5 star-studded positions for Starters Election

June 22nd, 2019

These are all of the finalists for the Starters Election, which begins Wednesday at noon ET and runs through Thursday at 4 p.m. The winners will be unveiled on ESPN that night starting at 7 ET. Players who do not get elected starters are not automatically added to the team as reserves -- they will be determined through a combination of “Player Ballot” choices and selections made by the Commissioner’s Office. All-Star pitchers and reserves will be announced on Sunday, June 30, at 5:30 p.m., also on ESPN.

We have all-time greats in the mix. That's what Angels center fielder and Rockies third baseman represent: Two of the best ever on their way to the Hall of Fame. We have other star power, too, lots of it. Looking at you, Brewers right fielder , Cubs first basemen and others.

And what would an All-Star Game ballot be without breakout players? These are the ones who soak up every minute of this kind of experience and understand they're seen in an entirely different light.

Dodgers right fielder is one kind of breakout star even though he has already been a National League All-Star and National League Rookie of the Year Award winner. Pirates first baseman is another kind, a talented young guy who has put everything together in his fourth season.

All-Star ballots have so many stars that it's virtually impossible to go wrong. Meanwhile, it's almost impossible to give every really good player the recognition they deserve. With that in mind, let's check out the five most star-studded positions among the finalists announced on Friday:

1. NL third base: Arenado, and

These three finalists have combined for nine All-Star selections, two Most Valuable Player Awards (Bryant and Donaldson) and a Rookie of the Year (Bryant). They entered the weekend ranked fourth, 13th and 25th in fWAR among all NL players. Arenado has played his way into the NL Most Valuable Player conversation with Bellinger and Yelich. Bryant has been so good for all five seasons that he sometimes gets overlooked, but he appears to be headed for his best season. Injuries kept Donaldson off the field for a lot of the past two seasons, but he's back to his 2013-16 form when he finished first in MVP voting once, fourth twice and eighth once.

Focusing on the top three vote-getters, Bellinger and Yelich have been the NL's two best players since Opening Day while Acuna has been one of the two best players -- first baseman Freddie Freeman is the other -- on an Atlanta team that has been the hottest in baseball. None of the three has ever started an All-Star Game, and Acuna will be playing in his first.

3. NL first base: Bell, and

This position says so much about why we love the All-Star Game and the transitions it represents. Freeman and Rizzo have six All-Star appearances and three Gold Gloves between them. Bell has never been to an All-Star Game, and he began this season still writing the beginnings of a career arc. He has done more than simply broken out. He's on pace for 50 doubles and 40 home runs and entered Friday's action with an MLB-leading 66 RBIs.

This position has a smorgasbord of possibilities beyond the top three vote-getters. First, a word about the top three. They've combined for 12 All-Star appearances, including seven by Trout, the player against which every other will be measured for a long time. After those three, there are two big-time breakout stars in Meadows and Gallo, as well as the 2018 AL Most Valuable Player (Betts).

5. AL first base: , and

This position is interesting in a different kind of way. For one thing, there's this: Zero All-Star appearances between them. Each of them has a great story to tell. Voit has become something of a cult hero in New York, an underhanded pickup from the Cardinals last summer that has helped the Yankees stay afloat this season through a tough run of injuries. Santana, who spent his first eight seasons with the Indians before signing with the Phillies, is back in Cleveland and having his best season. Cron might be the best story of all, a waiver claim last November by the Twins, who have ridden a great offense to the top of the AL Central.

The 2019 All-Star Game presented by Mastercard will be played on Tuesday, July 9, at Progressive Field in Cleveland. It 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. MLB Network, MLB.com and SiriusXM also will provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. During the game, fans may visit MLB.com and the 30 club sites to submit their choices for the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet. For more information about MLB All-Star Week and to purchase tickets, please visit AllStarGame.com and follow @MLB and @AllStarGame on social media.