Three Astros Sluggers in Running to Advance in All-Star Game Voting
Three Houston Astros players remain in the running to advance out of the first phase of All-Star Game voting when it closes at noon on Thursday.
Second baseman Jose Altuve and designated hitter Yordan Alvarez lead vote-getters at their positions, while Kyle Tucker is among the top six vote-getters in the outfield.
The top two vote-getters at each position, along with the top six outfielders, advance to phase two voting which starts on June 30. That voting determines the starting lineup for the All-Star Game, which is set for June 16 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, the home of the Astros’ arch-rivals, the Texas Rangers.
Altuve was leading at second base after the first round of voting was released last Monday. He still has solid lead on the Rangers’ Marcus Semien. Altuve has 1,233,299 votes to Semien’s 963,423.
Semien was the starter last year as Altuve missed most of the first half of the season with an injury he suffered in the World Baseball Classic. The Astros veteran is seeking his ninth All-Star Game nod and his sixth as a starter.
Alvarez has 963,519 votes and is ahead of the New York Yankees’ Giancarlo Stanton, who has 717,023. Stanton is now out for the next month due to a hamstring injury. Behind Stanton is Cleveland’s David Fry.
Alvarez is seeking his third straight All-Star Game nod. Former Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani had been the starting DH for the AL the past three seasons, so his departure to the Los Angeles Dodgers opens the starting position up.
Tucker was third after the first vote release and he remained in third with 1,002,803 votes. He is well behind the New York Yankees due of Aaron Judge (2,375,199) and Juan Soto (2,136,383). Judge is also the leading vote-getter and if he remains so he will automatically be named a starter.
Tucker has been to the last two All-Star Games.
The other three outfielders in line to advance to the second phase of voting are Cleveland’s Steven Kwan, Baltimore’s Anthony Santander and Baltimore’s Colton Cowser.
Voting from phase one does not carry over into phase two.
Other Astros in the Top 10 of voting include catcher Yainer Diaz in fifth place, first baseman Jon Singleton in seventh place, third baseman Alex Bregman in sixth place, shortstop Jeremy Pena in sixth place and utility player Mauricio Dubon in 14th place in outfield voting.
The Astros are within two games of .500 as they enter a two-game series with the Colorado Rockies at Minute Maid Park on Tuesday. After that, Houston hits the road to face the New York Mets, the Toronto Blue Jays and the Minnesota Twins.
MATTHEW POSTINS
Matthew Postins is an award-winning sports journalist who covers the Texas Rangers, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros for Sports Illustrated/FanNation. He also covers he Big 12 for Heartland College Sports.