Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. admits he didn’t expect to see himself atop the All-Star Game voting at his position amidst the worst offensive season of his career.
“I was surprised that I’m in first,” Guerrero Jr. told The Athletic’s Mitch Bannon. “There’s a lot of first basemen doing a better job than me. But I don’t control the fans, I don’t control the vote.”
The starting lineups for the All-Star Game, taking place in Philadelphia on July 14, are determined by fan voting.
Guerrero Jr. earned 603,014 votes in American League Phase 1 voting, nearly 100,000 more than New York Yankees slugger Ben Rice (509,830).
A quick look at the stats shows who’s having the far better season.
In his third season in the Majors, the 27-year-old Rice is hitting .292 with 20 home runs, 49 RBIs and an incredible 1.007 OPS, which is second best in the MLB behind Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez.
Guerrero Jr., who’s in the first season of a 14-year, $500 million contract, has put up disappointing numbers all season along, especially from a power perspective.
The 27-year-old has hit just three home runs over 69 games and hasn’t hit a home run at home this season. He also owns a .276 average with 27 RBIs and a career-low .726 OPS.
Guerrero Jr.’s strong voting numbers are likely due to a number of factors, including his popularity, his historic postseason run last October and the fact that he plays for Canada’s lone baseball team, a nation with a population of 41.5 million.
“If numbers aren’t on the scoreboard, who are you paying to come watch?” manager John Schneider told The Athletic. “He’s one of those guys. So I think that plays into it.”
Guerrero Jr. is no stranger to the Midsummer Classic, earning a spot in the game in each of the previous five seasons.
If the eight-year veteran retains his spot in the voting, Guerrero Jr. says he will still take part in the All-Star festivities despite his lack of production.
“If they vote for me, I gotta go,” Guerrero Jr. said. “If I’m voted first, I’m going.”
Blue Jays second baseman Ernie Clement is leading the voting for second baseman with 904, 702 votes, well ahead of Texas Rangers infielder Ezequiel Duran with 287,996.
Enter Wednesday’s game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, the Blue Jays hold a 35-38 record, one game behind the Athletics for third and final Wild Card spot in the American League.
