Cano's lead on All-Star ballots keeps growing

SEATTLE -- Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano continued widening his lead in fan voting for the starting second-base spot on the 2014 American League All-Star team in the latest ballot count released Monday by Major League Baseball.

Cano has increased his lead each of the three weeks that votes have been released and now has almost a 400,000-vote advantage over Detroit's Ian Kinsler. It would be Cano's fifth straight starting spot in the Midsummer Classic. He was a five-time All-Star with the Yankees before signing with Seattle in free agency this year.

Cano is currently at 1,513,052 votes, with Kinsler at 1,117,345. Dustin Pedroia of the Red Sox is third among second basemen with 1,008,809, while the Twins' Brian Dozier sits fourth with 642,122.

Cano is the only Mariners player ranked among the top five position players or top 15 outfielders in the All-Star voting.

Fans can cast their votes for starters at MLB.com and all 30 club sites -- online or on a mobile device -- using the 2014 All-Star Game MLB.com Ballot Sponsored by Experian until Thursday, July 3, at 8:59 p.m. PT. The 2014 All-Star Game will be played at Target Field on Tuesday, July 15.

Cano was second in the AL in hitting at .327 going into Monday's games, trailing only Tigers designated hitter Victor Martinez's .333. Cano has 14 doubles, a triple, three home runs, 36 RBIs and five stolen bases in his first 65 games with the Mariners.

Cano has a chance to become the third second baseman in AL history to earn five consecutive fan-elected starts, joining Hall of Famers Rod Carew (six straight from 1970-75) and Roberto Alomar (five straight, 1996-2000).

The Mariners haven't had any position players selected to the All-Star team since outfielder Ichiro Suzuki in 2010.

Fans may submit up to 25 online ballots, but they can also earn a one-time bonus of 10 additional online ballots. To access these additional online ballots, you must be logged into your MLB.com account when you submit any online ballot. If you do not have an MLB.com account, register on the site in accordance with the enrollment instructions for a free MLB.com account.

Fans this year once again can participate in the Home Run Derby Fan Poll. Fans will have the opportunity to select three players in each league who they would most like to see participate in the Home Run Derby. The 2014 Home Run Derby will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN HD, ESPN Deportes and ESPN Radio in the United States beginning at 5 p.m. PT on Monday, July 14.

The 2014 American League and National League All-Star teams will be unveiled on the 2014 MLB All-Star Game Selection Show during the weekend of July 5-6, with further details to follow on MLB.com. Immediately following the announcement of the AL and NL All-Star rosters, fans can begin voting to select the final player for each league's 34-man roster via the 2014 All-Star Game MLB.com Final Vote Sponsored by Experian. Fans will cast their votes from a list of five players from each league over the balloting period.

And the voting doesn't end there. The final phase of All-Star Game voting will again have fans participating in the 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 2014 All-Star Game MLB.com MVP Vote Sponsored by Pepsi, and their voice will represent 20 percent of the overall vote that determines the recipient of the Arch Ward Trophy.

MLB.com will provide extensive online coverage of the All-Star Week festivities.

The 85th All-Star Game will be televised nationally by FOX, 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 will also provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information, please visit allstargame.com.