Dodgers All-Star Voting Update: Matt Kemp Holds Spot as Starter
The second update of the national league all-star ballot was released on Monday. Though more votes were tallied this past week, the results remain the same. Good news, Dodgers fans. Matt Kemp still remains amongst the top, and is currently slated to start the All-Star game.
Three-way race at catcher between @BusterPosey, @WContreras40 and Kurt Suzuki highlights latest National League balloting update. Visit https://t.co/Jd6REEkFYI to vote. #MLBVote pic.twitter.com/yClzTVtFqd
— MLB Communications (@MLB_PR) June 18, 2018
Kemp, who wasn’t supposed to make the opening day roster, is currently third amongst N.L. outfielders. He trails only Nick Markakis and Bryce Harper. Sitting less than 100,000 votes behind Harper, it’s possible for Kemp to overtake him by the next ballot. It’s possible to catch Markakis, but it appears Braves fans are voting in full-force.
Sitting about 250,000 votes behind Kemp is Charlie Blackmon. That should be a big enough and comfortable lead for Kemp to sustain, but we’ve seen how quickly these ballots can shift, so no lead is safe. Coming into Monday, Kemp ranks first in the national league in batting average (.338), ninth in RBI (43), second in slugging percentage (.579), and third in OPS (.953). His .426 average with runners in scoring position is also the second best in the league.
Other Positions
The only other Dodgers appearing on the ballot are Cody Bellinger and Yasmani Grandal. Bellinger is currently No. 4 on the first-base ballot, but trails Freddie Freeman by roughly 1.2 million votes. Yasmani Grandal sits at No. 5 for catchers and trails Buster Posey by more than 300,000 votes.
Get out and VOTE!
Although it looks like Matt Kemp is destined to be named a starter, that shouldn’t stop you from voting! As mentioned earlier, the voting numbers can drastically change on a week-to-week basis, so make sure we keep him in the top three! Although it looks like he’ll be the only Dodger, keep on voting for our boys in blue. Show them the support they deserve, and help them climb higher in the polls. Voting end July 5, so you only have a few weeks remaining. You can vote here: https://www.mlb.com/all-star/ballot
Dodgers Set 2018 Single-Game Attendance Record Against Giants