HOUSTON – The reigning AL MVP Jose Altuve leads all second baseman by a considerable margin in the first update in the American League All-Star voting.
Voting is available at www.astros.com/vote until Thursday, July 5th at 10:59 p.m. (CT).
Altuve has started the last three All-Star Games (2015-17) and has appeared in five Midsummer Classics overall (2012, 2014).
The Astros record for All-Star appearances is seven, held by Hall of Famer Craig Biggio.
In 2018, Altuve’s 701,236 votes are the second-highest total among all Major League players, trailing only Boston outfielder Mookie Betts (748,872). Altuve leads Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres (279,810) by over 420,000 votes, the widest margin currently between all first and second-place players.
Carlos Correa, who was the AL starter at shortstop in 2017, is currently in fourth place among shortstops, but trails the top vote-getter (Manny Machado) by just 115,150 votes.
George Springer, who was also an All-Star starter in 2017, is currently fifth among AL outfielders.
Third baseman Alex Bregman and catcher Brian McCann are third in their respective races, while DH Evan Gattis (4th) and first baseman Yuli Gurriel (5th) are also in the top five for their positions.
The Astros also have several pitchers that are strong candidates for the All-Star Game. However, pitchers are not selected via the traditional fan vote.
As the World Series winning manager, Astros manager AJ Hinch will serve as the AL skipper for the All-Star Game, and will be joined by his entire coaching staff.
The 2018 All-Star Game will be played on Tuesday, July 17 at Nationals Park in Washington, DC.
