On outside looking in, Bautista needs ASG help
ARLINGTON -- Jose Bautista has been elected a starter to the All-Star Game in each of the past two seasons, but he's going to need a little bit of help in order to make it a three-peat.
The Blue Jays slugger remained in fifth place after results from the latest round of fan voting for the American League were released on Saturday night. He needs to finish at least third to guarantee his spot in the Midsummer Classic, but he currently trails the O's Adam Jones, the Angels' Mike Trout, Baltimore's Nick Markakis and the Tigers' Torii Hunter.
The 32-year-old Bautista is hitting .265 with 15 homers and 36 RBIs in 60 games this season. He has a total of 1,379,251 votes, which trails the third-place Markakis by fewer than 85,000 votes. Last year, Bautista also participated in his first Home Run Derby during the All-Star festivities and lost in a hard-fought final to Detroit's Prince Fielder.
One player who is extremely deserving of consideration for an All-Star appearance is designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion, who has yet to receive a lot of support from fans during the voting process.
Encarnacion leads the Blue Jays with 18 homers and 55 RBIs while arguably being the club's best hitter. He ranks third in the AL in RBIs while also being tied for second in homers, but he still finds himself trailing Boston's David Ortiz by under 1.8 million votes.
"Right now, I'm not really thinking about that," said Encarnacion, who has yet to make an All-Star team during his career. "I'm just thinking about winning games. We've been struggling winning games, so I'm focused on that. If the All-Star Game comes, good, if not, it'll be all right."
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 11:59 p.m. ET.
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 8 p.m. ET on Monday, July 15.
Though originally scheduled for July 7, the 2013 rosters will now be unveiled Saturday, July 6, at 6:30 p.m. ET on the 2013 MLB All-Star Game Selection Show presented by Taco Bell. The show will be televised nationally on FOX.
From Saturday, July 6 to Thursday, July 11, be sure to return to MLB.com and cast your 2013 All-Star Game Final Vote Sponsored by freecreditscore.com for the final player for each League's All-Star roster.
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 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.