There’s a good chance you’ll see plenty of Boston Red Sox players at this year’s All-Star Game, and a few of them could be playing prominent roles.
Major League Baseball released its second All-Star Game voting update Tuesday for its 2016 showcase in San Diego, and Jackie Bradley Jr. jumped from fourth to third among American League outfielders, meaning he’d earn a starting spot if voting ended Tuesday.
Boston OF Jackie Bradley Jr. has joined the AL leaders in the latest balloting update for the 87th Midsummer Classic pic.twitter.com/nrlEN7Cigc
— MLB Communications (@MLB_PR) June 7, 2016
Bradley overtook Baltimore Orioles outfielder Mark Trumbo, who ranked third in the American League’s first update behind Lorenzo Cain and leader Mike Trout. Bradley’s jump is well-deserved, as the 26-year-old outfielder is fresh off a 29-game hitting streak and leads all AL outfielders in batting average (.323) and OPS (.982) as of Tuesday.
There’s still a while to go before All-Star voting closes, but if Bradley can earn a starting spot for the July 12 Midsummer Classic, he’ll likely have some company: Xander Bogaerts still holds a comfortable lead among AL shortstops, and David Ortiz is running away with the designated hitter vote.
Bradley might even face competition from his own teammate. Mookie Betts vaulted to No. 6 in the latest update thanks in part to his five-home run outburst against the Baltimore Orioles. Boston has at least one All-Star candidate at every position, as Hanley Ramirez (first base), Dustin Pedroia (second base), Travis Shaw (third base) and Blake Swihart (catcher) all are among the top five vote-getters at their positions.
Voting will be open until Thursday, June 30, at 11:59 p.m. ET, and fans can vote at redsox.com/vote.
Thumbnail photo via Kevin Sousa/USA TODAY Sports Images
