Encarnacion, Narvaez deserve All-Star push

Gordon, Vogelbach crack top 10 in initial All-Star voting

June 10th, 2019

Read our FAQ on this year’s revamped balloting format, which includes two phases of fan voting to determine the All-Star starters, and the ability to vote through Google Search.

MINNEAPOLIS -- The first round of results for the 2019 American League All-Star balloting was released Monday and Mariners fans have some work to do if they’re going to get any Seattle players into the next phase of the new voting format.

Second baseman Dee Gordon and designated hitter were the only Mariners to crack the Top 10 at their positions, both sitting eighth after the initial voting.

In this year’s system, the top three vote-getters at each position –- and top nine outfielders -– will advance to “The Starters Election” beginning on Wednesday, June 26.

One Mariner who would seem to warrant a big push is first baseman , who leads the American League in home runs with 20. Yankees first baseman Luke Voit, who is leading the vote at that position, has put up a .263/.379/.500 slash line with 15 homers and 41 RBIs in 62 games.

Encarnacion has a .245/.356/.532 line with 20 homers and 46 RBIs, which holds up well against Voit’s production, yet he didn’t even crack the top 10 in the initial balloting.

Mariners catcher Omar Narvaez would appear to be another early oversight, as he’s put up a strong .275/.353/.450 line with nine homers and 23 RBIs, and is tied for the most hits of any AL catcher, but didn’t land among the top 10 at his position.

Vogelbach is listed at the DH position and he also has posted strong power numbers with a .247/.379/.542 line with 16 homers and 37 RBIs in 60 games.

J.D. Martinez of the Red Sox is first in the DH voting. He’s hit .296/.371/.528 with 12 homers and 33 RBIs in 56 games.

Gordon is running eighth at second base, where the Angels’ Tommy La Stella is the surprising early leader over Astros star Jose Altuve. La Stella is off to a strong start this season while Altuve has missed the last month with a left hamstring injury.

Gordon also is currently on the 10-day injured list, though he’s expected to rejoin the Mariners on Tuesday when they open a three-game series against the Twins at Target Field. He’s hit .281/.310/.369 with 12 stolen bases in 45 games.

Fans may vote in "The Primary" at MLB.com and all 30 club sites, the MLB At Bat and MLB Ballpark apps up to five times in any 24-hour period. Fans in the US and Canada can also vote on Google Search for every position, or up to 17 unique players per day, by searching "MLB Vote" or the names of their favorite players. Primary voting ends at 1 p.m. PT on Friday, June 21.

The “Starters Election" finals will then begin at 9 a.m. PT on Wednesday, June 26. The votes will reset for a 28-hour voting window that ends at 1 p.m. PT on Thursday, June 27. Starters for the 2019 Midsummer Classic will be unveiled on ESPN that afternoon at 4 PT. The pitchers and reserves will be announced on Sunday, June 30, at 2:30 p.m. PT.

Then on Tuesday, July 9, during the 2019 All-Star Game presented by Mastercard, fans may visit MLB.com and the 30 club sites to submit their choices for the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet.

The 90th Midsummer Classic, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, 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. MLB Network, MLB.com and SiriusXM also will provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage.