Ben Rice Is Raking and AL Fans Are Sleeping on the Year's Biggest Breakout
Alright, Emerald City, listen up! The MLB All-Star voting update just dropped, and if you're like me, you're probably doing a double-take right now. Fans have the power, and that's awesome, but sometimes that power comes with some serious blind spots. The league gave us a peek on Monday, showing the top 10 at each position and the top 20 outfielders. With just over a week left in Phase 1, it's time to talk about some straight-up snubs and head-scratchers that need fixing before these ballots lock down!
Pete Crow-Armstrong's Unreal June Is Getting IGNORED
Seriously, NL fans, what are we even doing here? Pete Crow-Armstrong, an outfielder who's been absolutely ON FIRE in June after tweaking his stance, is somehow sitting at a mind-boggling #14 in the National League outfield voting. FOURTEEN! This dude is #3 in all of MLB with a ridiculous 4.0 fWAR, trailing only Shohei Ohtani and Bobby Witt Jr. Think about that for a second! He's arguably the best defensive outfielder in the entire league, and his bat has come alive too, pushing his OPS to .846 and putting him on pace for THIRTY homers. Yet, he's somehow received fewer votes than guys like Brandon Marsh and Teoscar Hernández, none of whom have even sniffed his level of production. It's a classic case of early-season jitters overshadowing current brilliance, and it's a travesty, plain and simple. No Cubs player is even in the top five at their position. Come on, Cubbies, you okay over there?
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AL First Base Voting Is an Absolute JOKE Right Now
Now let's talk about the American League, where our M's are fighting every single night. You want to talk about popularity contests? Look no further than AL first base. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is leading the vote by almost 100,000 votes over Yankees slugger Ben Rice. One hundred THOUSAND votes! And yeah, Vladdy is a household name, a fan favorite, we get it. But if you've been watching baseball, it's clear as day that Rice is having the better season. The man has a 2.8 fWAR, 20 dingers, 49 RBIs, and a 174 wRC+ that's second only to Yordan Alvarez in all of MLB! Meanwhile, the Blue Jays, Vladdy's team, are having a 'lackluster start' to the season. This isn't about reputation, folks, it's about what's happening right now. Fans are letting old narratives overshadow undeniable performance, and it's gotta change. It's tough to see real production take a backseat to name recognition.
Look, Phase 1 wraps up in just over a week, and then we move on to the next stage. As fans, we have one job: get the best players to the All-Star Game. Not the most famous, not the ones on the biggest teams, but the guys who are actually dominating the league. We need to wake up and make sure the best talent gets recognized, especially when we've got guys like Rice absolutely mashing. And speaking of needing to bring our A-game, our own M's just battled hard but dropped a tough one to the Orioles, 5-3, last night at T-Mobile Park. We know they'll bounce back, but it just shows every single game, every single vote, every single moment matters right now in this season. Let's make sure our voices are heard, for the All-Stars and for our boys in blue! 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.