Mookie Betts isn’t used to being in second place. But such is the case after the latest American League ballot update for the 2018 MLB All-Star Game.
The Boston Red Sox right fielder leads all AL outfielders with 2,337,514 votes through Tuesday, but trails Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (2,460,967 votes) by a slim margin for the most overall votes in the A.L.
This was to be expected, as Betts missed 13 games in late May and early June while recovering from an abdominal strain. The 25-year-old still is batting at a .338 clip with 19 home runs and 40 RBIs, but Altuve has overtaken him with an AL-leading .343 batting average.
Betts’ teammate, J.D. Martinez, still is holding strong at designated hitter with 1,675,492 votes, well ahead of New York Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton.
Betts and Martinez would be Boston’s two All-Star starters right now, while Mitch Moreland (3rd among AL first basemen) and Andrew Benintendi (sixth among AL outfielders) have a shot at reserve slots.
Check out the full AL update below. Voting will stay open through July 5.
