AL All-Star Final Vote: A case for each candidate

Jun 4, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals manager Ned Yost (3) watches batting practice before the game against the Cleveland Indians at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Ned Yost will have one more player at his disposal on July 14.

I may or may not be in the minority, but I tend to enjoy the MLB All-Star Game Final Vote more than the standard voting process. The regular vote is introduced too early in the season and slips from your consciousness for long stretches over the months leading up to the game. The Final Vote is simple and straightforward: fans have only one week to get one more deserving player from each league into the Midsummer Classic.

There is a much greater sense of urgency and personal investment, especially if there is a candidate from your favorite team or one you felt was a particularly egregious snub. Teams have fun “campaigning” for their Final Vote representatives at the ballpark and on social media, with custom campaign buttons and hashtags to help support their guys. AL and NL fan bases often form alliances to help vote each other’s players into the game.

And with only five players from each league on the ballot vying for those final roster spots, it’s far easier to compare and debate who should get the nod. Let’s first take a closer look at the American League ASG Final Vote candidates and why each might have a convincing argument to secure your vote.

Fans can vote here at MLB.com as many times as they want until 4 pm EST on Friday, July 10.

Next: Xander Bogaerts