MLB All-Star Voting: Guardians' Ramírez Featured On Popular Writers' Ballot

The 2024 MLB All-Star Game is a little more than a month away, which means fans are flooding the polls to get their favorite players in the historical event. For the Cleveland Guardians, there are a few players who could qualify for the big game.

MLB.com Contributing Editor Will Leitch has posted his All-Star Ballot, which included Guardians' star Jose Ramírez as his pick for the AL Third Baseman.

"This one is pretty rough because you can’t go wrong with any of three guys: Ramírez, the Red Sox’s Rafael Devers or the Orioles’ Jordan Westburg. (If you want to make a case for the Rays’ Isaac Paredes, you can do that as well)."
Will Leitch

The race for the starting role at third base has tight between these three players.

Devers has been one of the major catalysts to the Red Sox lineup, batting .278 with 13 home runs and 32 RBI. Westburg also has been quietly putting together a fantastic season for the Orioles, batting .274 and slugging .494 at the plate. But Leitch made his point clear why he selected Ramírez above all.

"He’s the leader of one of the best teams in baseball and should represent them on this grand stage. 2) He’s perpetually underappreciated and probably should have won the AL MVP Award in 2020. 3) He hasn’t been voted in by fans since ’18, which is remarkable."
Will Leitch

Ramírez currently is tied for first in the MLB with the Yankees' Aaron Judge for RBI with 62 on the year, while also leading all third basemen in home runs with 18.

One name left off of Leitch's ballot: Guardians starting first baseman, Josh Naylor. Instead of choosing Naylor, Leitch picked Toronto Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

"Guerrero’s main competition appears to be the Orioles’ Ryan Mountcastle and the Guardians’ Josh Naylor. But nobody in the field has done quite enough to overcome me wanting to see Vlad Jr. in the All-Star Game again, particularly when he is hardly having a bad year. (The power has yet to click, but he’s batting .342 since April 27)."
Will Leitch

Guerrero has managed to put together a solid 2024 campaign, despite Toronto's sub-.500 record this season. The popular first baseman is batting .281 on the year, while leading his team in hits (73) and on base percentage (.370).

To Leitch's point, Naylor does have the upper hand in the power-hitting categories.

The Guardians' lefty has 17 home runs, while knocking in 50 RBI in 2024. Naylor's impact at the plate has been significant to Cleveland's first place lead in the division, which makes him a prime candidate to start for the AL team in July.

However, there is still time left for Naylor to boost his stock and convince baseball fans that he should be in Arlington, Texas during the All-Star Break.

You can vote here for your favorite Guardians to make the 2024 MLB All Star Game.