on the injured list — who has the best chance to make up ground, even though Seager has more votes than Pederson.

Pederson has amassed nearly 155,000 votes. Nobody is likely to catch the leader, Baltimore Orioles DH Ryan O’Hearn, who is nearing a million votes. If Rangers fans want Pederson to advance he must catch second-place Ben Rice of the New York Yankees, who is just under 410,000. 

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This is Pederson’s first year in the AL and with the Rangers. He has stepped in as the designated hitter but is having the worst season of his career. Before his injury, he slashed .131/.269/.238 with two home runs and six RBI.

Seager is in his fourth season with the Rangers and has been named to the AL All-Star team each of his three seasons with Texas. He’s played shortstop in 42 games and totaled up 51 putouts with 90 assists and only two errors. His batting slash on the season is .234/.322/.389 with seven home runs and 16 RBI.

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He will have to catcch Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals to head to phase two of the voting. Witt has more than 630,000 votes more than Seager and with only a few more days of voting it is doubtful Seager will advance.

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