Phase 2 of All-Star balloting is under way. In the American League, Aaron Judge received the most votes of the group, which earned him the right to bypass Phase 2 and get an automatic spot in the AL starting lineup. The final two spots come down to these four players: Mike Trout, George Springer, Giancarlo Stanton and Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

A group of MLB.com reporters gathered to discuss who should be selected out of this group (you have until Friday at 2 p.m. ET to make your picks).

• VOTE NOW: Select starters for All-Star Game

Alyson Footer, editor/moderator: This one will be interesting. On one hand, you have Stanton, who will garner plenty of support from the massive fanbase in New York. On the other hand, Blue Jays players have an entire country behind them, not just one city. That might push Springer and Gurriel ahead, no?

Sarah Langs, reporter/producer: I want to have a whole country on my side one day, man.

• Who deserves final 2 spots in NL outfield?

Mark Feinsand, executive reporter: If both Blue Jays make the starting lineup ahead of Stanton and Trout, this process needs to be re-examined. The Toronto fans have been insane with their support of the Blue Jays players -- which I love -- but some of the players that are getting these votes don’t deserve to be starting All-Stars.

Langs: I know there are plenty of opinions here. Mine is … the All-Star Game is fun! And engaged fanbases are good for baseball -- no matter what. But also -- stats say Trout and Stanton, of course.

Anthony Castrovince, reporter/columnist: Canadians foisted Bryan Adams on us. There is nothing they can't accomplish.

Feinsand: I’m on board with Alejandro Kirk, Vlad Guerrero Jr. and Springer being in the mix, but Bo Bichette, Santiago Espinal and Gurriel is a bit too much for me.

Footer: There are definitely two camps when it comes to All-Star voting. One side feels it should be a true barometer of on-field performances, regardless of the level of stardom. The second side feels it should be a popularity contest -- all big names, regardless of how they're doing. I'm mostly in Camp Popularity Contest, with a couple exceptions here and there.

Feinsand: Mike Trout has 23 homers and an OPS near 1.000. Oh, and he’s been the best player in the game for a decade. If he’s not in the starting lineup, it’s not a true All-Star Game.

Castrovince: I feel like these situations tend to resolve themselves. Back in 2015, we were wringing our hands about the Royals potentially having a starter at seven of nine positions. It wound up "only" being four (and Alex Gordon was hurt, so it was actually only three).

The way this voting is structured, it brings more clarity the deeper you go, and it is hard for me to look at these four finalists and see how Springer and Gurriel should be selected over Trout and Stanton. I think most voters will look at it that way, and reason will prevail. (Not that reason prevails as often as it should lately.)

Feinsand: I understand when the fans of the host team stuff the ballot box to have their guys playing in front of them. But last I looked, it’s not being played in Toronto this year.

Langs: Some context -- which could matter for the Jays or Yankees. Most All-Stars for a team in a single year: 10, 1939 Yankees (I recall they were good). Most in Expansion Era (1961) is eight, most recently by the 2012 Rangers.

Most starters is six -- that ’39 team again, and in expansion it’s five. Having been a ballot-stuffer in middle school (can I admit that now?), it’s very easy to just pick the logo.

Footer: I do think there are limits on how many times you can vote for Phase 2 [there are: once every 24 hours], which might make it a little more fair. Or unfair.

Feinsand: I want to be clear: I am not criticizing the Blue Jays' fans. They’re doing what they can to support their guys, and as a result, Kirk should get a well-deserved spot. But seeing Gurriel start ahead of Trout or Stanton would not be good for the game itself.

Castrovince: I think we need to scrap this entire process right now and do whatever it takes to have Julio Rodríguez start. How do we make that happen?

Judge, Trout, J-Rod would be my outfield right now. But we can't have that, so Stanton is the guy.

Feinsand: Julio will have that chance next year. The game is in Seattle.

Langs: I do think Trout in any modicum of a good season -- and this is a great one of his overall -- should always be starting.

Vlad hit a 468-ft ASG HR last year at Coors. … How much fun would it be to see Stanton top that?

I’m thinking solely in terms of the spectacle, to be fair. I want him crushing exhibition baseballs for fans.

Feinsand: Can we put Shohei Ohtani in the outfield so both he and Yordan Alvarez can start?

Castrovince: This looks like it will be the reverse of last year's game. Instead of Ohtani starting as a pitcher and as a DH, he can pinch-hit and then pitch the next inning.

Feinsand: The funny thing is that Kyle Tucker should probably be the third outfielder after Judge and Trout. He’s having a fantastic season.

But of the four on the actual ballot, I’d go Stanton ahead of Springer and Gurriel. Stanton has 20 homers, an .834 OPS and has been the second-best player on the most dominant team in baseball this season.

Castrovince: We can only play the ballot we are dealt. And on this particular ballot, Stanton is just simply having a better season than Springer and Gurriel. He's got a .510 SLG and is the most likely of the three to make a baseball explode in this exhibition game.

Footer: Maybe Gurriel deserves to be on the team, just not as a starter?

Feinsand: Judge, Trout, Tucker, Julio, Stanton, Springer … who are you taking Gurriel over in that group?

Footer: I am definitely not taking Gurriel over any of those players.

Castrovince: I can't take Gurriel over any of those guys.

Feinsand: I’d take Byron Buxton ahead of him, too.

Langs: Gurriel is certainly having a career year -- but those guys shine ahead.

Feinsand: So that’s seven outfielders I have ahead of Gurriel. And that’s just off the top of my head.

Langs: Now we’re going to have an entire country angry at Mark!

Feinsand: Canada could never be mad at me. I’m on the executive board of the Alejandro Kirk Fan Club.

Castrovince: Let's not forget that Stanton once hit a ball out of Dodger Stadium. He should do that again, for funsies.

Feinsand: How do we get Stanton in the Home Run Derby?

Castrovince: Stanton and Judge won in 2016 and 2017 and then swore it off. Been there, done that. They don't have that Pete Alonso competitive instinct to prove they are not one-trick ponies. In that sense, they pale in comparison to Pete. (This is me goading Stanton and Judge into participating in the Derby.)

(And actually, Stanton did try to repeat in 2017, but let's ignore that.)

Footer: It's funny -- in many years, there's angst about undeserving players getting too much fan support. But when the final lineups are set, it's always, "Well, you know, the fans did a pretty good job with this."

Langs: Ultimately, these players are all so much fun to watch. That’s what makes this game so great.

Footer: Let me ask it this way -- let's say Gurriel was having a better year than Stanton. Do we feel the spot should go to Gurriel, or to Stanton, because of star power?

Feinsand: If Gurriel was having a better year, I would be all for him getting the spot. But as I just showed, Stanton is one of at least seven AL outfielders having a better year than Gurriel.

Langs: All Gurriel there in that case. And being in the game can add to star power!

Feinsand: I would take Tucker ahead of Stanton this year. But Tucker doesn’t play in Toronto, so he’s not a finalist.

Footer: So most of us are on Team He Deserves It. (But I'm sticking with Team Popularity Contest.)

Feinsand: I’m on Team He Deserves It, but in the event of a close call, I’d let Team Popularity break the tie.

Castrovince: In your scenario, Foot, we must also factor in a very real thing called Yankee Fatigue. So Gurriel would be my pick, for sure. But ... he's not having a better year than Stanton, so forget it.