NL 2B: Marte maintains lead over Albies
With less than an hour to go as the 4 p.m. ET deadline nears, many races are still too close to call. Your votes will have a huge impact, as most position battles have yet to be decided..
As of 2:30 p.m. ET Thursday, NL second base saw Ketel Marte holding his 5.7% lead over Ozzie Albies.
Below are the complete NL second base standings. Winners will be announced tonight at 7 ET on ESPN.
- Ketel Marte (D-backs): 39.7%
- Ozzie Albies (Braves): 34.0%
- Mike Moustakas (Brewers): 26.3%
Learn more about the NL All-Star candidates at second base:
Ozzie Albies (ATL): 1-time All-Star (0 starts)
Albies had a strong first half last year, and he’s doing the same this year, having already reached 30 extra-base hits for the season. The 22-year-old switch-hitter could become the third-youngest player to start at second base in an All-Star Game, behind only 21-year-olds Rod Carew (1967) and Bill Mazeroski (1958).
Ketel Marte (ARI): Has not been named to an All-Star team
Marte’s power surge has been one of the best breakout storylines so far this season. He already has almost as many home runs as he had in 402 career games entering 2019, including a 482-foot blast on June 2 that is the third longest in the Majors this year. Marte is hitting for average, too, but it’s his slugging that could make him the D-backs’ second All-Star Game starter at second base, after Jay Bell (1999).
Mike Moustakas (MIL): 2-time All-Star (0 starts)
Moustakas may be new to second base, and he has played a bunch of third base this season, too, but the position switch hasn’t dampened his offense. In fact, he’s posting easily the highest slugging percentage of his career and already has cracked the 20-homer mark, giving him a shot to surpass his career high of 38 from 2017.
The 2019 All-Star Game presented by Mastercard will be played on Tuesday, July 9, at Progressive Field in Cleveland. It 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. MLB Network, MLB.com and SiriusXM also will provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage.