These New York Mets Could Start All-Star Game
These two New York Mets are in prime position to potentially emerge as All-Star starters for the National League in this year's Midsummer Classic.
Although Monday's results showed zero Mets position players leading their positions in the All-Star voting, Pete Alonso (958,777) is trailing Paul Goldschmidt (1,562,027) by an obtainable margin, while Starling Marte (765,362) ranks fourth among outfielders. Injured superstars in Dodgers' Mookie Betts (2,270,566) and Braves' Ronald Acuna Jr. (2,197,684) currently lead NL outfielders in votes, but Giants' Joc Pederson (1,090,260) could be caught by Marte. The deadline for the first phase of voting is Thursday, June 30 at 2 p.m.
The next stage of voting will decide, who starts the July 19 All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium. Finalists from Phase 1 will be the top two players at each infield position, and the top six in the outfield. Total votes will reset in Phase 2.
While Alonso and Marte have a strong shot at advancing, Francisco Lindor, Jeff McNeil and Mark Canha would just miss the cut if the current order stands by Thursday.
But McNeil (945,335) isn't too far behind Marlins' Jazz Chisholm Jr. (1,066,927) and Braves' Ozzie Albies (984,846) in the race for 1-of-2 second base spots. Albies also fractured his left foot on June 14, and will not be able to play in the All-Star game even if he is selected. Should McNeil not advance to Phase 2, he could replace Albies if Atlanta's second baseman makes the roster.
Lindor (808,729) has a more difficult task, given he is trailing Dodgers' Trea Turner (1,369,759) and Braves' Dansby Swanson (1,069,312), who are both having excellent campaigns. Lindor has the fifth-most RBIs (56) in baseball, but Turner and Swanson have produced above average numbers in every major offensive category.
Canha (526,319) has a shot to advance in the top six since he is only one spot behind Braves' Adam Duvall (580,110). Duvall is batting .198 with a .611 OPS, which is hardly All-Star worthy. As for Brandon Nimmo, he ranks 10th with 423,751, and it appears as though he will miss the cut.
Regarding pitchers and reserve players for the NL and AL All-Star squads, these slots will be decided by player ballots and Commissioner's Office selections. Rosters will be announced on July 10.
Read More:
- Should Mets Bring Back Jonathan Villar?
- Mets' Francisco Lindor Still Persevering Through Broken Finger
- Why Max Scherzer Needs More Time Before Rejoining Mets Rotation
Follow Pat Ragazzo on Twitter (@ragazzoreport), be sure to bookmark Inside The Mets and check back daily for news, analysis and more.
