Pudge out to early lead in Rangers Franchise Four voting

Ivan Rodriguez is the early leader in Rangers voting for the Franchise Four campaign, which allows fans to elect the four most impactful players who best represent the history of each Major League franchise out of eight nominees.

Nolan Ryan is second in voting for the Rangers, followed by Michael Young and Adrian Beltre. Other Rangers candidates include: Juan Gonzalez, Josh Hamilton, Frank Howard and Rafael Palmeiro. An additional write-in option is available to fans on the ballot.

The eight players were selected based on the recommendations of a blue-ribbon panel, in consultation with the 30 Major League clubs. The panelists included John Thorn, MLB's official historian, and representatives from MLB's official statistician, the Elias Sports Bureau; MLB.com; MLB Network; and the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

Fans have cast 11.8 million votes in the Franchise Four voting, and you can cast your ballot here. Voting ends on May 8, and winners from all 30 clubs will be announced at the 2015 All-Star Game, which will take place on July 14 at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.