PHOENIX -- It's hard for D-backs fans to imagine an All-Star Game without first baseman Paul Goldschmidt there.
• VOTE: 2018 Camping World MLB All-Star Ballot
The D-backs' first baseman last year became the first Arizona player in franchise history to be selected to five straight Mid-Summer Classics. In fact, he was the only National League position player to make each of the last five games.
Goldschmidt has been like a metronome with his batting average over the last five years: .302, .300, .321, .297 and .297.
So while he's started off slowly this year, history tells you he's going to heat up -- and when that happens, it can happen quickly.
In 2016, Goldschmidt was hitting .222 on May 15 before going on a tear at the plate. By June 18, he had raised his average to .290, which prompted that night's winning pitcher, ace Zack Greinke, to shake his head.
"I looked up his batting average today and was like, 'How in the world did it get up that high so fast?'" Greinke said that night.
It would surprise no one if Goldschmidt's numbers once again began rising rapidly, because the bottom line is he's an All-Star caliber player.
Goldschmidt is joined on this year's Camping World MLB All-Star Ballot by teammates David Peralta (outfield), A.J. Pollock (outfield), Steven Souza Jr. (outfield), Jake Lamb (third base), Nick Ahmed (shortstop), Ketel Marte (second base) and Alex Avila (catcher).
Pollock would be a lock for the All-Star Game had he not suffered an avulsion fracture in his left thumb in May, which is likely to keep him on the sidelines until July.
And it should be noted that Peralta helped carry the D-backs' offense early this year as they raced to a 21-8 start.
Fans may cast votes for starters at MLB.com and all 30 club sites -- on computers, tablets and smartphones -- exclusively online using the 2018 Camping World MLB All-Star Ballot until Thursday, July 5, at 11:59 p.m. ET. On smartphones and tablets, fans can also access the ballot via the MLB At Bat and MLB Ballpark mobile apps. Each fan can vote up to five times in any 24-hour period, for a maximum of 35 ballots cast.
Following the announcement of this year's All-Star starters, reserves and pitchers, fans should return to MLB.com and cast their 2018 Camping World MLB All-Star Final Vote for the final player on each league's roster. Then on Tuesday, July 17, while watching the 2018 All-Star Game presented by Mastercard live on FOX, fans may visit MLB.com to submit their choices for the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet with the 2018 MLB All-Star Game 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, please visit AllStarGame.com and follow @MLB and @AllStarGame on social media.