Phase 1 of All-Star Game voting has made way for Phase 2, and all told, Phase 1 was the easy part. Whittling the list of players down to three allows you to separate the proverbial wheat from the proverbial chaff. Now you have to actually pick your guy.
With Phase 2 voting underway now, you should vote for whomever you wish; you should do you and speak your own truth. But hey, I am the guy here to have all sorts of sports opinions, so I might as well give you my picks. I’ll make it harder on myself, too. I’ll actually rank each of the three choices at each position (plus nine in the outfield). My choices are mine, and based on a combination of their first-half success (the primary measure), career achievement and just how exciting it would be to see them play in the All-Star Game. This is my little voting guide. Choose wisely.
Voting for Phase 2 is live now and ends Thursday at 2 p.m. ET. Starters will be revealed Thursday at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN. Pitchers and reserves will be revealed Sunday, July 4, at 5:30 p.m. on ESPN. The All-Star Game is Tuesday, July 13, on FOX.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Catcher
1. Salvador Perez, Royals
2. Yasmani Grandal, White Sox
3. Martín Maldonado, Astros
This might just be the easiest pick on the board. Perez has built on his incredible September 2020 to return to being one of the best hitting and fielding catchers in the game. This would be his seventh All-Star Game, by the way. That’s more than you realized, I bet. Grandal is perhaps having the best .175-hitting season imaginable? Maldonado is hitting around the same average but … not having the best anything-sort-of-season imaginable.
First base
1. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays
2. Yuli Gurriel, Astros
3. José Abreu, White Sox
I hope that it is not offensive to Gurriel, who is probably the Astros’ best hitter right now, and Abreu, who won the freaking MVP last year, when I say that if you do not vote for Vlad Jr. here, you’re either an Astros or a White Sox fan or you are standing against all that is just and good on the planet. I wish Vlad Jr. were participating in the Home Run Derby. But the heater that he’s on right now must be witnessed by as many people as possible. He’s Buffalo’s finest!
Second base
1. Jose Altuve, Astros
2. Marcus Semien, Blue Jays
3. DJ LeMahieu, Yankees
OK, fine: Perhaps Altuve has become a bit of a polarizing player in recent years. But what a comeback after his nightmare 2020 season. Altuve looks like the budding Hall of Fame candidate that he was every season except for the pandemic one. He barely staves off Semien, who has been terrific, and LeMahieu, who hasn’t been as great but is still a linchpin of that team. Are you ready to welcome Altuve back, America? Here’s your chance.
Shortstop
1. Xander Bogaerts, Red Sox
2. Carlos Correa, Astros
3. Bo Bichette, Blue Jays
There is absolutely no wrong answer here; this might be the toughest call on the ballot. Correa is having his best year at the best possible time. Bichette is a blast to watch and hitting the ball like crazy. But Bogaerts has been a representative of the Red Sox for many years now, a steadying influence who’s thriving as the team continues to surprise everyone. He’s going to get MVP votes this year for the fourth consecutive year. We probably do not talk about him enough.
Third base
1. Rafael Devers, Red Sox
2. Yoán Moncada, White Sox
3. Alex Bregman, Astros
First of all, it’s weird that José Ramírez isn’t here; he should have made the final three. But with these three (excellent) guys on the ballot, I’m sticking with the all-Red Sox left side of the infield. Devers’ numbers are even better than Bogaerts’, and it’s still pretty flabbergasting that he’s only 24. You’re certainly forgiven if you go with Moncada, though. He has fully bounced back from his 2020 and now has the game again to match his overflowing charisma. You can’t go wrong either way.
Outfield
1. Aaron Judge, Yankees
2. Adolis García, Rangers
3. Michael Brantley, Astros
4. Cedric Mullins, Orioles
5. Teoscar Hernández, Blue Jays
6. Alex Verdugo, Red Sox
7. Randal Grichuk, Blue Jays
8. Byron Buxton, Twins
9. Mike Trout, Angels
To be clear: The only reason Buxton and Trout are on the bottom of this list is because they are both hurt and highly unlikely to be back in time for the All-Star Game. If that changes, you should immediately put them 1-2, because they’re exactly what I want to watch at the All-Star Game. In lieu of that, Judge is an obvious pick -- weird to think that Judge is the “healthy” guy here -- and then it gets complicated. García is such a joy to watch right now that I find him the logical second pick. Then it’s between Brantley and Mullins. There’s nothing wrong with either, but I’ll go with Brantley, because he’s always been a little underappreciated and could use all the career accolades he can get. But if you want to reward Mullins for a career year, you’ll get no argument from me.
Designated hitter
1. Shohei Ohtani, Angels
2. J.D. Martinez, Red Sox
3. Yordan Alvarez, Astros
I don’t really have any pull around here, but if I did, I would totally try to lobby to make all votes for Martinez and Alvarez just go to Ohtani. The only question is: Will they let him pitch too?
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Catcher
1. Buster Posey, Giants
2. Yadier Molina, Cardinals
3. Willson Contreras, Cubs
The hot starts for both Posey and Molina made it look like we were going to have a 2010-type battle on our hands, but Molina, like the rest of the Cardinals, has faded in recent weeks. Someday they’re going to argue about Posey being in the Hall of Fame -- he would absolutely have my vote -- and this, which would be his seventh ASG, would also be a nice feather in his cap after missing last season.
First base
1. Max Muncy, Dodgers
2. Freddie Freeman, Braves
3. Anthony Rizzo, Cubs
As tempting as it might be to reward Freeman for his 2020 MVP season -- after all, there was no All-Star Game for him to play in last year -- Muncy is close to lapping the field at this position. (Even if it’s not always the position he’s playing anymore.)
Second base
1. Ozzie Albies, Braves
2. Adam Frazier, Pirates
3. Gavin Lux, Dodgers
Some terrific names are missing from this list, from Ketel Marte to Jazz Chisholm Jr. to even Kolten Wong. (I’d vote for Marte and Chisholm over all three of these guys.) But Albies has come on strong of late and barely edges Frazier, who’s having a career year but (based on trade rumors) may very well be playing somewhere else by the time the All-Star Game gets here.
Shortstop
1. Fernando Tatis Jr., Padres
2. Brandon Crawford, Giants
3. Javier Báez, Cubs
This one isn’t particularly difficult: I think they should probably let Tatis Jr. bat eight times in Colorado if he wants to. But it shouldn’t distract from the fantastic season Crawford is having. His team is ahead in the standings, too.
Third base
1. Kris Bryant, Cubs
2. Nolan Arenado, Cardinals
3. Justin Turner, Dodgers
It’s a real bummer that Evan Longoria, another Giants veteran having a terrific season, didn’t make the cut here. I hope he gets selected; it would be only his fourth selection, if you can believe that, and his first since 2010. (He made it his first three seasons, and not since.) These three are all worthy, though, but Bryant returning to his MVP form is one of the reasons he won’t be going anywhere at the Trade Deadline.
Outfield
1. Ronald Acuña Jr., Braves
2. Mookie Betts, Dodgers
3. Nick Castellanos, Reds
4. Jesse Winker, Reds
5. Bryce Harper, Phillies
6. Juan Soto, Nationals
7. Mike Yastrzemski, Giants
8. Chris Taylor, Dodgers
9. Joc Pederson, Cubs
OK, before you start yelling at me, I know Castellanos and Winker (and Harper, and O’Neill, and maybe even Soto, Taylor and Yaz) are having better seasons than Betts so far. But c’mon. You really don’t want to see Betts come onto the field to start the All-Star Game? Really? He hasn’t been that bad. Also, do we need two Reds in the outfield? We do not. I still feel like the starting outfield is going to be Acuña/Betts/Soto (with Harper ducking in every once in a while) for the next decade anyway.