SAN FRANCISCO -- If you're a Buster Posey fan, consider this another close play at the plate.
• VOTE: 2018 Camping World MLB All-Star Ballot
The National League's most competitive race in fan voting totals updated Monday for next month's All-Star Game is at catcher, where Posey holds a slim lead over Chicago's Willson Contreras and Atlanta's Kurt Suzuki.
Posey, a five-time All-Star, has 1,037,368 votes, ahead of Contreras (945,347) and Suzuki (880,707), who was an American League All-Star in 2014 with Minnesota.
A five-time All-Star (2012-13; 2015-17), Posey has a chance to record his fourth consecutive fan-elected start, and he would become the first NL catcher to earn four consecutive fan elections since Hall of Famer Mike Piazza (nine straight with the Dodgers and Mets, 1994-2002). In addition, Posey would become just the third Giants player to garner four consecutive starting assignments since balloting was returned to the fans in 1970, joining first baseman Will Clark (four straight, 1988-91) and outfielder Barry Bonds (five, 2000-04).
Shortstop Brandon Crawford joked last weekend that he already has experienced the equivalent of a three-day All-Star break: Paternity leave for the birth of his son, Bryson.
Crawford wasn't assuming he would make the All-Star team, though odds are good he'll be elected to a starting role. Crawford's vote total stands at 1,701,098, well ahead of Atlanta's Dansby Swanson (888,077) in second place. Crawford made his first All-Star team in 2015.

Fans may cast votes for starters at MLB.com and all 30 club sites -- on computers, tablets and smartphones -- exclusively online using the 2018 Camping World MLB All-Star Ballot until Thursday, July 5, at 8:59 p.m. PT. On smartphones and tablets, fans can also access the ballot via the MLB At Bat and MLB Ballpark mobile apps. Each fan can vote up to five times in any 24-hour period, for a maximum of 35 ballots cast.
Following the announcement of this year's All-Star starters, reserves and pitchers, fans should return to MLB.com and cast their 2018 Camping World MLB All-Star Final Vote for the final player on each league's roster. Then on Tuesday, July 17, while watching the 2018 All-Star Game presented by Mastercard live on FOX, fans may visit MLB.com to submit their choices for the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet with the 2018 MLB All-Star Game MVP Vote.
The 89th Midsummer Classic, at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., will be televised nationally by FOX Sports; in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS; and worldwide by partners in more than 180 countries. FOX Deportes will provide Spanish-language coverage in the United States, while ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide exclusive national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB Network, MLB.com and SiriusXM also will provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage.
For more information about MLB All-Star Week and to purchase tickets, visit AllStarGame.com and follow @MLB and @AllStarGame on social media.