Aguilar reacts to leading the NL Final Vote race

July 10th, 2018

MIAMI -- hasn't voted yet, he said, but plenty of others have.
VOTE Jesus: 2018 Camping World MLB Final Vote
The Brewers slugger led the way in fan balloting in the Final Vote for the last spot on the National League All-Star team in the waning hours of voting, Major League Baseball announced on Wednesday. Fans can cast votes exclusively online -- on computers, tablets and smartphones -- as part of the 2018 Camping World MLB Final Vote, as well as via the MLB At Bat and MLB Ballpark mobile apps, until Wednesday at 3 p.m. CT.

As of Wednesday morning, Aguilar led the five-man NL field, followed by the Giants' , the Dodgers' , the Nationals' and the Cardinals' Matt Carpenter.
"I was like, 'Wow, a lot of people are supporting me,'" Aguilar said. "It's a great feeling. My family is happy, too. Let's see what happens. I already won, I think -- I've got that support and all that kind of stuff, and I've just got to say thank you to everybody for their support.
"If we win, I'm blessed. If not, I feel like I'm winning already."
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Aguilar entered Tuesday as the NL leader with 23 home runs and a .639 slugging percentage but needed help to join teammates , and at the All-Star Game presented by Mastercard.
The Brewers have found Final Vote success before, landing Geoff Jenkins on the NL squad in 2003 and Corey Hart in 2008 via get-out-the vote campaigns. This year, they have been using the social media hashtag #WeBelieveInJesus to draw attention to Aguilar's effort.
"Everybody is doing everything they can. I think this is something cool," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "I just think it's something the Brewers are good at, and I think our fans are really good at it. From the series we had against the Marlins last year, where 70,000 people showed up on 24 hours' notice [after Hurricane Maria hit Miami], to having gotten guys in in this same manner in the past. I think our fans and the organization, our players, have done a great job of promoting the cause."

Aguilar has been doing his best to keep the movement going. English is his second language, but he was all over television and radio for a second straight day Tuesday as the Brewers spread the message.
"It is different, and it is a lot, and it gets fast, and I do think you get an appreciation for what the players in the league who handle more on a daily basis -- the stars of the game -- go through," Counsell said. "It's something new. But when you start feeling it, you have to know how to handle it. Jesus, from all accounts and what I've witnessed, he's playful with it, and he's also respectful of it and honored by it. There's a way to enjoy it."
Aguilar was enjoying it all and very appreciative of his supporters.
"I've just got to say thank you to the fans, thank you to everybody for their support," he said. "We've got to keep going."
The Final Vote is not fans' only way to weigh in. On Tuesday, July 17, while watching the 2018 All-Star Game presented by Mastercard live on FOX, fans can submit their choices for the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet with the 2018 All-Star Game MLB.com 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, visit AllStarGame.com and follow @MLB and @AllStarGame on social media.