Stanton trending up in latest All-Star voting

ARLINGTON -- Giancarlo Stanton on Sunday celebrated the fourth anniversary of his Major League debut, and in his relatively short career, the slugger already has made a big impact.

A force in the middle of the Marlins' lineup, Stanton also is making the case to be an All-Star for the second time. The right fielder was selected as a reserve in 2012, but he didn't got to Kansas City because he had left knee surgery.

Healthy and hungry, Stanton is producing big numbers, and the fans are taking notice. The 24-year-old moved up in the rankings, and he's now second among National League outfielders for a starting spot. Stanton moved up from third place a week ago to second with 1,259,047 votes. Yasiel Puig of the Dodgers, with 1,472,717 votes, tops the outfield race. Carlos Gomez of the Brewers (1,192,174) is third.

Stanton is rounding into a complete player who is making an impact with his bat, arm and glove. Thunderous home runs, of course, are his trademark.

Stanton paces the National League in home runs (17) and RBIs (53). He's also hitting for average -- .301.

The Marlins, at 33-30, are one of the surprise teams in the league. They're battling it out with the Braves and the Nationals for first place in the NL East.

A major reason Miami is in contention is Stanton, who has a way of making everyone around him better.

"I didn't really see him the first two years, but the last two years that I've seen him, I mean, wow!" Miami manager Mike Redmond said. "What he's been able to do already, he's been scary. This guy is getting better in all facets of the game."

Stanton is Miami's obvious All-Star starter choice, but he isn't the only Miami player worthy of consideration. He is, though, the only position player on the club who ranks among the leaders at his position.

Casey McGehee may only have one home run, but his 37 RBIs are the most of any NL third baseman. He's also batting .301, but with runners in scoring position, his average is a whopping .424.

Stanton actually isn't the only Miami outfielder making a case to be in the Midsummer Classic. Center fielder Marcell Ozuna is hitting .271 with 11 homers and 39 RBIs.

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 11:59 p.m. ET. The 2014 All-Star Game will be played at Target Field on Tuesday, July 15.

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 8 p.m. ET 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.