MLB All Star Ballot: Blue Jays vs The Leaders

Tuesday, Major League Baseball announced the current vote totals for this year’s All Star game to be played in Cincinnati on July 14. And, right now, there are 5 Blue Jays who are fighting for top spot at their position on the MLB All Star ballot. In case you are unaware, fans can vote for the representative for each position. The top vote getter at each position becomes the starter for the All Star game. So, while to some, this may seem like a glorified popularity contest, there is some importance placed on this process. Remember, the winning team secures home field advantage during the World Series for its respective team. High stakes, indeed.

You can vote for your favorite Toronto Blue Jays player HERE. You can vote up to 35 times! Get clicking!

As well, certain players may have bonuses tied to an All Star appearance. But, if you set aside all of that, the All Star game is about the game’s stars showcasing their talents. And, while the players are voted in, the best players should play in the Mid-Summer Classic. Right now, the standings are full of Kansas City Royals at or near the top of each position. There are 5 Blue Jays, though that have eyes on supplanting them. With an eye to having the best players represent their teams, I thought it would be interesting to look at each position the Blue Jays are contending in and compare the ballot leader to our Toronto Blue Jays.*

For example, at shortstop, Alcides Escobar (Royals) leads the pack with nearly 1.2M votes. Jose Reyes is in 5th with just 217K votes. At catcher, Russell Martin sits in 3rd with 395K votes while Salvador Perez, who leads all players, has almost 1.5M. While the leaders at each position may be the current popular pick (with a while to go), are they the better player? Or, more specifically, are they better than the Blue Jays’ player on that list?

Some of the comparisons will help explain the standings, others may help convince you to cast your vote. Let’s go!

*All stats up to date heading into play Tuesday night.

Next: Can the Rookie Get Voted In?

Apr 19, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Jose Reyes (7) stretches during batting practice before a game against the Atlanta Braves at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

Shortstop:

Alcides Escobar vs Jose Reyes (5th)

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In the early going, Jose Reyes sits on the edge of the SS bubble with nearly a million fewer than Escobar. And, a look at his numbers and you can see why. He’s only been in a handful of games. He hasn’t even had enough time for his defensive numbers to normalize. The only thing that could explain such a high defensive score at this stage of his career is that it is a small sample size.

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But, that is kind of the thing: Jose Reyes has missed so much time and still is in the hunt for top spot. When healthy, he presents a much better threat than Escobar. His ability to hit, and at the right time, could mean a huge climb on this list for Reyes. That is, of course, if he can stay healthy from here on out. His health had been a factor to this point, even contributing to his lack of production while he was suffering through his rib injury. There is no doubt that a fully healthy Reyes could make this very interesting.

Except that Escobar has built quite a lead on the back of his Royals’ World Series birth and their hot start to the season. That is not to mention that he is playing solid defense thus far. On the surface, it looks as though he has been as good as Reyes (or the other way around), but we all know that if Reyes were to have the same amount of playing time, it would not be this close.

Reyes is going to have his work cut out for him. But, you can help him out by heading over and voting for him up to 35 times. Every little bit helps.

Next: Can Donaldson Bring Rain on Moose's Parade?

Apr 18, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson (20) reacts as he arrives at home plate after hitting a home run in the 10th inning to give the Jays a 6-5 win over Atlanta Braves at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

Third Base:

Mike Moustakas vs Josh Donaldson (2nd)

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This battle is a lot closer than I originally thought. Both guys are putting up some great numbers. In fact, while Donaldson is quietly putting together an MVP type season, Moustakas may be that much better right now. Obviously, Donladson has sexier power numbers, but Moustakas is more than making up for it. This may come down to which guy blinks first. Both are putting up great first halfs worthy of an All Star appearance. Regardless how voting goes, they both could be looking at a trip to Cincinnati.

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But, right now, Donaldson sits about 350K behind Moustakas. Donaldson has been shuffled around the Blue Jays lineup. Aside from sliding in at his projected 5th spot in the lineup, he’s also hit leadoff and 2nd. And, in a lineup of injuries and under performances, Donaldson has paced the Blue Jays to the highest scoring offense in baseball. He’s done all of this while playing more than steady defense on the turf at Rogers Centre.

While Moustakas edges Donaldson in most categories, Blue Jays fans may be surprised that he is actually putting up better defense than Donaldson. He’s been worth 7 DRS compared to Donaldson’s 3. If fans are looking for the best player to represent the American League at 3rd base, this contest could very well come down to the wire. If it truns out to be more of a popularity contest, it still could be quite interesting.

Moustakas, like his Royals counterparts, is enjoying the popularity that a World Series appearance brings. And, he’s putting together a good season. But, we should also remember that Donaldson has a reputation over the last couple years of being one of the best players in all of baseball. This part of the ballot will be an interesting one, for sure. You can help The Bringer of Rain out by heading over and voting for him up to 35 times.

Next: Can Russell Martin Beat the Best?

May 1, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Toronto Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin (55) points to the dugout after Cleveland Indians center fielder Michael Bourn (not pictured) is called safe at home during the fourth inning at Progressive Field. The call was overturn on replay challenge. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Catcher:

Salvador Perez vs Russell Martin (3rd)

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Salvador Perez may just be the standard to which all catchers (especially in the American League) are held. He’s establishing himself quite the name. And rightfully so. His numbers are solid. He’s coming off a great season in 2014 too. And, in this year’s All Star voting contest, he may prove to be as big an obstacle as his physical stature would suggest.

Toronto Blue Jays

Russell Martin is having a good year thus far for his native country’s Blue Jays. His numbers are as good, if not better than hoped for. In fact, if there is one area we could point to where Perez has an advantage over Martin, it would be behind the dish. While Martin has been touted as a great pitch framer, etc. He’s only (only?) been worth a single Defensive Run Saved. Perez, on the other hand, has been worth 3. Now, for the other positions, we used UZR/150 as a defensive metric, but that cannot be used when discussing the catcher. So, looking at the defensive value this way makes sense.

Perhaps the only area that Martin can claim victory over Perez is in his OBP. And, let’s be honest, they did not make a commercial about people digging walks, etc. Nope. Walks are just not sexy. Fans want to see the long ball. As of right now, they want to see Salvador Perez starting the 2015 All Star game for the American League.

You can help out Russell Martin by heading over and voting for him up to 35 times. He’s currently in 3rd place by well over a million votes. So, he needs our help. It’s the Canadian thing to do.

Next: We Need to Back Joey Bats

Sep 20, 2014; Bronx, NY, USA; Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Jose Bautista (19) high fives through the dugout after scoring during the first inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

Outfielders:

Lorenzo Cain vs Jose Bautista (8th)

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Here we go getting surprised again. Jose Bautista is one of the premier hitters in baseball. Yet, Lorenzo Cain is putting up numbers on pace with Joey Bats, or better. At first, I thought this would be another example of ‘Royals Hangover’ from the World Series. But, looking at his numbers, Cain deserves consideration for the All Star game.

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His average is much better than that of Bautista. Granted, Bautista won’t be hitting .215 the whole season. But, he is right now. If we dig a little deeper, we see that there is an area that Bautista has bested Cain. His BB% is 18.8% to Cain’s 5.2%. Ha! More than triple. Except, as previously stated, people don’t pay money to watch the Base on Balls Derby. When it comes to All Star voting, walks are not as good as hits.

So, the perennial HR threat, Jose Bautista is looking like he’s met a match here. But, when you look even further, Cain’s case gets stronger. Remember that players have to play both sides of the ball. Bautista has been good in his time in the outfield. But, he’s been DHing for quite a while with that injured shoulder. When he has played, he’s put up a respectable UZR/150. At least, it looks like a good number until you compare it to that of Lorenzo Cain. His 24.5 mark is eye popping. Blue Jays fans wish they saw that from Bautista.

Lorenzo Cain deserves the nearly 1.4M votes he’s garnered thus far. But, we’re talking about Jose Bautista here. He’s managed to put up these numbers while, more or less, being half a player. He’s the face of the Toronto Blue Jays. He’s been the top vote getter in previous years. He’s a perennial All Star. It just so happens that if he’s going to be voted in this year, he’s going to need a lot of help. Returning healthy would go a long way, too. But, let’s do our part. Head on over and start voting for Jose Bautista up to 35 times.

Next: Let's Get Voting

There you have it. While the Blue Jays hold a special place in our heart, they’re facing some pretty stiff competition. Who starts the All Star game depends on how many votes they get in their respective positions.

Toronto Blue Jays

Right now, there are some Blue Jays who are putting up good numbers. It just so happens that there are some others who are putting up numbers that are equally deserving of recognition.

There are those who think the All Star game should be to showcase the best talent in the sport. If that is the case, votes will be cast accordingly. But, as fans, we have the right to vote (up to 35 times per email address) for whomever we like. If we want to see our hometown hero take the field in Cincinnati regardless of numbers, all we need to do is cast our votes.

The funny thing about this is that those who get the most votes do so because they’re really good at what they do. They’re popular because of their ability. So, who cares if it is just a glorified popularity contest. Let’s show our Blue Jays how much we love them. Get voting!