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Voting for the 2014 MLB All-Star Game has officially come to a close.

As the Midsummer Classic approaches, all we can do now is speculate which players will earn enough votes to make the team and a starting role in the game.

The American League featured several close positional battles from the last time MLB.com released the standings. We won’t know the official results until rosters are announced on Sunday.

While we await the highly anticipated unveiling, let’s take a stab at predicting the AL’s starters for this year’s All-Star Game.

Catcher

The last time these votes were tallied, Matt Wieters topped the list. Since then, he’s unfortunately been forced to undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery.

This brings us to a two-horse race between Derek Norris and Brian McCann. The edge has to go to McCann. He’s played in more games this season, has a better fielding percentage at .998—leading all AL catchers—and has been powerful at the plate, boasting 10 home runs and 37 RBI despite a .224 batting average.

McCann has been his own worst critic, according to a tweet from Bryan Hoch of MLB.com:

Perhaps a start in the Midsummer Classic would change his tune.

Prediction: McCann

First Base

There’s really not much of a competition at first base. Miguel Cabrera is running away with the voting, and rightfully so.

Solid on offense and defense, Cabrera has a .316 batting average with 100 hits, 32 doubles, 14 home runs, 67 RBI and a fielding percentage of .993.

He’s been showing no signs of slowing down lately:

Jose Abreu has been tremendous as well, displaying some great power, but Cabrera has been more consistent.

Prediction: Cabrera 

Second Base

Like the battle for first base, second base shouldn’t be all that close. Robinson Cano is boasting an impressive .323 batting average, producing 101 hits, 19 doubles, six home runs and 51 RBI. He also holds a .991 fielding percentage with just three errors this season.

Here’s a telling tweet from Bob Nightengale of USA Today regarding Cano and the Mariners’ success:

Ian Kinsler and Dustin Pedroia have been solid as well, but the gap simply appears too large to close.

Prediction: Cano

Third Base

It appears power will win the right to start at third base for the AL. While David Freese has the position’s best fielding percentage, he was nowhere near the top of the standings the last time they were released by MLB.com.

So, we turn to hitting.

Josh Donaldson is far and away the most powerful hitter at third base for the AL this season. He holds a .245 batting average and has accumulated 80 hits, 12 doubles, 18 home runs and 61 RBI. He’s hit five more balls out of the park than anyone else at the position.

He has been clutch at the plate for the A’s all season long:

Prediction: Donaldson 

Shortstop

The last time the standings were released, Derek Jeter had a slight lead on Alexei Ramirez.

Jeter has been playing well this year, holding a .975 fielding percentage and batting .268 with 80 hits, nine doubles, two home runs and 21 RBI; however, Ramirez has simply been much better.

He’s playing well defensively with a fielding percentage of .976, but his hitting has been even better. Ramirez is batting .294 with 97 hits, 14 doubles, eight home runs and 41 RBI.

Here’s yet another fine reason why Ramirez should be getting the start:

It would be nice to see Jeter take the field in what appears to be his last season in the league, but Ramirez is the right choice here.

Prediction: Ramirez

Outfield

With three starting spots up for grabs, the outfield becomes an intriguing race.

At center field, expect Mike Trout to get the nod. The 22-year-old phenom has continued his remarkable run this season with 95 hits, 23 doubles, five triples, 19 home runs and 62 RBI for a batting average of .314. No slouch on defense, he’s also fielding .990.

He’s certainly no slouch on defense at all:

At right field, Jose Bautista is running away with things. He has produced a stellar season at the plate with 86 hits, 15 doubles, 17 home runs and 51 RBI for a .303 batting average. His defense has been superb as well, as he holds a .986 fielding percentage.

So, who gets the third spot?

That would be Adam Jones. He ranks in the top 10 of AL center fielders with a .980 fielding percentage, but his prowess at the plate is what makes him stand out. With 107 hits, 18 doubles, 16 home runs, 53 RBI and a batting average of .308, he’s far and away the most productive outfielder behind Trout and Bautista.

Prediction: Trout, Bautista and Jones

Voting results updated at MLB.com as of July 1.

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Arguing about the All-Star Game voting snubs is a bit of a futile endeavor. Most of the players discussed will get into the game anyway through either the manager selections or final vote. But that’s not going to stop anybody from doing it.

Ideally, the All-Star voting is a meritocratic process rather than a popularity contest. The best players get the most votes, and everybody is happy. That’s not how it goes, though. Fans will vote for their favorite players no matter what they’ve done on the field.

The five players listed below will most likely be making the trip to Minneapolis, so there really isn’t too much to be worked up about. But that doesn’t mean my sense of indignation at their perceived slights isn’t high for no reason.

Jose Altuve, Houston Astros

Most of the time, you trust the fans to if not make the right decision, then at least make something close to the right decision. But there’s no accounting for this. According to the July 1 results, Jose Altuve was fourth in the All-Star voting at second base.

He leads the majors in hits (121) and is second in batting average (.347) and stolen bases (37). Yep, seems legit.

The 24-year-old is also coming off a blistering June:

There’s no reason that Altuve shouldn’t start the All-Star Game. He’s been one of the best offensive players in the majors in 2014. Maybe once the Houston Astros turn things around, he’ll get the credit he deserves.

Edwin Encarnacion, Toronto Blue Jays

Most MLB fans couldn’t possibly envision anybody else starting at first base for the American League ahead of Miguel Cabrera. Never mind that Edwin Encarnacion has more home runs, runs batted in and walks, not to mention a higher slugging percentage and OPS.

The All-Star Game isn’t a cumulative achievement—except in the case of a retiring star like Derek Jeter. You vote for the players who are having the best seasons.

Cabrera might be the two-time reigning AL MVP, but the fact of the matter is that Encarnacion is having a better season statistically. While this isn’t as egregious as Altuve being fourth in the ballot, it’s a slight nonetheless.

Salvador Perez, Kansas City Royals

The AL catcher vote is a complete mess. The top vote-getter is out for the season, while the guy behind him is more of a platoon hitter.

Derek Norris has been very good in his limited at-bats. Eight home runs, 35 RBI and a .309 average are nothing to scoff at.

With all due respect, getting voted into the All-Star Game should be reserved for players who are a little more full time, though.

Salvador Perez has been improving with each month. His average jumped from .211 in April to .262 in May and then .347 in June. Sixteen of his 29 RBI also came in June.

Perez has been the much better defensive catcher, too. His .324 caught-stealing percentage is nearly 200 points higher than Norris’ (.133).

Jonathan Lucroy, Milwaukee Brewers

Pretty much everybody has seen that Jonathan Lucroy All-Star propaganda video by now. That video alone should be good enough to get him in.

Like the Encarnacion/Cabrera debate, the NL catcher race boils down to reputation vs. production. We’ve come to recognize Yadier Molina as the best catcher in the world, but so far this year, the numbers don’t bear that out.

Lucroy is hitting .331 with eight homers and 43 RBI, compared to .287, seven and 28, respectively, for Molina. Lucroy’s slugging percentage and OPS are at least 100 points higher than Molina’s. The St. Louis Cardinals star does own the defensive advantage, but the gap between the two in that respect isn’t enough to outweigh Lucroy’s obvious offensive superiority.

Giancarlo Stanton, Miami Marlins

The National League has a wealth of great outfielders, so one or two qualified candidates are bound to finish on the outside looking in no matter how the voting shakes out.

More than likely, one of those players will be Giancarlo Stanton. The 24-year-old leads the NL in both home runs (21) and RBI (61). Far from being just a slugger, he also boasts a batting average of .313 and an on-base percentage of .410.

“This guy is having an unbelievable year,” Miami Marlins manager Mike Redmond said, per MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro. “I’m so happy for him. I talk about him all time, about how much he means to our team. We need to get him in that starting lineup. He deserves that.”

Stanton will struggle to unseat any of Yasiel Puig, Carlos Gomez and Andrew McCutchen, but he deserves to get in ahead of one of those candidates.

Note: All stats are courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise noted.

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There are plenty of bubble players for the 2014 MLB All-Star rosters, but some have already locked up spots.

These players are not only guaranteed All-Stars, but they’re MVP and Cy Young candidates as well.

4. SS Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado Rockies

Tulowitzki is on pace to finish with one of the highest batting averages since the turn of the century. He leads the majors with a .350 batting average. If he maintains it, he’ll finish with the highest average since John Hamilton hit .359 in 2010. 

While there are several contact hitters on Tulowitzki’s tail for the league lead in batting average, his power gives him a huge edge when it comes to who is most deserving of an All-Star roster spot. He also boasts 47 RBI and 18 home runs, which ties him for the ninth highest total in the league.

3. RHP Masahiro Tanaka, New York Yankees

Tanaka wasted no time not only becoming the Yankees’ best pitcher but one of the best pitchers in baseball. He leads the majors with 12 wins in 17 starts this season. And in those 12 starts, he’s established quite the stat line.

He has struck out 130 batters, tying him for fifth most in the league, and recorded a 2.27 ERA and 0.97 WHIP, ranking him fourth and fifth, respectively. He’s also walked fewer batters than any pitcher with double-digit wins. The 25-year-old will be on this list for years to come.

2. 1B Edwin Encarnacion, Toronto Blue Jays

No one has created more runs for his team than Encarnacion this season. Entering Friday night’s action, he’s racked up a league-leading 69 RBI, many of which have come off his league-leading 26 home runs. While Nelson Cruz and Jose Abreu have produced comparable numbers in the race to be baseball’s best power hitter, Encarnacion earns the edge with contact.

He has a higher batting average than both Cruz and Abreu. He also has a higher on-base percentage, having drawn 43 walks. He’s the greatest reason why the Blue Jays are the fourth highest-scoring team in the league this year.

1. RHP Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners

Hernandez doesn’t have as many wins as Tanaka (10), but that’s about the only number of Hernandez’s that isn’t better. He’s third in the majors with a 2.10 ERA, a 0.92 WHIP and 137 strikeouts. While he doesn’t lead the league in those categories, no other pitcher is consistently rated as high across the board.

King Felix has also allowed just four home runs in 18 starts and 96 hits in 128.1 innings pitched. No pitcher with more than 100 innings has allowed fewer homers. Out of all the elite pitchers this season, no one has been better than Hernandez.

David Daniels is a columnist at Bleacher Report. He tweets, too.

Follow @TheRealDDaniels

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For the first time since 2010, the Seattle Mariners will have a position player representative at the All-Star Game.

Robinson Cano will be making the trip to Minnesota on July 15 to play in his fifth consecutive All-Star contest. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he will join teammate Felix Hernandez, who would be making his fourth straight appearance.

Cano and Hernandez have been virtual locks since the beginning of the season, but they may not be Seattle’s only representatives. The Mariners have two other players who have an outside chance of making the team.

After that, nobody else is realistically in the picture. But based on their season numbers, competition at their respective positions and voting results, four Mariners are candidates for the 2014 MLB All-Star Game.

Begin Slideshow

Even though the Cubs are 11 games under .500 this season, they still have a few deserving All-Stars. Both on the mound and at the plate, the team has had players step up, and those players should be playing in Minnesota this July.

At this point, it doesn’t look like any Cubs position players are going to be voted in as a starter, but there are still a couple that could be added to the roster as reserves.

There are actually no Cubs position players in the top five of fan voting, but that doesn’t mean they won’t have any suit up for the National League this summer. Based on how they stack up against the rest of the league, here are the Cubs’ five best All-Star candidates.

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With the 2014 Major League Baseball All-Star Game now just a month away, crunch time for the voting has arrived.

And thanks to the latest batch of updates, now we know where the voting stands going into said crunch time.

After providing a fourth update for the National League voting, MLB has provided the fourth update for the American League voting on Monday. With polls closing on July 3 before the game is played on July 15 at Target Field, there are only a couple of more updates due after these before the starters—barring injury, of course—become set in stone.

For now, we have our cue to once again take stock of the major takeaways from the voting.

American League

The American League voting is still largely the Jose Bautista Show, but this week has seen two other players cross the two million vote plateau in Los Angeles Angels superstar Mike Trout and Detroit Tigers two-time defending AL MVP Miguel Cabrera:

And now for a slightly closer look at the leading vote-getters at each position:

Biggest AL All-Star Voting Takeaways

1. Still No Change Among Projected Starters

As we’ll discuss later on, there are two new players in line for starting gigs in the National League voting this week. Things are awfully interesting on that side of the fence.

In the AL, however, things are getting boring. Just as there were no changes to the projected starters last week, it’s the same old story this week. It would seem that American League fans have settled on the guys they want to see and, well, those are the guys they want to see.

On a related note…

2. Alexei Ramirez Probably Won’t Catch Derek Jeter After All

This time last week, New York Yankees captain Derek Jeter led Chicago White Sox shortstop Alexei Ramirez in the AL shortstop voting by a little over 160,000 votes. Hardly an insurmountable lead, that.

But then Jeter’s lead spread to around 250,000 votes, which we can probably attribute to three things:

• He’s still Derek Jeter.
• This is still his last season.
• He’s actually been hitting well lately, batting at .435 over his last six games.

I’m actually fine with Jeter starting for the AL on the first two merits, but here’s hoping he can keep up the third. It would be a little (read: a lot) less awkward.

3. People Really Like Jose Bautista

Some things just catch your eye. For example, it’s hard not to notice that Bautista went from an already AL-high 2,135,223 to up over 2.9 million votes this week. The Toronto Blue Jays slugger is now the closest player in either league to three million votes, and it’s not particularly close.

There’s no question that Bautista is a deserving All-Star with a .314 average and .981 OPS. But in an age where Miggy vs. Trout is a thing and Jeter’s last season is an even bigger thing, color me fascinated that Bautista is the one guy fans want to see more than any other.

4. But Suddenly, People Also Really Like Yoenis Cespedes

Last week, Oakland A’s left fielder Yoenis Cespedes was sixth in the AL outfield voting and looking up at Baltimore Orioles center fielder Adam Jones and New York Yankees center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury.

Now Cespedes is looking down on the two of them, the result of a 312,490-vote surge. He’s making a run at Blue Jays left fielder Melky Cabrera and that final outfield spot.

I’m going to take a wild guess and say Cespedes‘ surge might have something to do with this:

5. The Catcher Voting Needs Fixing

As much as everyone wants to see Baltimore Orioles catcher Matt Wieters and New York Yankees catcher Brian McCann in Minnesota, it’s time to face facts. Wieters hasn’t played since May 10 and is now out for the year with Tommy John surgery, and McCann is stinking up the joint with a .634 OPS.

You want an All-Star catcher to vote for? Try sending more votes Oakland A’s catcher Derek Norris’ way to reward him for his .911 OPS. Or maybe to Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez, who has a .771 OPS to go with excellent defense.

Come on. You know you want to. It’s the right thing to do.

National League

There’s no change at the top in the Senior Circuit, as Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki is still the leading vote-getter with over 2.5 million votes. One difference this week, however, is that he has company in the Two Million Votes Club in St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina.

Here’s a closer look at the top three vote-getters at each position.

Biggest NL All-Star Voting Takeaways

1. Paul Goldschmidt Is Where He Belongs

Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez was still in line to start for the National League at first base in Minnesota this time last week, as he led Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt by over 100,000 votes.

So much for that. Thanks to a roughly 500,000-vote surge, Goldschmidt has taken over the first base lead. And rightfully so, as he’s been on fire with a 1.017 OPS over his last 43 games and (via FanGraphs) now leads qualified NL first basemen in average, slugging, OPS, homers and RBI. 

Yup. Sounds like an All-Star starter to me.

2. Hard to Argue with That Outfield

The other big change this week was in the NL’s outfield, where Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder and reigning NL MVP Andrew McCutchen leapfrogged Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Carlos Gomez for the third and final starting spot.

It’s now hard to argue with the NL’s projected outfield. McCutchen and Miami Marlins right fielder Giancarlo Stanton are the two best outfielders in the NL in terms of WAR, and Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puig has the second-highest average and third-highest OPS among NL outfielders.

This is to say nothing of the entertainment value of the three. The thought of McCutchen‘s awesomeness combined with Stanton’s power and Puig‘s, um, Puig-ness should give us all happy faces.

3. …But Don’t Count Out Carlos Gomez

Gomez may have been leapfrogged by McCutchen in the voting, but it wasn’t because people stopped voting for him. While McCutchen gained nearly 540,000 votes in the last week, Gomez gained over 430,000 votes of his own.

And the votes should keep coming. While he hasn’t been as scorching hot as McCutchen—oh, you know, just a 1.440 OPS in June—Gomez does have a .350 average and .962 OPS in his last 30 games. If he keeps it up, maybe he’ll be able to catch Stanton and/or McCutchen to get back in line for a starting gig.

4. The NL’s Best Third Baseman Still Isn’t Getting Any Love

The race for the NL’s starting third base gig is the NL’s biggest example of how All-Star voting is largely a popularity contest. New York Mets fan favorite David Wright is leading, but he’s not having a great year. Neither is Pablo Sandoval, Aramis Ramirez or Matt Carpenter, and Nolan Arenado is hurt.

Meanwhile, there’s Cincinnati Reds third baseman Todd Frazier leading NL third basemen in OPS, homers and WAR while ranking second in RBI. He may not be popular, but he’s certainly the best third baseman NL fans can vote for.

5. Neither Is One of the NL’s Best First Basemen

There’s one NL first baseman who can claim to be on Paul Goldschmidt‘s level this year, and his name isn’t Adrian Gonzalez, Freddie Freeman, Justin Morneau or Brandon Belt.

It’s Anthony Rizzo. The Chicago Cubs first-sacker has a .406 on-base percentage, a .509 slugging percentage and 14 home runs. Add in his quietly excellent defense at first base, and it’s no wonder FanGraphs has him tied with Goldschmidt in WAR.

I wouldn’t pick Rizzo over Goldschmidt to start. But at the least, he deserves to be in the top five.

Note: Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted/linked.

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As long as MLB All-Star Game voting is done by the fans, there will always be cases where popularity wins out over production—and this year is no different.

While the game does mean something these days with home-field advantage in the World Series at stake, it is still very much an exhibition for the fans, and they certainly have the right to elect the starter they want to see play.

Whether it is one fan base in particular stuffing the ballot box, a veteran superstar earning a start solely upon name recognition alone or a small-market star being overlooked in favor of a big-market counterpart, there are always deserving starters that wind up as reserves or being snubbed altogether.

Here is a look at six guys who are deserving of a starting spot in this year’s Midsummer Classic but look to be well on their way to getting snubbed by the fan vote.

Begin Slideshow

The third-round voting results for the 2014 MLB All-Star Game have been released, and while the game is still over a month away, we are already starting to get a good idea of what the rosters could look like on July 15.

Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis led everyone with 8,272,243 votes last season, while St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina paced the National League with 6,883,248 votes.

This year’s game will be played at Target Field in Minnesota. Having opened in 2010, it’s one of the newer stadiums in baseball.

American League

Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Jose Bautista is now the leading vote-getter for the American League, coming in just ahead of Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout with 2,135,223 total votes so far.

Take a look at the table below for a closer look at the top three vote-getters at each position in the American League:

Biggest AL All-Star voting takeaways

1. No change among the projected starters

Outside of Jose Bautista jumping Mike Trout into first place in the outfielder voting, there was no change from last week’s update as far as the projected starters are concerned. That could change next week, though, as one race in particular remains very close.

2. Derek Jeter widens lead in shortstop voting, still the tightest race

In last week’s voting update, New York Yankees captain Derek Jeter held a 140,812-vote lead over Alexei Ramirez of the Chicago White Sox, who, by all accounts, is having a better statistical season than Jeter.

That gap was widened to 163,692 votes in this latest update, but that still makes it the tightest race by a decent margin. The next closest battle is at second base, where a pair of players in their first seasons with their new teams are battling it out, as Robinson Cano (SEA) currently leads Ian Kinsler (DET) by 224,336 votes.

3. Jose Altuve finally among the voting leaders where he belongs

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve currently leads the American League in hits (88) and stolen bases (24) while hitting .320/.360/.429 as the star of what has been a vastly improved Houston Astros team so far this year.

An All-Star in 2012, Altuve did not appear among the top five vote-getters at second base until this most recent update, as he jumped ahead of Howie Kendrick (LAA). He’s not going to catch Robinson Cano and will be lucky if he can close the gap to fourth place, but it’s nice to see Altuve get some recognition.

4. Baltimore Orioles fans are stuffing the ballot boxes

Outside of second base, every Baltimore Orioles player on the ballot currently appears among the leaders at his position. That includes third baseman Manny Machado, who has played just 35 games, and Matt Wieters, who has been sidelined since May 10 with an elbow injury.

Chris Davis, J.J. Hardy and Adam Jones were all voted in as starters by the fans last year, so the big turnout from Orioles fans is nothing new.

5. Best player not among the leading vote-getters?

With Yangervis Solarte and Lonnie Chisenhall not on the AL ballot, a pair of Kansas City Royals outfielders in Alex Gordon and Lorenzo Cain rank as the biggest oversights as far as the AL field is concerned.

Gordon (.288 BA, .822 OPS, 3.4 WAR) is tied for second in WAR among outfielders, while Cain (.331 BA, .811 OPS, 2.0 WAR) is tied for sixth. There are actually no Royals players among the leaders at any position, as Kansas City’s offense has been among the worst in the AL this year.

National League

Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki remains the leading vote-getter for the National League. With 2,007,202 votes, he has a wide lead over St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina, who has 1,621,944.

Take a look at the table below for a closer look at the top three vote-getters at each position in the National League:

Biggest NL All-Star voting takeaways

1. David Wright and Carlos Gomez take over as starters

Unlike the American League, there was some change to the potential NL starting lineup since the last update.

New York Mets third baseman David Wright passed the injured Nolan Arenado of the Colorado Rockies in voting at the hot corner, while another Rockies player in outfielder Charlie Blackmon also lost his starting spot to Carlos Gomez of the Milwaukee Brewers.

2. Three different races separated by less than 200,000 votes

While Wright has finally passed Arenado at third base, he is by no means running away with the spot just yet, as his lead is just 92,718 votes.

First base is also very close, as Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Adrian Gonzalez leads Paul Goldschmidt of the Arizona Diamondbacks by just 104,880 votes and Freddie Freeman of the Atlanta Braves by 178,128 votes.

Finally, while Gomez is in the third outfield slot for now, he has a tenuous hold on the spot at best. Andrew McCutchen (1,658 votes back), Blackmon (62,861) and teammate Ryan Braun (133,494) are all within striking distance.

3. Still no Padres or Cubs among the leading vote-getters

Of the 40 players who make up the leading vote-getters in the National League, only the Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres are without representation.

A case can be made for Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo (.887 OPS, 12 HR) being among the first base candidates—and ahead of both Justin Morneau and Brandon Belt. Shortstop Starlin Castro (.773 OPS, 8 HR) is also having a solid season.

For the Padres, outfielder Seth Smith (.934 OPS, 14 2B) has been one of the best hitters in the National League, yet he ranks outside the top 15 in voting. He has his work cut out for him making it as a reserve, too, as the Padres’ representative will likely come on the pitching side of things in the form of Huston Street and/or Andrew Cashner.

4. No starters for the San Francisco Giants, baseball’s best team

With a 42-22 record, the San Francisco Giants currently hold an 8.5-game lead in the NL West and sport the best record in all of baseball.

While six of their eight everyday players rank among the leading vote-getters at their respective positions, none is currently on pace to start. Third baseman Pablo Sandoval is the closest to a starting spot, trailing David Wright by 144,534 votes, and he’s probably the least deserving of the six included among the leaders.

5. Best player not among the leading vote-getters?

Not only does Cincinnati Reds third baseman Todd Frazier belong among the top five vote-getters at his position, but he also deserves the starting nod with Nolan Arenado sidelined in the midst of a breakout season.

After a disappointing sophomore campaign, Frazier is currently hitting .276/.347/.511 with 14 doubles, 13 home runs and 32 RBI, and he leads all NL third basemen with a 2.4 WAR. With Joey Votto and Jay Bruce both missing significant time this year, he has been the Reds’ best hitter.

All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.

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You’ve seen the voting for the 2014 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. Now prepare to see it in an entirely new way…

Updated!

After providing an initial look at the voting last week, MLB has refreshed the totals. The American League voting was updated on Monday, and the National League voting has been updated on Tuesday.

B/R’s Joel Reuter provided a rundown of the first voting reveal last week, complete with key takeaways. It’s time to do the same thing with the latest round.

American League

Straight from MLB Public Relations, here’s the latest look at the American League voting:

Or, if you prefer things in table form, here’s a better look at the top three vote-getters at each position:

Same as last week, it’s Los Angeles Angels superstar Mike Trout leading the way. That’s one thing worth noting, but some of the more interesting things are: 

1. It Seems Fans Don’t Care About PEDs

When MLB unveiled the AL voting last week, neither Baltimore Orioles DH Nelson Cruz nor Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Melky Cabrera was in line to be in the AL’s starting lineup at Target Field on July 15. 

This was somewhat surprising in light of how well both players have been performing in 2014. But because of their strong ties to performance-enhancing drugs, it wasn’t overly surprising.

But suddenly, Cruz and Cabrera now are in line to start. That tells us that most fans are willing to look past their PED links and focus instead on Cruz’s MLB-leading 20 homers and Cabrera’s .308 average and 74 hits.

You won’t get me to say this is shameful. But if nothing else, it’s definitely interesting. Feel free to talk about it among yourselves.

2. Edwin Encarnacion Needs Some Love

I’m not going to say Cruz is a bad choice at DH. Nor is David Ortiz. Nor is Victor Martinez, who leads the AL in hitting at .335.

I will say this, though: Send some love Edwin Encarnacion‘s way, people. After not being in the top five of the DH voting at all last week, the Blue Jays slugger is only fourth in the voting this week. 

He deserves better. After establishing himself as one of the AL’s elite power hitters in 2012 and 2013, Encarnacion has put himself on an even more deadly path of destruction lately, crushing 17 homers and slugging .795 (!) in his last 31 games.

I don’t care how stacked the DH position is in the AL. Vote for the guy.

3. There’s Not Going to Be Any Derek Jeter Pushback

When Derek Jeter appeared atop the voting for AL shortstops last week, it wasn’t a big shocker. The New York Yankees shortstop may be having a down season, but he’s still Derek Jeter, and this is his last season.

Still, you had to wonder whether there could be some pushback. Perhaps outraged voters would start stuffing the ballot box for a more deserving performer, such as Chicago’s Alexei Ramirez.

Nope. Jeter still leads, and his edge over Ramirez actually got bigger. People want to see The Captain.

And that’s OK. I do too. Jeter’s not the best man in the AL for the starting shortstop gig, but having him out there promises to be one of those All-Star moments that will turn into a lasting memory.

4. Fans Haven’t Forgotten Robinson Cano

When Ian Kinsler appeared in the lead over Robinson Cano at second base last week, you couldn’t help but wonder how many votes Cano’s move from New York to Seattle was costing him. 

But lo and behold, the votes have come. While Kinsler only gained about 300,000 votes, Cano gained close to 400,000. Thus it appears that the former Yankee still has quite a few fans out there.

Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Cano is also red-hot with a .963 OPS over his last 18 games.

5. Josh Donaldson Isn’t Under the Radar Anymore

It was a pleasant surprise to see Oakland A’s third baseman Josh Donaldson at the top of the hot corner voting last week. He’s been the best all-around third baseman in the AL since the start of 2013, but attracting attention has been a struggle for him.

It looked like Donaldson’s lead could be short-lived, though. Tampa Bay’s Evan Longoria only trailed him by about 60,000 votes. That’s the kind of gap a big name alone can easily make up in a week.

Instead, Donaldson’s lead over Longoria is now more than 350,000 points. Nicely done, voters.

National League

Meanwhile in the National League, Ryan Lawrence of the Philadelphia Daily News has the latest on what’s going on in the All-Star voting:

And here’s a closer look at the top vote-getters at each position:

Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki is still the Senior Circuit’s leading vote-getter, but there’s been some changes elsewhere. Especially in the outfield, which is where we find that…

1. Yasiel Puig and Giancarlo Stanton Are Where They Belong

Last week, neither Yasiel Puig nor Giancarlo Stanton was in line to start for the NL in the All-Star Game. That seemed…well, I’m struggling to think of a better word than “wrong.”

Apparently I wasn’t the only one who figured as much. Puig is now the top vote-getter among NL outfielders, and Stanton gained over 400,000 votes to also get in line for a starting nod.

Rightfully so. With his .340 average and 1.036 OPS, Puig‘s been the NL’s most dangerous outfielder in 2014. With a 1.022 OPS and 16 homers, Stanton’s right there with him.

Besides which, we should all be able to agree that Stanton’s power and Puig‘s, well, everything are absolutely deserving of the big stage. 

2. But How Much Longer Can Charlie Blackmon Hold On?

Elsewhere in the National League’s outfield, you have to wonder just how much longer Charlie Blackmon can hold on. He’s still in line to start, but he’s no longer on top of all other NL outfielders in the voting, and there’s not much cushion between him and guys like Andrew McCutchen and Carlos Gomez.

And Blackmon‘s not helping himself. He’s still a great story, but he’s become considerably less of a great story with a .513 OPS since the middle of May.

If Blackmon doesn’t heat up again, he may have to settle for going from role player to All-Star reserve instead of role player to All-Star starter. Shucks.

3. Are We Sure About Adrian Gonzalez at First Base?

When I saw the voting last week, I had Adrian Gonzalez pegged as a leader who could be toppled. Instead, what was about 40,000-vote lead over Atlanta’s Freddie Freeman has turned into an even bigger lead over Colorado’s Justin Morneau.

You’d think a hot streak would have something to do with this, but Gonzalez has actually been ice-cold with a .634 OPS over the last month and a .520 OPS over his last dozen games.

Maybe other options should be considered. There are plenty of those, as Freeman, Morneau, Paul Goldschmidt, Anthony Rizzo and Joey Votto all have higher OPS’s than Gonzalez.

4. Still No Love for Seth Smith. Or Todd Frazier, For That Matter.

You know who’s fourth in the National League in OPS? San Diego’s Seth Smith, of course, at an impressive .968.

Elsewhere, you know who’s first among NL third basemen in OPS? That would be Cincinnati’s Todd Frazier at .827.

On a related note, do you know where they are to be found among the NL voting leaders?

Trick question. They aren’t. 

Just sayin‘.

5. What to Make of Ryan Braun?

Remember how we talked about Nelson Cruz and Melky Cabrera as evidence that fans don’t care so much about PEDs?

Last week, that argument applied to Ryan Braun. Despite his 65-game suspension in 2013 and all the bad noise that came before it, there he was in third place among NL outfielders.

Now he’s in sixth place. And that’s not because he’s cooled down recently, as the Milwaukee Brewers slugger actually has a 1.212 OPS over his last nine games.

Maybe fans just stopped voting for Braun and started voting for Puig and Stanton instead. Or maybe fans who had been stuffing the box for him simply figured they’d done enough and stopped. Or maybe fans do care about PEDs. Or maybe fans just care about PEDs when Braun specifically is involved.

Damned if I know. All the numbers say is that something is up.

Note: Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted/linked.

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The 2014 MLB All-Star Game will be played on July 15, or a little over a month-and-a-half from now, but it’s never too soon to start diving into what this year’s rosters might look like.

Arguing about who deserves to be on the rosters and who the biggest snubs are each year is half the fun of the game itself, and there will no doubt be some notable snubs once again this coming season.

Last year, Oakland A’s third baseman Josh Donaldson was probably the biggest snub, while Evan Longoria, Carlos Santana, Rex Brothers, Shelby Miller, Hiroki Kuroda and Hyun-Jin Ryu were also among the notable exclusions from the Midsummer Classic.

Here is a look at 10 guys who could find themselves on that unfortunate list this July, whether they play for a team that likely won’t have multiple representatives or man a stacked position with more deserving candidates than spots.

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