Cal Raleigh is on track for his inaugural All-Star appearance, as he currently tops the leaderboard for American League catchers. According to the updated standings from Phase 1 of the MLB’s All-Star balloting released Monday, Raleigh has garnered 1,043,168 votes, positioning him as the second-highest vote-getter among AL players, trailing only Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge, who has received 1,568,527 votes.
The next leading player for the Mariners is Julio Rodríguez, placing ninth among AL outfielders with 316,626 votes. The All-Star Game is scheduled for July 15 at 5 p.m. at Truist Park in Atlanta, home to the Braves.
Phase 1 of the voting concludes at 9 a.m. on June 26. The two players with the highest votes for designated hitter and each infield position, along with the top six outfielders from each league, will advance to Phase 2. The player with the most votes in each league at the end of Phase 1 will secure an automatic starting spot, with the subsequent top players moving to the next phase.
MLB will announce the players who advance to Phase 2 on June 26 at 3 p.m. via MLB Network. This second phase offers fans a three-day voting window, from June 30 at 9 a.m. to July 2 at 9 a.m., allowing them to cast a vote for their preferred starter once every 24 hours. Additionally, pitchers and reserve players will be chosen through a player ballot and selections by the Commissioner’s Office, with complete rosters revealed on July 6 at 2 p.m.
The current voting status for Mariners players is as follows:
– **Catcher**: Cal Raleigh – 1st place – 1,043,168 votes
– **First Base**: Rowdy Tellez – 10th place – 74,492 votes
– **Second Base**: Dylan Moore – 8th place – 131,311 votes
– **Third Base**: Ben Williamson – 10th place – 86,467 votes
– **Shortstop**: J.P. Crawford – 9th place – 142,123 votes
– **Designated Hitter**: Jorge Polanco – 8th place – 101,019 votes
– **Outfield**: Julio Rodríguez – 9th place – 316,626 votes; Randy Arozarena – 15th place – 189,284 votes
In evaluating the Mariners’ performance in the voting update, there are no significant surprises. Raleigh was expected to lead among AL catchers, while closer Andrés Muñoz also stands as a strong All-Star candidate from the pitching side. However, there is an argument to be made that both Rodríguez and Crawford should be positioned higher in their respective categories.
Rodríguez, who has a 2.5 fWAR that ranks second among AL outfielders, currently sits over 100,000 votes behind Detroit’s Javier Báez, who is in fifth place and needs to be among the top players to advance. Notably, Mike Trout, with a .224 batting average, is fourth in voting, illustrating the complexities of fan voting.
Crawford, on the other hand, needs to bridge a gap of around 380,000 votes to enter the top two shortstops, a difficult task given the competitive nature of his position. Despite this, his statistical performance, which includes a 2.2 fWAR and a 147 wRC+, merits All-Star consideration, as does Rodríguez’s performance.