ATLANTA -- Freddie Freeman and Nick Markakis have drawn more All-Star votes than any other National League players, while Ozzie Albies is also still positioned to be an All-Star starter. Seems safe to say the Braves have drawn notice across the baseball world.
• VOTE: 2018 Camping World MLB All-Star Ballot
When MLB released the latest NL All-Star balloting updates on Monday afternoon, Freeman had garnered a league-leading 1,433,140 votes, approximately 250,000 more than Markakis, who ranks second with 1,173,653 votes. Albies ranks seventh with 915,736 votes, nearly 150,000 more than any other NL second baseman.
Kurt Suzuki is another Braves player who could possibly be voted into the NL's starting lineup for this year's All-Star Game. Suzuki ranks third among NL catchers. He has drawn approximately 125,000 fewer votes than Buster Posey's leading total of 686,253.
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 11:59 p.m. ET. 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.
As Freeman currently owns the top NL MVP Award credentials, he seems destined to earn his third All-Star selection. He also seems primed to draw his first start. He has gathered more than 860,000 more votes than Anthony Rizzo, who ranks second among NL first basemen with 566,382 votes.
Freeman has produced the NL's best on-base percentage (.427) and slugging percentage (.585). His .337 batting average ranks second, just behind Matt Kemp's .338. He leads the league in three defining categories -- Fangraphs' WAR model (3.6), Weighted Runs Created Plus (171) and OPS (1.012).
Markakis has drawn a little more than 170,000 votes more than Bryce Harper (1,002,696), who ranks second among NL outfielders, and nearly 250,000 votes more than Kemp (925,697), who is positioned to earn the last of the starting spots reserved for this group. Charlie Blackmon (678,831) ranks fourth with approximately 500,000 fewer votes than Markakis, who has never previously earned a All-Star selection.
Markakis leads the NL with 92 hits (one more than Freeman). The 34-year-old veteran ranks second among NL outfielders with a .327 batting average and a .389 on-base percentage. He ranks with third with a .488 slugging percentage, and second in both fWAR (2.2) and wRC+ (138).
Albies has garnered approximately 150,000 votes than Javier Baez (767,417) and Scooter Gennett (743,979), who rank second and third respectively, among NL second basemen. The Braves' 20-year-old leadoff hitter has slumped lately, but he is still tied for the NL lead in runs (53) and doubles (21).
The Braves are also well-positioned at each of the other positions through the early stages of the balloting process. Ronald Acuna Jr. (617,151) and Ender Inciarte (528,943), rank fifth and sixth, respectively, among outfielders. Dansby Swanson (568,400) ranks second among shortstops, but he is more than 500,000 votes behind Brandon Crawford's leading total of 1,120,031.
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, please visit AllStarGame.com and follow @MLB and @AllStarGame on social media.