ATLANTA -- Freddie Freeman and Nick Markakis have reason to plan to be in the National League's lineup for this year's All-Star Game. Ozzie Albies' bid to give the Braves at least three starters will depend on what transpires during the final weeks of the balloting process.
• VOTE: 2018 Camping World MLB All-Star Ballot
When the latest balloting update was released Monday afternoon, Freeman and Markakis still accounted for the two highest vote totals among NL players. As for Albies, he maintained his lead among the second basemen.
The other Braves still in contention to be elected to the NL's starting lineup include Dansby Swanson, who ranks second among shortstops and Kurt Suzuki, who ranks third among the catchers on the ballot.
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.
Arguably the Senior Circuit's top MVP candidate, Freeman has nearly 1.3 million more votes than any other NL first baseman. The two-time All-Star seems destined to gain his first starting assignment in a Midsummer Classic.
Freeman leads the NL with a 3.5 fWAR (FanGraphs' WAR Model) and ranks second with 161 Weighted Runs Created Plus. He ranks in the top five in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS.

Markakis has garnered nearly 850,000 more votes than the Rockies' Charlie Blackmon, who currently ranks fourth among NL outfielders. The top three outfielders will be elected to the starting lineup. Bidding for his first career All-Star selection, Markakis leads the NL with 99 hits (one more than Freeman) and 25 doubles. The 34-year-old veteran leads NL outfielders in batting average and ranks third in on-base percentage, fWAR and wRC+.
Albies has garnered a little more than 220,000 more votes than Javier Baez and Scooter Gennett, who rank second and third, respectively, among NL second basemen. The 21-year-old Braves leadoff hitter broke out of a slump as he went 7-for-9 during the final two games of this past weekend's series against the Orioles. He ranks second in the NL in runs and doubles.

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.