Mariners Win 3-1 and It's Clear: All-Star Voters Need to Wake Up About the AL

Alright, Emerald City! Can we get a collective "HELL YEAH!" for our boys in blue and green?! A clutch 3-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles, that's what I'm talking about! Our Mariners showed up and got the job done, grinding out a fantastic victory. It's early season, but these wins, man, they set the tone. You'd think with games like this happening, people would be paying attention to the American League, right? Apparently, when it comes to MLB All-Star fan voting, a lot of folks must be hitting snooze because these early results? They're a wild ride of "what ifs" and "are you serious?!"

National League Fans Are Kinda Getting It Right, Mostly

Over in the National League, it's a mixed bag but honestly, not as much of a head-scratcher as the AL. At catcher, Drake Baldwin of the Braves is crushing it, leading Will Smith by about 310,000 votes. And for good reason, the guy's slashing .303/.389/.543 with 13 dingers in just 48 games. He's been the best at his position, period. Freddie Freeman at first for the Dodgers is ahead of Matt Olson, and while Olson's been the *best* first baseman, Freeman's a solid second, so that works. Max Muncy? He's leading at third and is 100% deserving. Shohei Ohtani at DH is leading, which, duh, he and Kyle Schwarber are absolutely the top two. But then you get to second base and the outfield, and it starts to get weird. Ozzie Albies is leading at second, but guys like Brice Turang and rookie JJ Wetherholt have been tearing it up. And the outfield? Hoo boy. Andy Páges, Ronald Acuña, and Brandon Marsh are 1-2-3, but the actual best performers like Pete Crow-Armstrong, James Wood, and Corbin Carroll aren't even close! Wood is 230,000 behind third place! It feels like a popularity contest, not an actual showcase of talent there.

The American League Vote Is a Popularity Mess

Now, let's ta

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lk about *our* league, the American League, because this is where my blood pressure starts to rise. Shea Langeliers of the Athletics is way out in front at catcher, over 400,000 votes ahead, and he's totally earned it. Dillon Dingler of the Tigers has also had a killer first half and deserves to be there. So far, so good, I guess. But then we hit first base, and it's a full-on "Blue Jays fans voting like Braves fans" situation. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is leading Ben Rice by 90,000 votes, despite a "disappointing first half" for Guerrero. Seriously? Rice and Nick Kurtz are the most deserving! Kurtz is a whopping 330,000 votes behind Guerrero! At second base, Ernie Clement, another Blue Jay, is over 600,000 ahead of Ezequiel Duran. Bobby Witt Jr. is running away with shortstop, which is fair. But then you get to third base, Junior Caminero and rookie Kazuma Okamoto are 1-2, but Miguel Vargas of the White Sox *deserves* to be in the finals and is 230,000 votes back. Astros DH Yordan Alvarez is the right leader, but Yandy Díaz is fighting to get past George Springer. And the outfield? Aaron Judge and Mike Trout are leading, sure, but Cody Bellinger is only 36,000 votes ahead of Byron Buxton, and Buxton *deserves* to be higher. It's like some voters aren't even watching the games! They're just picking names they know, completely ignoring the incredible talent popping up all over the AL. It's frustrating when you see our guys battling hard, winning games like tonight, and then look at these popularity contests. This early voting ends on June 25, but the trends are already clear. It's a popularity show out there, not a performance review. Our Mariners just took down a tough Orioles squad 3-1, proving they're a force to be reckoned with. Let's keep that momentum rolling, keep showing up for our team, and maybe, just maybe, these All-Star voters will eventually open their eyes to the real talent in the American League. Go M's!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.