The MLB All-Star Game in Miami is coming up in early July, and voting has been in full-swing for a while. Unfortunately, the voting updates have not been kind to some deserving players thus far. While several Chicago Cubs are getting votes they don't deserve, players like Zack Cozart are getting screwed. Here is who you should vote for to start in the all-star game this season.
Note: All stats are as of 6 PM Eastern on Wednesday, June 14, 2017.
American League
First Base: Eric Hosmer, Kansas City Royals
The Royals are bad, and that is taking away from how great Hosmer has been this season. He is batting over .300, and he has smashed seven home runs, which is good considering Hosmer is not a power hitter. He does lack in the RBI category with only 26, but that can be attributed to the bad offense around him.
Honorable Mention: Yonder Alonso, Oakland Athletics
Second Base: Jose Altuve, Houston Astros
This one is easy. The Astros have been dominant thus far this season, and Altuve is one of the leaders of the dangerous offense they have. It's almost like he is already ahead in the count when he steps into the batter's box. Oh, and his power numbers keep improving. He is going to be an all-star for a long time.
Honorable Mention: Starlin Castro, New York Yankees
Shortstop: Jean Segura, Seattle Mariners
Segura has been a new man this season. He is hitting to every part of the field, and there is no good place to pitch to him. His recent injury may slow him down a bit, but for now, he is the best option for starting shortstop.
Honorable Mention: Xander Bogaerts, Boston Red Sox
Third Base: Miguel Sano, Minnesota Twins
Sano is one of the most underrated players in the league. He can hit for contact and power, and he is solid in the field as well. He is leading the offense of a surprising Twins team this year.
Honorable Mention: Jose Ramirez, Cleveland Indians
Catcher: Wellington Castillo, Baltimore Orioles
Catcher has always been the toughest position for me to judge. A catcher's first duty is catching and defense, so judging catcher simply by offensive numbers isn't adequate. However, in an all-star game, it's about offense. Castillo is the best of both worlds. He has put up solid numbers on offense while being one of the best defensive catchers in the league,
Honorable Mention: Jonathan Lucroy, Texas Rangers
Designated Hitter: Corey Dickerson, Tampa Bay Rays
Dickerson has been unbelievable for the Rays this year. The DH role fits him perfectly. I like to refer to him as "the best hitter that nobody has heard about." He might not get selected as a starter because voters are usually stupid and don't do their research, but he is the most deserving candidate.
Honorable Mention: Nelson Cruz, Seattle Mariners
Outfield: Aaron Judge, New York Yankees; Avisail Garcia, Chicago White Sox; Andrew Benintendi, Boston Red Sox
First, let me get something out of the way: I didn't include Trout because of his injury. While he most certainly played like an all-star up to his injury, he will not be able to play in the all-star game, so I didn't put him on this list. Judge has been my favorite player to watch this year. He leads the majors in home runs, and they usually go really far. Recently, he hit a 495-ft. home run. The speed of the ball coming off the bat, at over 120 mph, was the fastest ever recorded. And not only are his power numbers impressive, he is capable of hitting for average as well with his batting average well over .300. Garcia has flown under the radar, but he has had a very solid season for the White Sox while Benintendi has been overshadowed by Judge in the AL East. This would be one impressive outfield.
Honorable Mention: Nomar Mazara, Texas Rangers
National League
First Base: Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona Diamondbacks
Goldscmidt has never gotten the love he deserves. If he played on the east coast, he would be regarded as one of the best of the game. He plays incredible defense, and his offensive numbers speak for themselves.
Honorable Mentions: Ryan Zimmeman, Washington Nationals; Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds (fun fact: did you know Votto never — not once — popped out last year?)
Second Base: Daniel Murphy, Washington Nationals
Murphy has been a big part of the Nationals offense this year. He is hitting .345 with 11 homers and 43 RBI. He is getting better with age.
Honorable Mention: Josh Harrison, Pittsburgh Pirates
Shortstop: Zack Cozart, Cincinnati Reds
Like Goldscmidt, Cozart doesn't get close to the love he deserves. He is hitting .324 with over 30 RBI, and Nolan Arenado of the Rockies called him the most underrated player in the league. Vote Cozart, people.
Honorable Mention: Corey Seager, Los Angeles Dodgers
Third Base: Nolan Arenado, Colorado Rockies
In before all the "Cubs" fans yell at me for not putting Kris Bryant here. Well, guess what, Cubs fans? Bryant is only hitting .273 with 28 RBI. I don't even know if you can call him a true third baseman anymore either, as he often swaps out his glove for an outfield one to take with him to left field. And before you attribute Arenado's stats to the thin air of Coors Field, check this out: He has a higher OPS, average, and more RBI on the road so far this season. Oh, and he has yet to commit an error, the longest streak to start a season for a third baseman since the 40s.
Honorable Mentions: Justin Turner, Los Angeles Dodgers; Jake Lamb, Arizona Diamondbacks
Catcher: Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants
If Posey wasn't injured every other day, he would be one of the best catchers the game has seen in decades. This year, however, he has stayed relatively healthy while hitting for an impressive .352 average. He has been one of the few bright spots for a struggling Giants team this year.
Honorable Mention: J.T. Realmuto, Miami Marlins
Outfield: Charlie Blackmon, Colorado Rockies; Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals; Marcell Ozuna, Miami Marlins
This would be a fun outfield to watch. Blackmon has cemented himself as the best leadoff hitter in the game, as he is in the top 5 in baseball for RBI, which is incredibly impressive for a leadoff hitter. Harper is continuing his dominance this year, and he may even be better than ever before. Now that he has a good lineup around him, pitchers are being forced to actually pitch to him than work around him — and he is making them pay. Ozuna is another under-the-radar guy, but he has had a great season with the Marlins thus far and deserves the all-star start, especially in front of his own fans in Miami.
Honorable Mention: Matt Kemp, Atlanta Braves
Now get to MLB.com and vote for the deserving players, not the popular yet bad ones. Even if you don't follow baseball, just go vote for these guys. And the best part is, you can vote multiple times. So vote early, vote often!