"Everyone knows I'm a better hitter", Brandon Belt ready to be an All-Star over Shohei Ohtani

As the first round of fan voting for the 2023 MLB All-Star Game nears an end, a few Toronto Blue Jays are holding top spots, while some others are close.

In his first season with the Blue Jays, Brandon Belt is experiencing what it's like to play for the only team in Canada and the voting power that comes with it.

As of June 20, the Jays' designated hitter/first baseman was trailing Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels to represent the American League as the DH, although it's not exactly close.
Ohtani, with his 1,885,144 votes, is outpacing everyone at the position, including Belt and his 497,887 votes.

Belt believes he deserves the All-Star honor and isn't shying away from speaking his mind on the voting system and trying to convince anyone who will listen that he's better than the Angels' two-way superstar.

Known for his dry humor and quick wit, when asked about being second in All-Star Game voting to Ohtani, Belt came up with a very Brandon Belt-esque response, per Paige Leckie of MLB.com.

"Yeah, that's how you know it's rigged, I should be number one," Belt said. "And everybody knows I'm a better hitter than he is. Better DH better leader. But here we are."

Asked about being 2nd in AL ASG voting to Shohei, Brandon Belt said:

“Yeah, that's how you know it's rigged, I should be number one. And everybody knows I'm a better hitter than he is. Better DH better leader. But here we are.”
— 🪴paige🪴 (@paige_leckie) June 20, 2023

After what could only be described as an ice-cold start to his Blue Jays tenure, the 13-year veteran caught fire in May, hitting .333, and has continued with a .296 clip in June. Unfortunately, his production of four home runs and 16 RBI doesn't quite match what Ohtani is doing at the plate this year.

As likable as he is, maybe Belt hasn't looked at the leaderboards recently. He'll have a tough time overcoming the Angels' DH and his major league-leading 24 home runs.

The 2016 All-Star was also asked about his pitching prowess and if he would be a better pitcher than Ohtani, which is obviously vitally important to the All-Star DH debate.

"No question," Belt replied, per Leckie. "I got a high school video for days, that'll prove it."

Would he be a better pitcher?

“No question. I got a high school video for days. that'll prove it.”
— 🪴paige🪴 (@paige_leckie) June 20, 2023

Despite Belt's "campaigning," it seems unlikely that the Blue Jays' fanbase will be able to overcome the more than 1.8 million votes that Ohtani has already accumulated.