Segura third among NL shortstops in ballot update

MILWAUKEE -- MLB Network sent a crew to Miller Park on Tuesday to film a feature on second-year shortstop Jean Segura, the first of what the Brewers hope is a wave of publicity for their most surprising All-Star Game candidate.

Segura, outfielders Ryan Braun and Carlos Gomez and catcher Jonathan Lucroy ranked among the leaders at their respective positions when the first round of fan balloting results were released Tuesday by Major League Baseball. Segura, the National League's second-leading hitter entering play Tuesday at .344, ranked third among shortstops and will need a big push over the coming weeks to become the first Brewers shortstop to start a Midsummer Classic since Robin Yount did so in back-to-back seasons in 1982-83.

"He surprises me in the fact that he's been so consistent for this length of time," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said last week, after Segura logged six hits in an extra-inning loss to the Twins. "I think he's got it in him to do those types of things, but to be as consistent as he's been offensively, for a young guy, that's really good. We're not facing easy pitchers -- we've faced some really tough ones, and it doesn't seem to slow him down any."

Segura has tallied 554,403 votes so far, about half the total of two-time All-Star Troy Tulowitzki of the Rockies (1,025,844 votes). The Giants' Brandon Crawford was second with 558,140 votes. Braun, who has been voted to the NL's starting lineup four times (he missed one start due to injury) and has started four All-Star Games (he made it last year because Matt Kemp was injured), was running third among NL outfielders, the top three of whom will start. The Braves' Justin Upton and the Nationals' Bryce Harper led the way with just shy of 1.2 million votes apiece, followed by Braun with 945,665.

Brewers teammate Carlos Gomez was 12th among NL outfielders with 472,272 votes.

The only other Brewer among the leaders at his position was Lucroy, who ranked fourth among catchers but had only about a quarter of the votes of the Giants' Buster Posey, who led the way.

Fans can cast their votes for starters at MLB.com and all 30 club sites -- online or via a mobile device -- using the 2013 All-Star Game MLB.com Ballot until Thursday, July 4, at 10:59 p.m. CT.

Fans may submit 25 online ballots during the voting period but can also earn a one-time bonus of 10 additional online ballots. To access these additional online ballots, fans must be logged into an MLB.com account when submitting any online ballot. To obtain an MLB.com account, visit www.mlb.com and register in accordance with the enrollment instructions for a free MLB.com account.

Fans can also once again participate in the Home Run Derby Fan Poll. Fans will have the opportunity to select three players in each league whom they would most like to see participate in the Home Run Derby. The 2013 Home Run Derby -- part of Gatorade All-Star Workout Day -- will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN HD, ESPN Deportes and ESPN Radio in the United States beginning at 7 p.m. CT on Monday, July 15.

The 2013 American League and National League All-Star teams will be unveiled on Sunday, July 7, on the 2013 MLB All-Star Game Selection Show, televised nationally on TBS. Baseball fans around the world will then be able to select the final player on each team via the All-Star Game Final Vote sponsored by freecreditscore.com on MLB.com.

And the voting doesn't end there. The final phase of All-Star Game voting will again have fans participating in the official voting for the Ted Williams All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet. During the Midsummer Classic, fans will vote exclusively online at MLB.com via the 2013 All-Star Game MLB.com MVP Vote, and their voice will represent 20 percent of the official vote determining the recipient of the Arch Ward Trophy.

The 2013 All-Star Game will be played at Citi Field on Tuesday, July 16. Come to MLB.com for extensive online coverage of the All-Star Week festivities.

The 84th All-Star Game will be televised nationally by FOX Sports, in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS, and worldwide by partners in more than 200 countries via MLB International's independent feed. ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB Network and SiriusXM also will also provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information, please visit allstargame.com.