MLB All-Star Voting 2021: Breaking Down Ballot Finalists Before Phase 2 Results

The 2021 MLB All-Star Game is drawing nearer.

This year's All-Star festivities are taking place at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado. There is already some anticipation building for the Home Run Derby, with two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani and Rockies star Trevor Story among the headliners in the field. It won't be long before fanbases around the sport find out which stars from their respective teams will also make the trip to Denver.

Phase 2 of the voting ends Thursday, with the All-Star starters being revealed later that night. The remaining players will be announced Sunday.

Let's look back at the finalists before starters are announced Thursday evening.

Full List of Finalists

Aaron Doster/Associated Press

American League Finalists   

Designated Hitter: Shohei Ohtani (LAA), J.D. Martinez (BOS), Yordan Alvarez (HOU)   

Catcher: Salvador Perez (KC), Martin Maldonado (HOU), Yasmani Grandal (CWS)

First Baseman: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (TOR), Yuli Gurriel (HOU), Jose Abreu (CWS)

Second Baseman: Marcus Semien (TOR), Jose Altuve (HOU), DJ LeMahieu (NYY)   

Shortstop: Xander Bogaerts (BOS), Bo Bichette (TOR), Carlos Correa (HOU)   

Third Baseman: Rafael Devers (BOS), Alex Bregman (HOU), Yoan Moncada (CWS)   

Outfield: Mike Trout (LAA), Aaron Judge (NYY), Byron Buxton (MIN), Michael Brantley (HOU), Adolis Garcia (TEX), Teoscar Hernandez (TOR), Cedric Mullins (BAL), Alex Verdugo (BOS), Randal Grichuk (TOR)   

National League Finalists   

Catcher: Buster Posey (SF), Yadier Molina (STL), Willson Contreras (CHC)   

First Baseman: Max Muncy (LAD), Freddie Freeman (ATL), Anthony Rizzo (CHC)   

Second Baseman: Ozzie Albies (ATL), Adam Frazier (PIT), Gavin Lux (LAD)   

Shortstop: Fernando Tatis Jr. (SD), Javier Baez (CHC), Brandon Crawford (SF)   

Third Baseman: Kris Bryant (CHC), Nolan Arenado (STL), Justin Turner (LAD)   

Outfield: Ronald Acuna Jr. (ATL), Nick Castellanos (CIN), Jesse Winker (CIN), Mookie Betts (LAD), Chris Taylor (LAD), Juan Soto (WSH), Bryce Harper (PHI), Joc Pederson (CHC), Mike Yastrzemski (SF)   

For more information about finalists, click here. 

Leading Vote-Getters After Phase 1

Gregory Bull/Associated Press

The leading vote-getter after Phase 1 comes as little surprise.

Toronto Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. tallied over 2.7 million votes in Phase 1. It's only fitting, considering Vladdy has been arguably the best player in baseball this season.

Guerrero entered Tuesday's slate of games slashing .342/.443/.684 while leading the majors in homers (26), RBI (66), OPS (1.127), OPS+ (205) and total bases (188). He pretty handily led all position players in fWAR at 4.6, with Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa and San Diego Padres megastar Fernando Tatis Jr. being next on that list at 3.8 fWAR.

Speaking of Tatis, the Padres shortstop was the fifth-leading vote-getter after Phase 1. He ranked second only to Guerrero in weighted runs created plus (wRC+), hitting 25 homers and stealing 16 bases through his first 61 games.

Another fairly predictable top-five vote-getter was Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. The former National League Rookie of the Year ranks fourth in the majors in fWAR (3.7), clubbing 21 homers to go along with 16 stolen bases.

The last two names in the top five are a bit curious. Well, sort of. Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout has been widely regarded as the best player in baseball for years now. Trout was off to a torrid start through his first 36 games, hitting .333 with a 1.090 OPS. However, he has not played since May 17.

Kansas City Royals backstop Salvador Perez has been healthier than Trout. He has also been quite good, slashing .273/.303/.503 with 18 homers and 47 RBI. As good as "Salvy" has been, though, it's still pretty telling that a catcher from a small-market team can be a top-five vote-getter early on.

Which Aces Get the Nod?

Noah K. Murray/Associated Press

The fans might get to choose the positional starters, but they do not get to choose the pitching staff. The arms will be determined both by the Commissioner's Office and player ballot choices.

The question is: Which aces get the ball to start the game?

New York Mets right-hander Jacob deGrom would seem to be the easy choice in the National League. He has a 0.68 ERA and 0.53 WHIP through his first 13 starts, with 122 strikeouts in 78 innings.

It's possible some players will reward Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Zack Wheeler, San Francisco Giants ace Kevin Gausman or Milwaukee Brewers righty Brandon Woodruff, all of whom have more starts than deGrom. Still, deGrom is the likely choice.

It's a bit tougher to predict who gets the call for the American League. Chicago White Sox left-hander Carlos Rodon and New York Yankees star Gerrit Cole lead American League starters in fWAR, but fellow White Sox arm Lance Lynn (2.06 ERA) might also be in the mix.

There are a number of excellent arms to choose from, regardless of the two pitchers eventually called upon to take the bump.

All stats obtained via Baseball Reference or FanGraphs, unless otherwise noted. Stats are accurate prior to the start of play on June 29.