MLB All-Star Voting 2019: Updated Leaders and Predictions for Fan Selections

Major League Baseball changed its format for All-Star voting this season. This year, voting has been separated into two phases: The Primary phase, which determines the top three players in the fan voting at each position, and the Starters Election, where fans will have 28 hours to vote for their pick among the finalists.

All-Star pitchers and reserves will then be named on June 30 and decided on by both a player ballot and the league office.

For the full list of finalists and the tally from the primary phase of voting, be sure to check out MLB.com. 

Below, we'll make our predictions on which players will earn each starting position in this year's Midsummer Classic at Cleveland's Progressive Field on Tuesday, July 9.

Catcher

AL: Gary Sanchez, New York Yankees

NL: Willson Contreras, Chicago Cubs

Sanchez had more than double the votes of any AL catcher and is in the middle of a career year, so it's hard to see the fans not putting him in the All-Star Game as a starter. Contreras holds less of a dominating lead over the rest of the NL catchers, though he too is having a superb season. It wouldn't be a crime if voters went with Milwaukee's Yasmani Grandal, however.

First Base

AL: C.J. Cron, Minnesota Twins

NL: Josh Bell, Pittsburgh Pirates

The AL race at first base is an absolute toss-up. All three players (C.J. Cron, Carlos Santana and Luke Voit) were extremely tight in the voting and have had similar impacts at the plate. We give the nod to Cron here, with the Minnesota fans making a push to get their man in the starting lineup. And with Bell the only Pirate up for a starting spot in the All-Star Game, look for Pirates fans to rally behind him.

Second Base

AL: Jose Altuve, Houston Astros

NL: Mike Moustakas, Milwaukee Brewers

Altuve is one of the most popular and likeable players in baseball. He'll get the nod. The NL is more of a toss-up, but Moustakas is arguably the most deserving player of the bunch (Ozzie Albies, Ketel Marte and Moustakas) and is having a superb year. 

Shortstop

AL: Gleyber Torres, New York Yankees

NL: Javier Baez, Chicago Cubs

All three AL shortstops in the voting—Carlos Correa, Jorge Polanco and Gleyber Torres—would be more than deserving, but Torres is having an epic season. He deserves to be the pick. And Baez isn't just one of the best and most popular players in baseball, he's also having another elite year. It would be surprising if he didn't get voted into a starting spot.

Third Base

AL: Alex Bregman, Houston Astros

NL: Nolan Arenado, Colorado Rockies

Bregman not only had a commanding lead in the initial voting, he's without question the top player at the position. It would be a major disservice if he wasn't an AL starter. Ditto for Arenado, one of baseball's premier sluggers.

Outfielders

AL: Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels; George Springer, Houston Astros; Mookie Betts, Boston Red Sox

NL: Cody Bellinger, Los Angeles Dodgers; Christian Yelich, Milwaukee Brewers; Ronald Acuna, Jr., Atlanta Braves

Trout's an easy choice. He led all American League players in the initial voting and remains arguably the best all-around player in baseball. It would be a travesty to keep him out of the starting lineup. Springer also had a significant lead on the rest of the outfield group and is having a great season. Betts, meanwhile, is having a slight down year by his own epic standards, but the defending AL MVP is still one of the game's more recognizable superstars. He'll sneak his way in. 

In the National League, it's a pretty easy call. Bellinger can't stop hitting home runs and led all players in the initial voting. Yelich is having one of the greatest seasons in recent memory. Acuna is not only having a fantastic campaign but also had a significant advantage over the other options in the field in the initial round of voting. It would be surprising if Bellinger, Yelich and Acuna weren't the starters. 

Designated Hitter

AL: Hunter Pence, Texas Rangers

Pence's bounceback season at the age of 36 makes him one of the better stories in baseball this season. Do the right thing, voters, and get this man a starting spot in the All-Star Game.