All-Star voting is underway. Many races are separated by a few thousand votes. Many fans vote for guys who won’t make it but deserve the votes. Here are a handful of these players who deserve a vote as you continue to cast your All-Star votes.
Players Deserving of All-Star Votes
Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Diamondbacks
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. was acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays in the offseason. This trade has done wonders for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Gurriel Jr has a line of .279/.324/.498. He is a big part of the offense of the upstart D-Backs, who are in 1st place in the National League West. The trade that got him seemed rather unassuming at the time. They were upgrading their player in left field and getting some more help behind the plate. This has given the D-Backs a borderline All-Star.
The fascinating thing is that as of writing this, Gurriel Jr. is on the heels of his teammate Corbin Carroll. Carrol should also be an All-Star as well, but that’s beside the point. Gurriel Jr. has taken a step forward in Arizona. He is coming off a slightly down year in his last year in Toronto, only playing 121 games last year.
Gurriel has improved this year and is already approaching his numbers from last year at the All-Star break. He will likely make the team in the final voting once the primary ballot is concluded. However, the players will probably get him in as a reserved player. He might even jump ahead of Carrol as All-Star votes continue to come in. Nevertheless, he is an All-Star.
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Brandon Drury, Angels
Brandon Drury finally put it all together last year as a Cincinnati Red before getting traded to the San Diego Padres at the deadline. So far, in 2023, he has proven that last year wasn’t a fluke, and he can continue being a force in the middle of a lineup. Last year he had a line of .269/.320/.492 that was good enough for a Silver Slugger award in the National League. The Los Angeles Angels also rewarded him for his play in the form of a 2-year, $17 million deal.
He did get off to a slow start in the first few weeks of the season. That is in the rearview mirror as of now. His .267/.312/.490 holds its own against other second basemen in the league. As for the latest update, he currently sits 4th in the voting for second basemen. However, Marcus Semien will block Drury as the starter for the American League.
Seeing that last year wasn’t a fluke for Drury is excellent news for the Angels. Having Drury in the middle/bottom of the order boosts their lineup. If Drury can continue this All-Star-level play, the Angels will certainly take it as they continue their run to the postseason. Drury has earned the right to be in the conversation as an All-Star as a second baseman.
A two-homer day for Brandon Drury! pic.twitter.com/QrILWkRTfy
— MLB (@MLB) June 17, 2023
Josh Jung, Rangers
Players that enter the league as rookies usually go under the radar unless they are on another level. Josh Jung has been a dependable rookie for the Texas Rangers at third base. The only person ahead of him is the leader Matt Chapman. That is unbelievable for a guy’s first entire season in the Majors. Jung has made his presence known early on in his young career.
Jung’s slash line is .279/.329/.493; not a bad line for someone’s first year. The only unfortunate thing might be that Chapman had such a hot start to begin the season that it might still be at the front of people’s minds. As mentioned earlier, many of these guys might be on the team as reserve players, which is a big win for many guys like Jung.
All-Star voting sometimes ends up being a battle of homer voting. That’s not a bad thing at all, mind you. Wanting to see your team represented in an All-Star game is fair. Wanting to know the game’s most prominent stars in the only All-Star game that matters is fair. When the votes get so far ahead, sometimes thinking outside the box is a fun way to go with ballots later on in the voting season.
Main photo credits:
Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
Players mentioned:
Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Corbin Carroll, Brandon Drury, Marcus Semien, Josh Jung, Matt Chapman
