MILWAUKEE -- Recent hot streaks for catcher Jonathan Lucroy and shortstop Jonathan Villar weren't enough to push them onto the leaderboards at their respective positions in the latest National League All-Star balloting update, though Ryan Braun was still running fifth among NL outfielders.
Braun had 643,527 votes in the latest round of figures released Wednesday, trailing Dexter Fowler of the Cubs (1,170,718), Bryce Harper of the Nationals (1,119,168), Yoenis Cespedes of the Mets (1,097,593) and Jason Heyward of the Cubs (703,911). The top three vote-getters will form the NL's starting outfield.
Lucroy and Villar, meanwhile, needed votes to move into the top five at their positions.
As the ballot update was released Wednesday afternoon, Lucroy was riding a 10-game hitting streak that had pushed his batting average to .316, good for ninth among all NL players. Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina was leading NL catchers in the latest update, followed by Buster Posey of the Giants, Miguel Montero of the Cubs, Wilson Ramos of the Nationals and Welington Castillo of the D-backs.
Villar's average stood at .301, tied for second among NL shortstops. He was worth 1.3 wins above replacement, by the FanGraphs' measure, fourth among NL shortstops. The leaders at the position were Addison Russell of the Cubs, Trevor Story of the Rockies, Brandon Crawford of the Giants, Asdrubal Cabrera of the Mets and Zack Cozart of the Reds.
Fans can cast their votes for starters at MLB.com and all 30 club sites -- on their computers, tablets and smartphones -- exclusively online using the 2016 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Ballot until Thursday, June 30, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Vote up to five times in any 24-hour period for a maximum of 35 times.
Fans may also receive the ballot by texting VOTE to 89269 (USA) or 101010 (Canada). Or text VOTA for a ballot in Spanish. Message and data rates may apply. Up to five messages. No purchase required. Reply STOP to cancel. Reply HELP for info.
Following the announcement of the 2016 All-Stars, be sure to return to MLB.com and cast your 2016 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Final Vote for the final player on each league's All-Star roster. On Tuesday, July 12, watch the 2016 All-Star Game presented by MasterCard live on FOX, and during the game visit MLB.com to submit your choice for the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet via the 2016 MLB All-Star Game MVP Vote.
The 87th All-Star Game, in San Diego, will be televised nationally by FOX, in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS, and worldwide by partners in more than 160 countries via MLB International's independent feed. ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB.com, MLB Network and SiriusXM will also provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information, please visit allstargame.com.