The initial voting tallies are out for the 2022 MLB All-Star Game, and there are already some numbers that will have you shaking your head about MLB fans having a say in the Midsummer Classic lineups.
3 things that made us shake our heads about the early MLB All-Star Game voting results
With the results that were released on Tuesday morning, it’s clear that fan favorites have the advantage in the MLB All-Star Game voting process more than those players who may play for smaller market teams but are actually putting up numbers worthy of a start in Los Angeles when Dodger Stadium hosts Major League Baseball’s best on Tuesday, July 19.
That brings us to our first head-shaking number from the early MLB All-Star Game votes.
Ke’Bryan Hayes isn’t getting his due
Absolutely, third base in the National League is a loaded position with Manny Machado of the San Diego Padres and Nolan Arenado of the St. Louis Cardinals ranking first and second, respectively, in the race to start at third base. However, not even cracking the top 10 at the position is Ke’Bryan Hayes of the Pittsburgh Pirates, the player who actually leads all MLB players in Defensive Runs Saved and is sixth among all third basemen in fWAR.
How does Hayes not even have 50,000 votes so far at a position where Machado is over 969,000? Sure, Pirates fans are in the minority compared to other fan bases, but for Hayes to not even have cracked the top 10 in the early going is mind-boggling.