CarGo sneaking his way into All-Star Game
Outfielder has jumped from 10th to second place with two days left in voting
DENVER -- Carlos Gonzalez is winning the hearts and minds of All-Star Game voters in stunning fashion.
Ranked 10th in voting among National League outfielders at the first update in early June, Gonzalez has risen all the way to second -- which would make him a starter in the All-Star Game at Citi Field in New York on July 16 if he holds steady between now and when voting ends on Thursday night.
At 2,928,606 votes, Gonzalez is second to the Cardinals' Carlos Beltran, the runaway leader at 5,013,806. Gonzalez went into Tuesday's play leading the NL in home runs (22), slugging percentage (.604) and runs scored (63), plus fourth in RBIs (60). Now the appreciation among fans has caught up with his production.
Gonzalez's meteoric rise gives the Rockies two players in line to be elected as starters, although shortstop Troy Tulowitzki is out with a broken rib. Tulowitzki put up numbers worthy of NL Most Valuable Player Award consideration before the injury, and the voting reflects it. He has 4,072,834 votes -- far ahead of the next-highest vote-getter, the Giants' Brandon Crawford at 2,383,248.
Tulowitzki's absence recently dropped him below the threshold to be listed among the league leaders in average/percentage categories, but until that happened, his .635 slugging percentage led the league. His .347 batting average would place him fourth. Tulowitzki's 51 RBIs place him ninth in the league even though he has played in just 41 games.
But still absent from the top 15 among outfielders is the Rockies' Michael Cuddyer, despite the 27-game hit streak and his .344 batting average -- second in the NL among qualifying players.
Fans can cast their votes for starters at MLB.com and all 30 club sites -- online or via a mobile device -- using the 2013 All-Star Game MLB.com Ballot until Thursday at 9:59 p.m. MT.
Fans may submit 25 online ballots during the voting period but can also earn a one-time bonus of 10 additional online ballots. To access these additional online ballots, fans must be logged into an MLB.com account when submitting any online ballot. To obtain an MLB.com account, visit www.mlb.com and register in accordance with the enrollment instructions for a free MLB.com account.
Fans can also once again participate in the Home Run Derby Fan Poll. Fans will have the opportunity to select three players in each league whom they would most like to see participate in the Home Run Derby. The 2013 Home Run Derby -- part of Gatorade All-Star Workout Day -- will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN HD, ESPN Deportes and ESPN Radio in the United States beginning at 8 p.m. ET on Monday, July 15.
Though originally scheduled for Sunday, the 2013 rosters will now be unveiled Saturday at 6:30 p.m. ET on the 2013 MLB All-Star Game Selection Show presented by Taco Bell. The show will be televised nationally on FOX.
From Saturday to Thursday, July 11, be sure to return to MLB.com and cast your 2013 All-Star Game Final Vote Sponsored by freecreditscore.com for the final player for each League's All-Star roster.
And the voting doesn't end there. The final phase of All-Star Game voting will again have fans participating in the official voting for the Ted Williams All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet. During the Midsummer Classic, fans will vote exclusively online at MLB.com via the 2013 All-Star Game MLB.com MVP Vote, and their voice will represent 20 percent of the official vote determining the recipient of the Arch Ward Trophy.
The 2013 All-Star Game will be played at Citi Field on Tuesday, July 16. Come to MLB.com for extensive online coverage of the All-Star Week festivities.
The 84th All-Star Game will be televised nationally by FOX Sports, 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 also will also provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information, please visit allstargame.com.