Rangers need vote support for All-Star starts
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Rangers are not doing very well in the early returns in All-Star Game voting with the first ballot update being released on Tuesday.
Most disappointing is that outfielders Shin-Soo Choo and Alex Rios are off to good starts for the Rangers on the field, but not in the voting. Choo is eighth among outfielders, with 271,521 votes, and Rios is 15th, with 167,261 votes. The top three are Mike Trout (764,007) of the Angels, Jose Bautista (675,290) of the Blue Jays and Jacoby Ellsbury (417,452) of the Yankees.
Rios went into Tuesday's games hitting .322, seventh best in the American League. Choo was 10th at .306 while leading the league with a .435 on-base percentage. Choo's .904 OPS is third best among all AL outfielders, while Rios is seventh best at .821.
Third baseman Adrian Beltre has the best showing of any Rangers player. He is third at third base, with 281,460 votes, trailing Josh Donaldson of the Athletics (464,367) and Evan Longoria (407,724) of the Rays. Beltre started for the AL in 2011-12.
Elvis Andrus, a two-time All-Star, is a distant fourth at shortstop. Derek Jeter leads with 602,525 votes, the most for any infielder. Andrus has 166,907 votes.
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.
The 2014 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. The AL will have nine elected starters via the fan balloting program, while the NL will have eight fan-elected starters. Pitchers and reserves for both squads -- totaling 25 for the NL and 24 for the AL -- will be determined through a combination of "Player Ballot" choices and selections made by All-Star managers Mike Matheny (NL) and John Farrell (AL).
Immediately following the announcement of the rosters, you can select the final player for each league's 34-man roster via the 2014 All-Star Game MLB.com Final Vote Sponsored by Experian. Choose again at that point from among five players in each league. The Final Vote returns for its 13th season with more than 430 million votes cast to date, and you'll be able to make selections on MLB.com, club sites and your mobile device.
You'll be on a voting tear at that point, having already selected starters and the last men, and the ritual will not 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 big game, vote exclusively online at MLB.com via the 2014 All-Star Game MLB.com MVP Vote Sponsored by Pepsi. The fan 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.