MLB Power Rankings: Which Baseball Players May Be Surprise Picks for 2014 MLB All-Star Game?
Midway through the 2014 Major League Baseball season, fans votes for the annual All-Star Game are almost complete. This year's All Star game won't be played until July 15, but voting closes on July 3. Every vote counts for every position.
The usual key players lead this year's American League All-Star votes like Miguel Cabrera, Derek Jeter, and Nelson Cruz. In the National League, players such as Yadier Molina, Troy Tulowitzki, and Andrew McCutchen have received the most votes.
But there have been some surprises.
Albert Pujols
Derek Jeter
Albert Pujols and Jeter have both received over one million votes each in the American League. Both players are past their prime, so many people may find it as a surprise that both players got so many votes, but they are fan favorites. Jeter and Pujols have won a combined seven World Series, so background and resumé will play a factor. Plus, playing in New York City and Los Angeles doesn't hurt, either.
Edwin Encarnacion
Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter Encarnacion has received more than 1.5 million votes this year. This comes as a bit of a surprise because Encarnacion has hit 25 home runs this season and he's only hit over 30 in a season twice in his entire career. Encarnacion should have got more votes on a team that leads the Majors in home runs. Either way, it's good to see Encarnacion going to his second consecutive All-Star game.
Brian Dozier
Minnesota Twins second baseman Brian Dozier is a bit of a head scratcher. Despite batting just .235 this season with zero triples, Dozier has collected almost one million votes. Dozier has been a good second baseman this season while committing just seven errors, but it looks as if he may received a bit too much on the fan ballot side.
Jose Abreu
The biggest surprise in the National League is the Chicago White Sox first baseman Abreu. The rookie hitter has been fantastic so far with 26 home runs and 67 RBIs midway through the season. He could very well lead the league when the season is over. Unfortunately for Abreu, he isn't even listed in the top five vote getters for first basemen in the American League. He could be the biggest snub this year, unless he makes a late surge in the votes or gets picked by the managers.
Mike Morse
Another surprise in the National League is outfielder Mike Morse of the San Francisco Giants. Morse is batting just .277 this year and isn't viewed as an elite outfielder defensively, but he's received almost 1.5 million votes. He's ahead of big name players such as Justin Upton and Matt Holliday.