MIAMI -- The Phillies have some legitimate candidates who deserve the few minutes it takes to fill out an Esurance MLB All-Star Game Ballot, and they could use some help.
The first round of All-Star Game voting for the National League was released Tuesday, and just as the Phillies have some catching up to do to get back in contention, so too do Phillies fans in voting for their favorite players. No Phils appeared among the top five vote-getters at each individual position in the field, nor is there one among the top 15 outfielders.
Phils first baseman Tommy Joseph may not be a household name like the Cubs' Anthony Rizzo or the Braves' Freddie Freeman, but Joseph is swinging a hot bat and certainly deserves some consideration.
The competition is stiff at first base when you add in the likes of the D-backs' Paul Goldschmidt and the Nationals' Ryan Zimmerman, but since the beginning of May, Joseph has amassed numbers as good as anyone. Joseph entered Tuesday hitting .310 with seven homers, six doubles and 17 RBIs this month. His .385 on-base percentage, .631 slugging percentage and 1.016 OPS in that span rank among the best at his position.
In addition to Joseph, second baseman Cesar Hernandez has made a case to garner some votes as well. Among NL second basemen, Hernandez entered Tuesday ranked first in runs scored (35), third in total bases (84), tied for second in hits (57) and triples (two), fourth in extra-base hits (15) and tied for fourth in homers (five).
And how about a write-in candidate? Outfielder Aaron Altherr, who entered Tuesday ranked third among all qualified NL outfielders in OBP (.397), fourth in OPS (.968), fifth in slugging percentage (.570), and seventh in batting average (.304), merits consideration.
There's still plenty of time to lift the Phillies into the top five.
Fans may cast votes for starters at MLB.com and all 30 club sites -- on computers, tablets and smartphones -- exclusively online using the 2017 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Ballot until Thursday, June 29, at 11:59 p.m. ET. On smartphones and tablets, fans can also access the ballot via the MLB.com At Bat and MLB.com Ballpark mobile apps. Vote up to five times in any 24-hour period for a maximum of 35 ballots cast.
Following the announcement of the 2017 All-Star starters, reserves and pitchers, fans should return to MLB.com and cast their 2017 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Final Vote for the final player on each league's All-Star roster. Then on Tuesday, July 11, while watching the 2017 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 2017 MLB All-Star Game MVP Vote.
The 88th Midsummer Classic, at Marlins Park in Miami, will be televised nationally by FOX Sports; in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS; and worldwide by partners in more than 160 countries. ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide exclusive national radio coverage, while MLB Network, MLB.com and SiriusXM will have comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information about MLB All-Star Week and to purchase tickets, please visit AllStarGame.com and follow @AllStarGame on social media.